Mukesh

My daughter turned 18. We wanted to get her PAN card issued. Simple enough? Not in India! 🫩 Her date of birth was incorrect on Aadhaar. To correct it, we were asked to get a birth certificate in the new format introduced after 2019. At the birth certificate office, they didn't even have application forms! Instead, a picture of the form was pasted on the wall. We were told to photograph it, find a stationery shop, print it and fill it out. No stationery shop nearby. Spent 20 minutes finding one. Then another problem: the registration number on her old birth certificate was illegible because of an overlapping stamp. Officials were reluctant to help and asked us to return after a few days. After much insistence, one helpful young man finally traced the number. Application submitted. Relief? Not quite. "It will take 2–3 months, sir." Apparently, the application must travel through multiple government departments before a new birth certificate can be issued. All this just to correct a date of birth, so that an 18-year-old can get her PAN card! We talk about Digital India, but basic government services still require citizens to run from pillar to post. Why must something so simple be so complicated?