Our community newsletter puts a spotlight on people who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to support CRVS programmes in Asia and the Pacific, raise awareness of CRVS issues or lead CRVS improvement efforts in their home country or in the region.  This month, we would like to dedicate this issue of Insight to Urvashi Kaushik.

What is your current title and role?

Presently, I serve as Social Policy Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at UNICEF India Country Office. I lead our CRVS programme nationally including assisting colleagues in the field doing great work at state level in India. 

Can you please share with us a particular experience which highlighted the importance of CRVS to you?

Personally, the most moving experience on birth registration was when we received the birth certificate of our son with our names as his parents after going through a long adoption journey and knowing that the baby is finally and fully ours. Incredibly, the certificate arrived when I was on a CRVS mission in Dhaka in June 2023 with all the South Asian country governments discussing progress on the CRVS Decade of Action!  

Working in the Indian state of Bihar and now nationally, my professional experience on CRVS constantly inspires me to confront the complexities of the challenge, appreciate the collaborative efforts of a range of stakeholders to strengthen CRVS systems, and recommit to our contributions to ensuring all children everywhere realize their first right – the right to birth registration.

How are you currently involved in CRVS improvements?

At UNICEF, we support government programmes to strengthen CRVS systems through technical assistance, capacity building, and data interventions working jointly with partners in government, academia and civil society, and the UN. India has seen tremendous progress in coverage of birth registration services driving further sustained efforts to achieve 100 percent birth registration and certification. 

Which advice would you give to others trying to improve CRVS systems?

Three things. One. Perseverance is key, and we must keep up the passionate action. Two. To universalize civil registries, we must focus on the excluded groups. Three. None of us can do this alone so reach out and expand the partnerships base!