Jamshedpur: Birth and death certificates, issued between 1945 and 2015, will now be digitised by Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC). The move, officials said, is aimed at preserving ageing paper documents and cutting the time and effort needed to trace old certificates. It could also help residents obtain information about their own certificates or those of family members.JNAC municipal commissioner Yogendra Prasad said the civic body is still in its planning stages, and the process could take time because many old paper certificates were in poor condition. JNAC would need clearance from the state urban development and housing department for implementing the project.JNAC officials estimate that over 10.5 lakh birth and death certificates were issued in the 70 years. On average, 15,000 birth and death certificates are issued annually.“Paper records were being preserved to prevent damage, deterioration or loss over time. Paper documents can become damaged, torn or illegible, while some may go missing, making retrieval difficult when citizens approach the civic body,” a JNAC official said.However, the civic body has not clarified how the public will access the digital records.