Lok Sabha Question No. 932 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-03
Subject: Adoption Agencies in India
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Annasaheb Shankar Jolle, Sanganna Amarappa Karadi, L.S. Tejasvi Surya, B. Y. Raghavendra, Prathap Simha, Devendrappa Y, Umesh G. Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 932

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2021

## ADOPTION AGENCIES IN INDIA

932.   SHRI ANNASAHEB SHANKAR JOLLE :

SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA:

SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA:

SHRI B.Y. RAGHAVENDRA:

SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

SHRI Y. DEVENDRAPPA:

DR. UMESH G. JADHAV:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of specialized adoption agencies in India State/UT-wise particular in Karnataka;
- (b) the number of authorized foreign adoption agencies in India State/UT-wise;
- (c) the number of foreign adoptions of Indian children that have taken place during each of the last five years;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  aiming  to  further  strengthen  the  State  Adoption Resource authorities and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  rise  in  unauthorized  adoptions  of children during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those who have lost one or both of their parents due to the viral infection and if so, the measures taken by the Government to address the issue; and
- (f) whether  the  Government  has  issued  any  cautions  or  advisories  regarding unauthorized adoption of children during the COVID-19 pandemic and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) : As per the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS), the  State-wise  number  of  Specialized  Adoption  Agencies  functional  in  India  including Karnataka is at Annexure-I . Karnataka has 31 Specialised Adoption Agencies.

- (b)   : There are no Authorised Foreign Adoption Agencies (AFFA) in India.

(c)  :  Details  of number  of  foreign  adoptions  of  Indian  children  during  the  last  five  years period is as follows :

| Year      |   Foreign Adoptions of Indian Children |
|-----------|----------------------------------------|
| 2016-2017 |                                    578 |
| 2017-2018 |                                    651 |
| 2018-2019 |                                    653 |
| 2019-2020 |                                    394 |
| 2020-2021 |                                    417 |

Source : CARINGS

d)  :  The  Ministry  reviews  the  implementation  of  the  Juvenile  Justice  (Care  and Protection  of  Children)  Act,  2015  with  States/UTs  from  time  to  time  for  its  effective implementation.

(e)  &  (f)   :   The  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  has informed that 36 complaints alleging illegal adoption of children during the COVID-19 pandemic  have  been  received  by  them.  The  Commission  has  taken  cognizance  of these complaints under Section 13(1) (j) of Commission for Protection of Child Right (CPCR) Act, 2005 and asked the concerned authorities to take necessary action in the matter.   The  adoption  of  children  takes  place  through  the  Child  Adoption  Resource Information  and  Guidance  System  (CARINGS),  a  web-based  application  under  the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and under Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA) 1956.  Adoptions under HAMA do not come under the purview of Central Adoption Resource Authority.

Various  advisories  have  been  issued  by  the  Government  including  the  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and CARA, to all the States and UTs for addressing the child care and safeguard during the COVID-19 pandemic and for ensuring ease of the adoption process, including promotion of legal adoptions in the country.

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ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.932 FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2021 BY SHRI ANNASAHEB  SHANKAR  JOLLE,  SHRI  SANGANNA  AMARAPPA,  SHRI  L.S. TEJASVI SURYA, SHRI B.Y. RAGHAVENDRA, SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA, SHRI Y. DEVENDRAPPA REGARDING 'ADOPTION AGENCIES IN INDIA'

## State/UT-wise Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAA) in India

|   S.No. | State                  |   No. of SAAs |
|---------|------------------------|---------------|
|       1 | Andaman and Nicobar    |             1 |
|       2 | Andhra Pradesh         |            14 |
|       3 | Arunachal Pradesh      |             2 |
|       4 | Assam                  |            20 |
|       5 | Bihar                  |            25 |
|       6 | Chandigarh             |             1 |
|       7 | Chhattisgarh           |            13 |
|       8 | Dadar and Nagar Haveli |             1 |
|       9 | Delhi                  |            12 |
|      10 | Goa                    |             2 |
|      11 | Gujarat                |            16 |
|      12 | Haryana                |             8 |
|      13 | Himachal Pradesh       |             1 |
|      14 | Jharkhand              |            12 |
|      15 | Karnataka              |            31 |
|      16 | Kerala                 |            17 |
|      17 | Madhya Pradesh         |            31 |
|      18 | Maharashtra            |            56 |
|      19 | Manipur                |             9 |
|      20 | Meghalaya              |             6 |
|      21 | Mizoram                |             7 |
|      22 | Nagaland               |             4 |
|      23 | Orissa                 |            32 |
|      24 | Pondicherry            |             3 |
|      25 | Punjab                 |             8 |
|      26 | Rajasthan              |            35 |
|      27 | Sikkim                 |             3 |
|      28 | Tamil Nadu             |            22 |
|      29 | Telangana              |            12 |
|      30 | Tripura                |             9 |
|      31 | Uttar Pradesh          |            23 |
|      32 | Uttarakhand            |             7 |
|      33 | West Bengal            |            24 |

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