Lok Sabha Question No. 3913 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-24
Subject: Adoption Process
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Tirath Singh Rawat, Sarmistha Sethi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3913

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2023

## ADOPTION PROCESS

3913. SHRI TIRATH SINGH RAWAT: SHRIMATI SARMISTHA SETHI:

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

- a. the  total  number  of  children  eligible  for  adoption  and  total  number  of  those adopted in 2021 and 2022;
- b. the  strict  rules  made  to  monitor  and  regulate  the  legal  adoption  process  for orphan children;
- c.  whether because of the stringent adoption process in the country, there is a long  waiting  period  for  adoption  of  orphans,  abandoned  and  surrendered children living in child care institutions and if so, the details thereof; and
- d.  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  bring  new  policies  for  ease  of adoption?

## ANSWER

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

(a) : As per information received from Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), a statutory body of Ministry of Women and Child Development, the details of total number of children eligible for adoption and total number of those adopted in 202122 and 2022-23 (as on 20.03.2023) are as under :

## 2021-2022

|   Total Number of children eligible for adoption | Total Number of children placed in adoption   |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|                                             2916 | 3405*                                         |

## 2022-2023 (as on 20.03.2023 )

|   Total Number of children eligible for adoption | Total Number of children placed in adoption   |
|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|                                             3176 | 3277*                                         |

(b) : The Government through its recent amendments in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (notified on 09.08.2021), the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 (notified on 01.09.2022) and the  Adoption  Regulations  2022  (notified  on  23.09.2023)  has  brought  qualitative reforms  to  monitor  and  regulate  adoption  process  for  Orphan,  Abandoned  and Surrendered (OAS) children.

(c)  :  The  long  waiting  period of the  Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) can be attributed to the fact that there are more waiting parents in comparison to a lesser number of children available for adoption. However, the children do not have to wait in the institutions, as there is an online referral system enabling placement of children in adoption expeditiously.

(d) : The amendments made in the Adoption Regulations, 2022 inter-alia include (i) District Magistrate to issue Adoption order; (ii) Chief Medical Officer to determine the health status of the child; (iii) Classification of Special needs redrafted as per Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and Part E of Medical Examination Report; (iv) State  Government  to  setup  a  Governing  body  with  Secretary  of  the  State Government as its Chairperson and Director of the Department as Chief Executive Officer  and  Member Secretary  along  with  a  Nodal  Officer  at  the  level  of  Deputy Director; (v) Age eligibility of PAPs redefined to ensure younger PAPs for younger children; (vi) For adoption purpose, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) PAPs have been made at par with Resident Indian (RI)/ Non-Resident Indian (NRI) PAPs; (vii) 7-day adoption  effort  launched  by  CARA  for  Resident  Indian/NRI/OCI  before  child becomes available for Inter-Country adoption; (viii) PAPs with more than two children do not qualify to get referral for a normal child (this criteria is relaxed for adopting hard to place or special needs children); (ix) State based referral priority introduced; (x) Indian Diplomatic Mission (IDM) to take up the remaining post adoption follow ups for the Indian adoptive parents relocating to a foreign country; (xi) Timeline has been  stipulated  for  authorities  and  agencies  at  each  level  to  curtail  delay;  (xii) Counselling  stipulated  at  each  level  to  enhance  preparedness  of  prospective adoptive parents and the older children.

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