Lok Sabha Question No. 1119 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-04
Subject: Revised Guidelines for Adoption of Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, LALUBHAI BABUBHAI PATEL, PR. SENTHILNATHAN, RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE, MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVNTHI), BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SANGANNA AMARAPPA KARADI, A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION.  No. 1119

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2015

## REVISED GUIDELINES FOR ADOPTION OF CHILDREN

1119:  SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

SHRI LALUBHAI BABUBHAI PATEL:

SHRI PR. SENTHIL NATHAN:

SHRIMATI RAKSHATAI KHADSE:

SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASARAO (AVANTHI):

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA:

SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN:

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

- (a)       the number of children adopted by the Indian and Foreigners/Non-Resident Indians during each of the last three years and the current year along with the reasons for declining  adoption, if any;
- (b)       whether the Government has received complaints regarding cumbersome formalities for adoption of children and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government to simplify the procedure;
- (c)          whether  the  Government  has  recently  notified  revised  guidelines  for  adoption  of children  and if so, the details and salient features thereof;
- (d)       whether the Government has conducted or proposes to conduct workshops to enable agencies  to  understand  the  revised  guidelines  for  adoption  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (e)          whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  objections  by  various  sections  against certain provisions in the revised guidelines and  voluntarily given  up  of their recognised status by many charity adoption homes and NGOs including Missionaries of Charity; and
- (f)        if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

- (a):  The  number  of  children  adopted  by  the  Indian  and  Foreigners/Non-Resident  Indians during each of the last three years and the current year is placed as under:

| Period                            |   In-country adoption |   Inter-country adoption |
|-----------------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------------|
| 2012-2013(April 2012- March,2013) |                  4694 |                      308 |
| 2013-2014(April 2013- March,2014) |                  3924 |                      430 |
| 2014-2015(April 2014- March,2015) |                  3988 |                      374 |
| 2015-2016(April 2015- Sept 2015)  |                  1513 |                      237 |

The  adoption  figures  have  more  or  less  remained  stable  during  the  above  mentioned period.

- (b)  &  (c):  Prior  to  notification  of  'Guidelines  Governing  Adoption  of  Children  2015', Government had received complaints/suggestions related to registration process, delays at  the  level  of  Child  Welfare  Committee  (CWC),  at  the  level  of  adoption  agencies  for conducting home study reports etc.  Some of the salient features of the new adoption guidelines  include  provisions  for  linking  the  orphan/abandoned/surrendered  children  of all  Child  Care  Institutions  (CCIs)  to  the  adoption  system,  making  the  entire  adoption process  online,  treating  NRI  prospective  adoptive  parents  at  par  with  the  domestic prospective  adoptive  parents,  reducing  the  timeframe  for  completion  of  Home  Study Report  from  two  months  to  one  month.  All  Specialised  Adoption  Agencies  (SAA)  are authorised  both  for  in-country  and  inter-country  adoption.  This  will  enable  the  special needs and older children in such agencies (who rarely go in domestic adoptions) to find suitable family through     inter- country adoption.
- (d): Yes, till date, about twenty orientations and capacity building programmes have already been  undertaken  for  adoption  agencies  and  other  stakeholders  by  Central  Adoption Resource Authority in association with State Governments after notification of Guidelines in July 2015.
- (e) & (f): The Missionaries of Charity, has communicated to the Central Adoption Resource Authority that they have decided to suppress all of their adoption centres in India due to their inability to comply with the new Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children, 2015, as there are other agencies who are doing the same work in the locations where they have their centres. Under the provisions of Section 41(4) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, the State Government recognises adoption agencies. As such, the State Government is appropriate authority for taking any action.

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