Daily Current Affairs : 24-November-2023
Adoption, a critical avenue for providing children with a loving and stable family environment, has faced challenges in India. The recent directives from the Supreme Court of India aim to streamline the adoption process, addressing key issues for the benefit of children, prospective adoptive parents, and society at large.
Identifying Children in Need:
- Child Care Institutions (CCIs) must identify children with parents not visiting for over a year or having unfit parents.
- Definition of “Unfit Guardian” includes those involved in substance abuse, child abuse, neglect, criminal records, or mental instability.
Bi-Monthly Drives and Data Compilation:
- States and Union Territories should conduct bi-monthly drives to identify orphaned, abandoned, or surrendered children in CCIs.
- Compilation of data on potential adoptable children, especially in CCIs, is mandated for submission to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
CARA’s Role and Legal Framework:
- CARA, under the Ministry of Women & Child Development, serves as the central authority for regulating adoptions in India.
- The legal framework includes the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000.
Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption:
- Provides safeguards for children and families involved in inter-country adoptions.
- Aims to prevent illegal activities during adoptions, ensuring minimum standards without being a uniform adoption law.
Benefits of Adoption:
- Adoption provides a loving and stable family environment, ensuring holistic development for children.
- Contributes to social and economic development by reducing the burden on the state and empowering adopted children.
Adoption Trends and Statistics:
- Around 4,000 adoptions occur annually in India.
- Over 3 Crore orphans in the country as of 2021, creating a significant adoption mismatch.
- Challenges include a waiting period of three to four years for prospective adoptive parents (PAPs).
Challenges in Adoption:
- The adoption process is complex and involves extended timelines.
- Challenges include child returns, decline in the adoption of special needs children, illegal adoption activities, and legal hurdles for LGBTQ+ families.
Important Points:
Supreme Court’s Directives:
- Identification of children in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) with unfit parents.
- Definition of “Unfit Guardian” includes various criteria like substance abuse, criminal records, and neglect.
- States and Union Territories directed to conduct bi-monthly drives to identify orphaned, abandoned, or surrendered children in CCIs.
- Data compilation on potential adoptable children, especially in CCIs, mandated for submission to CARA and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA):
- CARA, under the Ministry of Women & Child Development, is the central authority for regulating adoptions.
- Functions include monitoring and regulating entities involved in adoption processes.
Legal Framework:
- Adoption governed by the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956; the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890; and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000.
- Mandatory registration of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and linking to CARA outlined in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption:
- Provides safeguards for children and families involved in inter-country adoptions.
- Aims to prevent illegal activities during adoptions, ensuring minimum standards without being a uniform adoption law.
Benefits of Adoption:
- Adoption provides a loving and stable family environment.
- Contributes to social and economic development by reducing the burden on the state and empowering adopted children.
Adoption Trends and Statistics:
- Approximately 4,000 child adoptions occur annually in India.
- Over 3 Crore orphans in the country as of 2021, highlighting a significant adoption mismatch.
- Prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) face a waiting period of three to four years.
Challenges in Adoption:
- Adoption process involves intricate steps, contributing to an extended timeline.
- Unusual upsurge in child returns, particularly affecting girls and those with special needs.
- Decline in the adoption of special needs children, illegal adoption activities, and legal challenges for LGBTQ+ families pose challenges.
Why In News
In a landmark development, the Supreme Court of India, during a recent hearing of a petition filed by a Non-governmental Organization (NGO), has not only issued a series of directions to the Centre, the States, and the Union Territories to expedite and simplify the adoption process in the country but has also emphasized the paramount importance of ensuring the welfare and swift placement of children in need of a loving home.
MCQs about Adoption Processes in India
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what is the role of CARA in the adoption process in India?
A. Conducting bi-monthly drives
B. Regulating State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARAs)
C. Providing legal recognition for LGBTQ+ families
D. Managing Child Care Institutions (CCIs)
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What criteria define an “Unfit Guardian” for adoption purposes?
A. Inability to cook
B. Involvement in substance abuse and neglect
C. Having a pet
D. Being a vegetarian
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Which legal frameworks govern child placement with a family in India?
A. Juvenile Justice Act, 2000
B. Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956
C. Guardians and Wards Act, 1890
D. All of the above
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What is the main objective of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption?
A. To create uniform adoption laws worldwide
B. To establish minimum standards for inter-country adoptions
C. To discourage international adoptions
D. To legalize child trafficking
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