There are over 50,000 orphans currently in India who have been abandoned by their parents and neglected by their government. In-country adoption as well inter-country adoption has fallen by 50 per cent in the last five years. Women and Child Development Minister, Maneka Gandhi, addressed the national meet on adoption organised by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). At the meet she came down hard on the "idleness and deliberate lying" of adoption agencies around the country.

Rules eased to increase adoption

As adoption rates decrease in India, the central government has decided to ease the norms in order to facilitate adoption by foreign nationals in India.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has ordered all passport departments to accept the birth date of the child mentioned in the court order, instead of asking for the birth certificate. Many children were having trouble obtaining a passport as a birth certificate was mandatory.

"The matter has been examined in this ministry (MEA) and to mitigate the problems faced by such children, it has been decided that for the issuance of passports to abandoned, orphan inter-country children, passport authorities may either accept copy of birth certificate or the date of birth as recorded in the court order which should be accompanied by a copy of NOC of CARA bearing date of birth of the adopted child, as his birth proof," said a notice by the MEA.

New schemes

Union Minister, Maneka Gandhi stated, a new foster care scheme will be launched by the central government very soon. In this scheme families will keep children under their care, for which they will be paid by the government. They do not have to adopt the children, simply provide them a home.

"Foster care means those children whom people don’t want to adopt but they don’t mind keeping them in their houses. Government should pay the money and orphanages check them with the parents and there would be proper training when the scheme starts," she said.

It is an undeniable tragedy that thousands of children are made to suffer and remain without families and homes. At this point one can only hope that the government makes a massive effort to change this.

Maneka Gandhi | Source: Indian Express