Context:
Recently, the Supreme Court questioned the “great delay” plaguing India’s adoption regulation body, the Central Adoption Resource Authority.
Relevance:
GS II: Polity and Governance
Dimensions of the Article:
- About the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)
- Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption
About the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA):
- CARA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.
Role as Central Authority:
- Designated as the Central Authority for handling inter-country adoptions in line with the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by India in 2003.
Functions:
- Nodal body regulating the adoption of “orphaned, surrendered, and abandoned children” in India.
- Monitors and regulates entities such as State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARAs), Specialized Adoption Agencies (SAAs), Authorized Foreign Adoption Agencies (AFAAs), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), and District Child Protective Units (DPUs).
Legal Framework in India:
- Child placement with a family is 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 is outlined in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption:
- The Convention establishes safeguards for children and families involved in inter-country adoptions.
- Aims to prevent the illegal abduction, sale, or trafficking of children during adoptions.
- Objectives:
- Protect children and families from illegal or ill-prepared inter-country adoptions.
- Prevent abduction, sale, or trafficking of children.
- Establish minimum standards while recognizing that it does not serve as a uniform law of adoption.
