The demand for children for adoption in India is much more than what legal orphanages and adoption agencies in the country are able to supply. About 5,000 Indian children are adopted by families both within and outside the country through recognised adoption centres, while the number of orphans and abandoned children is estimated to be more than 10 million.

“The number of parents wanting to adopt children is far more than the number of children at our agencies,” said Jagannth Pati, Deputy Director of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), which is organising an international conference on child adoption here.

“This is mainly because a large number of children do not fall into the adoption loop. We are trying to take correct that,” he told The Indian Express.

Adoption is a tedious procedure in India and it requires elaborate paperwork. Families often prefer to adopt children from hospitals and nursing homes although it does not have the sanction of law. However, the Government is now trying to cut down on red tapeism and simplify the process by introducing some important legislations.

The Integrated Child Protection Scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Juvenile Justice Act, both due for implementation in the near future, seek to establish an elaborate system of adoption by going down to the district level.

Under the proposed arrangement, a State Adoption Resource Authority (SARA) will be established in every state. This will function on the lines of CARA. Also, a Child Protection Unit and a recognised adoption agency is planned for each district.

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