The adoption in the country takes place under Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act). HAMA, 1956 falls in the domain of Ministry of Law and Justice and JJ Act, 2015 pertains to this Ministry.  As per Section 2(57) and Section 65 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act,  2015, [JJ Act] each State/UTs is to establish/recognize one or more “Specialised Adoption Agency” (SAA) in each district for housing orphans, abandoned and surrendered children, placed there by order of the Committee, for the purpose of adoption. The primary responsibility in execution of the JJ Act lies with the State Governments. Central Govt is executing a scheme namely Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) (now “Child protection Services”) for providing financial assistance to State Governments/UT Administrations, on sharing pattern, for execution of the Act and with the objective to create a safe and secure environment for overall development of children in need of care and protection, which includes orphan/abandoned/surrendered children.

The data regarding number of orphans in the country is not maintained centrally in the Ministry of Women and Child Development. However, the number of SAAs with number of Children residing in these institutions, as reported by the State/UT governments and receiving fund under the ICPS, is given below:

The adoption is done through the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act). The details of adoption under HAMA are not maintained centrally. The same has been reflected in part (a).  However, as reported by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), the adoptions under JJ Act, 2015 for last three years and current year are as under:

The Adoption Regulation, 2017 has replaced the Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children, 2015, keeping in view the feedbacks received from adoption agencies and other stakeholders for pre-adoption, adoption & post-adoption related issues for further simplification of adoption process and transparency through e-governance and fully automated online system with central database. Cradle points are also being established at Public Health Centres (PHCs) and other places for safe abandonment of children. Apart from this, advocacy programme is being under taken for boosting the adoption programme in the country. 

The State Governments/UTs have been asked to register all Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and link them with the Specialised Adoption Agencies so that the large number of children residing in CCIs can also be placed with families, under JJ Act, 2015.

This information was given by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar in reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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NB/UD