With the start of the week, the Narendra Modi-led government has come up with new rules for Adoption on August 23, to be called Adoption(First Amendment) Regulations, 2021, which comes into effect immediately.
According to the fresh guidelines, it shall be the duty of the Indian Mission of the recipient country to which the child has been taken to by the adoptive parents, to guard the interests and perform all the entrusted duties as per Adoption Rules, 2017, in respect of the adopted child.
Indian diplomatic missions are now accountable for safeguarding adopted children whose parents migrated from the country with the child in two years of adoption. To date, the Indian missions abroad had a role in inter-country adoption of Indian children limited to children adopted by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) or foreign parents.
The Missions were given the responsibility of ensuring protection against ignorance, abuse, ill-treatment or molestation of such children. But there was little space left to be addressed, as Indian children adopted by Indian parents and later moved abroad were out of the purview of Indian Missions there. Some of such cases were brought forth to the attention of the authorities lately.
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With the centre notifying new regulations regarding adoption, the adoptive parents now have to announce the concerned Indian diplomatic missions in the country of departure and arrival, at least two weeks in advance through written communication with their full communication details at the new place and thereafter, mention the new rules.
The new amendments have been made by the Central Adoption Resource Authority and notified on August 23 by the Woman and Child Development Ministry.
To your knowledge, at present the Indian diplomatic missions send progress reports of an adopted child on a quarterly basis in the first year and on a six-monthly basis in the second year, from the date of arrival of the child in the receiving country. They are now likely to get in touch with the central authority or other authorities in the receiving countries for the security of the children of Indian origin adopted by Non-Resident Indians or Overseas Citizens of India or foreign parents.
In case of splitting of adoption, the foreign missions shall send a report in this regard in the shortest possible time, and deliver mandatory assistance and expedite the rehabilitation of the child in case required.
