NEW DELHI: Since the new adoption regulations came into effect last September, following the notification of the amended Juvenile Justice Rules 2022 that enables a district magistrate to issue adoption orders in place of courts, 2,297 such orders have been issued.
Latest data on children available in adoption pool of the Central Adoption Resource Authority is 2,191 and the number of Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) registered for domestic adoption is significantly high at 30,217. There are 984 PAPs registered on the CARINGS portal of CARA for inter-country adoptions.
According to the ministry of women and child development sources, 858 out of the 997 adoption orders are pending in courts as of September 12 after the JJ Rules were notified on September 1 have been approved so far. It is learnt that most of the cases were either transferred to the DMs or disposed of by the courts themselves. As of now, adoption order pendency in this category is 139, sources said.
Apprehensions have been raised from time to time by certain civil society organisations and prospective adoptive parents that giving the responsibility to the DMs will lead to delays as they are already overburdened. However, when asked about the same, WCD officials refute the charge and claim that since September the process has, in fact, become more streamlined.
Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, where the amendments related to adoption orders under the Juvenile Justice Act have been challenged in Bombay High Court and the matter is pending before it, available data show that around 329 cases are pending with either the specialised adoption agency or the District Child Protection Unit level. According to sources the reason for the pending cases is due to uncertainty created as a result of interim order of Bombay HC as are not clear as to whether to send the case to the Court or the DM. It is learnt that 35 new cases are pending with the district magistrate as of Tuesday.
There is no adoption order pending with the courts in Maharashtra where the pendency was 174 in September. According to sources all cases pending courts were transferred to the DMs who issued adoption orders in all these cases.
In its June 16 order, the Bombay HC clarified that the court has not by any of its previous orders in the case stayed the adoption processes in any manner. These will continue as they were being conducted prior to the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act and Rules that are under challenge in this writ petitions. However, the court clarified that “there is no question of any ongoing or fresh adoption matters being transferred to the district magistrate until we decide the petition”.
“Any papers that have been transferred to the district magistrate will have to be sent back to the Courts in question,” the court said.
Latest data on children available in adoption pool of the Central Adoption Resource Authority is 2,191 and the number of Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) registered for domestic adoption is significantly high at 30,217. There are 984 PAPs registered on the CARINGS portal of CARA for inter-country adoptions.
According to the ministry of women and child development sources, 858 out of the 997 adoption orders are pending in courts as of September 12 after the JJ Rules were notified on September 1 have been approved so far. It is learnt that most of the cases were either transferred to the DMs or disposed of by the courts themselves. As of now, adoption order pendency in this category is 139, sources said.
Apprehensions have been raised from time to time by certain civil society organisations and prospective adoptive parents that giving the responsibility to the DMs will lead to delays as they are already overburdened. However, when asked about the same, WCD officials refute the charge and claim that since September the process has, in fact, become more streamlined.
Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, where the amendments related to adoption orders under the Juvenile Justice Act have been challenged in Bombay High Court and the matter is pending before it, available data show that around 329 cases are pending with either the specialised adoption agency or the District Child Protection Unit level. According to sources the reason for the pending cases is due to uncertainty created as a result of interim order of Bombay HC as are not clear as to whether to send the case to the Court or the DM. It is learnt that 35 new cases are pending with the district magistrate as of Tuesday.
There is no adoption order pending with the courts in Maharashtra where the pendency was 174 in September. According to sources all cases pending courts were transferred to the DMs who issued adoption orders in all these cases.
In its June 16 order, the Bombay HC clarified that the court has not by any of its previous orders in the case stayed the adoption processes in any manner. These will continue as they were being conducted prior to the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act and Rules that are under challenge in this writ petitions. However, the court clarified that “there is no question of any ongoing or fresh adoption matters being transferred to the district magistrate until we decide the petition”.
“Any papers that have been transferred to the district magistrate will have to be sent back to the Courts in question,” the court said.
