1,000 adoptions pending, but new rule sows confusion

There is confusion over implementation of new adoption rules that require transfer of adoption petitions from courts to District Magistrates, and parents, adoption agencies and activists are worried that this could lead to further delays in a long and arduous procedure. The following month she brought home the girl under pre-adoption foster care pending a formal adoption order from the court which gives legal status to the adoption. Thereafter, amendments to the Juvenile Justice Model Rules, 2016 were notified which state, “all the cases pertaining to adoption matters pending before the Court shall stand transferred to the District Magistrate from the date of commencement of these rules.” Adoption agencies, lawyers and activists say there is confusion in the entire system about the requirement to transfer the cases from courts to DMs as well as the status of the court orders passed on or after September 1 after several months of court proceedings. A senior CARA official told The Hindu that there were nearly 1,000 adoption cases already before the courts across the country and the Ministry of Women and Child Development was preparing a letter to be sent to State governments to convey that cases that had not been disposed of by courts could be transferred to the DMs. A training workshop planned for them has not yet taken place though MWCD has held online consultations with State government officials and CARA has held them for District Child Protection Units and adoption agencies.