Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity under Modi government scanner! Top developments in baby-selling scandal

Baby-selling scandal: The Union government has instructed governments of all states to conduct immediate inspection of all childcare homes run by the Missionaries of Charity.By: FE Online | New Delhi | Updated: July 17, 2018 1:47 PM345SHARESSHARE missionaries of charityFILE PHOTO: Police stand outside a home which provides shelter for pregnant unmarried women run by the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic order founded by Mother Teresa, in Ranchi,Jharkhand on July 4, 2018. (REUTERS)Baby-selling scandal: The Union government has instructed governments of all states to conduct immediate inspection of all childcare homes run by the Missionaries of Charity (MoC), which is a Roman Catholic order founded by the late Mother Teresa. This comes days after authorities in Jharkhand had shut down a Missionaries of Charity home following the arrest of a nun and a worker for alleged baby-selling. The home provided shelter for pregnant and unmarried women.Here are the top developments in the scandal that has shocked the nation:– In a statement on Monday, Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said she had instructed states to ensure that all childcare institutions be registered and linked to the Central adoption authority within the next one month. “Taking cognizance of the recent cases of illegal adoptions carried out by Missionaries of Charity in Jharkhand, Maneka Gandhi has instructed the states to get childcare homes run by Missionaries of Charity all over the country inspected immediately,” the statement said.– On Tuesday, Gandhi said the Women and Child Development Ministry will amend the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act to make the district magistrates and collectors “competent officers” for approving adoptions, instead of courts. “We are bringing in an amendment to the JJ Act for making District Magistrate/Collector as the competent officer for approving adoptions, instead of courts,” Gandhi was tweeted as saying by the WCD ministry..– Reports of babies and children being sold by the charity-run homes and hospitals have appeared recently. It has been claimed by many campaigners that the illegal trafficking of babies and children is is driven by a long waiting list for adoption.