Trichy: Ignorance of procedures complicating adoption says SP Mohan

TRICHY: Lack of understanding of adoption (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/adoption) procedures has been

prompting prospective adoptive parents (PAP) to go for illegal means to adopt a child, according to the Tamil Nadu

(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tamil-nadu) state commission for protection of child rights (TNSCPCR). The recent

exposure of two babies being illegally given for adoption by their parents in Thiruverumbur and Kuvalakudi was a matter of

serious concern, said commission member S P Mohan.

He was addressing a seminar on the legal procedures for adoption organized for the police and media personnel by the antichild trafficking unit (ACTU) in Trichy (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Trichy) at the district police office on Saturday.

“The process of adopting a child legally takes ten months, but the concerning factor is that the number of children is less than

that of the prospective adoptive parents now. Further, such parents are also misguided about the procedures and documents

required,” said Mohan.

He said PAPs can apply online on the website www.cara.nic.in of the central adoption resource authority (CARA) by uploading

11 documents and paying the prescribed fee fixed by the government. Children being given care and protection at any one of

the 21 specialized adoption agencies (SAA) will be given for adoption. “Most of the 11 documents, like Aadhaar, are readily

available with everyone. They have to obtain only certificates for income, fitness and conduct. The fee for the procedure would

run into a maximum of Rs 50,000. Unfortunately, those ignorant about these things go for illegal adoption by coughing up Rs 2

lakh to Rs 3 lakh and land in trouble,” said Mohan. Referring to the two recent incidents, Trichy superintendent of police Zia Ul

Haq said had the parents waited for some time they could have adopted the children legally. Mohan also revealed the recent

instruction from the government to ensure CCTV cameras in all private hospitals to check child theft. He said the administration

of government hospitals should check if these CCTV cameras were functioning properly.

The TNSCPCR member also pointed out incidences of birth certificates of newborn babies being manipulated with names of

‘adoptive parents’ during illegal adoption to show as if the child was born to them. Member of child welfare committee (CWC) N

Krishnamoorthy spoke about the legal procedures for adoption

n