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Writer's picturetrushali Kotecha

Adoption In India Crosses 4000, Reaches Pre-Pandemic Levels But Process Remains Tedious


Updated on Apr 02, 2024, 12:43 IST





Government data indicates that adoptions in India have crossed 4,000, returning to pre-pandemic levels. Between April 2023 and March 2024, families in India and abroad adopted 4,009 Indian children. The last time adoptions exceeded 4,000 was in 2018-19, when the number reached 4,027. However, the adoption process in India continues to be tedious, with only about 10% of orphaned children getting adopted annually.

Adoptions in India exceed the 4000-mark

Data released by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), the nodal body for adoption of Indian children, reveals that out of the 4,009 adoptions in 2023-24, 449 were international adoptions.


It was also revealed recently that there is a rise in adoption of the girl child in India, with Punjab leading the trend.

  

Here is the detailed adoption data since 2015-16 onwards:



Adoption Statistics in India

Year

In-country

Inter-country

2023-2024

2560

449

2022-2023

3010

431

2021-2022

2991

414

2020-2021

3142

417

2019-2020

3351

394

2018-2019

3374

653

2017-2018

3276

651

2016-2017

3210

578

2015-2016

3011

666

This year, CARA introduced 'foster adoption' as a new category. 


Currently, 10 children have been placed in foster adoption nationwide.


Additionally, CARA is prioritising cases involving relatives interested in adopting orphaned children or prospective parents wanting to adopt stepchildren. 


In total, 412 children, adopted domestically, fall under the 'relative & step adoption' category.


Only 10% orphans get adopted annually


In March this year, the Supreme Court expressed frustration over the failure to establish Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAA) in 370 districts nationwide. These agencies are meant to simplify the adoption process for abandoned and surrendered children.




Representational Image/AFP


Previously, the Supreme Court had remarked on the cumbersome nature of the adoption process in India and stressed the need for streamlining it. 


This concern is underscored by data showing that only around 10% of orphaned children—estimated to be between 30,000 to 30 million—are adopted annually. Conversely, nearly 30,000 prospective parents in India wait an average of three years to adopt a child.



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