Manipur steps up efforts to curb illegal child adoption, urges families to follow legal process

Manipur is stepping up efforts to prevent illegal child adoptions and promote adoption through the legal process, with officials stressing the need for greater public awareness about the safeguards available under the law.

Director of Social Welfare Abdul Hakim said legal adoption was essential to ensure children have a safe and secure future, but a lack of awareness continues to lead some people to bypass the prescribed procedures.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a one-day awareness programme on legal adoption organised by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) in association with the Social Welfare Department at Hotel Imphal. The programme brought together Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, police personnel and other stakeholders.

Hakim said the state government had taken several measures to prevent illegal adoptions and facilitate the legal process. State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARAs) have been established across the districts to assist with adoption-related procedures.

Manipur has 91 Child Care Institutions, each with a designated cradle point, he said. Cradle points have also been set up at district hospitals, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences and Regional Institute of Medical Sciences to provide a safe mechanism for the surrender of children.

Anganwadi and ASHA workers have also been trained to create awareness about legal adoption, Hakim said. Despite these measures, cases of people attempting to adopt children outside the legal framework continue to be reported.

According to Hakim, 10 children have been adopted through the legal process in Manipur so far this year.

“Children are the future pillars of the country,” Hakim said, stressing that every child has the right to a safe and dignified life and protection from exploitation. He called for coordinated efforts among government agencies and frontline workers to ensure that adoptions are carried out through the legal system.

CARA senior professional Upasana Chakma said the authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development and functions under Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. It is responsible for regulating, monitoring and facilitating the adoption of children in India.

Chakma said the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2022, and the Adoption Regulations, 2022, provide the legal framework for the adoption of orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children, as well as adoptions involving relatives and stepchildren.

She urged prospective parents to follow the prescribed legal procedure while adopting a child to ensure the child's rights and protection are safeguarded.