Individuals in a live-in relationship will now be able to adopt children from and within India after India’s Nodal Adoption Agency CARA decided to withdraw a circular issued earlier this year disallowing them from doing so.
Most of the people who are in a live-in relationship are because they want freedom & marriage demands lifelong commitment, so this idea of live-in relationship fulfills their desire of freedom as well as the benefits of having a partner.
According to the Supreme Court in India, a live-in relationship has become an acceptable norm in modern times and it is not a crime, but at the same time, the apex court has also clarified that the children born of parents in a live-in relationship could not be called illegitimate.
Now allowing people who do aren't even ready to have a lifelong commitment with a life partner in marriage, to adopt a child is like treating children as pets for the sake of enjoyment of the live-in couple! This treatment of children as cattle is highly condemnable.
Anupam Dubey
Child Adoption Regulatory Authority (CARA), in a circular issued on May 31, barred the applicants in a live-in relationship from adopting a child on the ground that “Authority would like children to be placed only with a stable family and individuals in a live-in relationship cannot be considered as stable family”, reported Latest Laws.
Women and Child Development Ministry, R.K. Shrivastava told The Hindu that,“We have decided to withdraw circular and applications from prospective adoptive parents will be examined on a case-by-case basis”.
Decision was taken at last meeting of Steering Committee of CARA, chaired by Mr. Shrivastava, in August, and will benefit both domestic and international applicants.
Eligibility criteria under Adoption Regulations, 2017, permit single women to adopt a child of any gender, while single men can adopt only boys.
When a married couple seeks to adopt a child, it needs to give its consent for adoption and should be stable marriage for at least two years.