<b>Story in numbers:</b> Adoption in India

Even as a debate on surrogacy rages and as the government prepares to bring a Bill to strictly regulate it in India, the only way childless couples can hope to have a baby is to adopt one. To simplify and bring greater transparency in the process, the government issued revised guidelines in August 2015. While one of the stated goals was to expand the adoption base, figures suggest this is not happening. As of March 2016, only 1,600-odd children were available for adoption, while about 7,700 prospective parents have applied  through the Central Adoption Resource Authority (Cara). Something is clearly wrong.
 

Data available with Cara indicate the number of children available for adoption is less than one-fourth the demand. In-country adoptions are also down 47 per cent, from 2011 to 2015-16. More female children are adopted than male and about 70 per cent of the adopted children are in the 0-2 age group.
 

Cara has only recently started keeping data related to age and sex of adopted children.
 

Meanwhile, the new law to regulate surrogacy, which  denies single parents the right to have a child through surrogacy, will be discussed and possibly passed in the winter session of Parliament. 
 

India is adopting a law that many Western nations already have. Will this boost adoption? The jury is still out.