Central Adoption Resource Authority

The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) recently celebrated its 6th annual day on January 15, 2021. The annual day is celebrated on January 15 because CARA was granted the status of statutory body on this day under Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice act, 2015.

About CARA

• Central Adoption Resource Authority operates under the Ministry of Women and Child development. It acts as the nodal body for the adoption of Indian children. It monitors and regulate inter country and in country adoptions.
• CARA has been designated as the central authority to deal with intercountry adoption according to the provisions of Hague convention on intercountry adoption, 1993. India ratified Hague convention in 2003.
• CARA mainly deals with the adoption of abandoned, for fun and surrendered children through its recognised adoption Agencies.

Hague convention

The convention protects children against the risks of irregular, illegal and premature adoptions all over the world. It has created safeguards to make sure that the intercountry adoptions are in the best interests of the children.

Challenges faced by CARA

Between 2015 and 2019, CARA faced several instances of disruption. Disruption are those circumstances where an adoption is stopped after the child is placed in an adoptive home. According to CARA, six in 400 children are being returned at advanced stages of adoption.

Between countries that are not signatories of Hague convention, the authorities in both countries do not agree in certain terms.

Adoptions in India

On an average there are 4000 legal adoption in India.

Way forward

The major challenge faced by Central Adoption Resource Authority is that the child is unable to forget the relationship it had developed with the earlier family. In order to resolve this, post adoption trauma therapy shall be adopted. Psychological conditions of the parents and their background should be checked properly before adoption.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2021