Allow LGBTQ to adopt kids, Parliament panel suggests | India News

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel in its report tabled on Monday has recommended allowing LGBTQ community members to adopt a child, apart from asserting the need for a uniform and comprehensive legislation on adoption which is more transparent, accountable, verifiable, less bureaucratic and applicable to all irrespective of religion in order to make adoptions less cumbersome.
“The committee notes that both the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (HAMA) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act provide for the adoption of children by married couple, single male and single female parents. The committee feels that the new legislation should cover LGBTQ community,” it stated.
Addressing a long-standing concern, the standing committee on law and justice is of the view that new legislation should avoid using the term ‘illegitimate’ as no child is illegitimate and adoption law should be the same for all children, whether born within or out of wedlock. It calls for deletion of the term “illegitimate” in reference to a child born out of wedlock from Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act.
These recommendations and observations are part of the report on the ‘Review of Guardianship and Adoption Laws’ by the department-related parliamentary standing committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice.
The committee cites as “alarming” that 762 kids have died in specialised adoption agencies between 2018-19 and 2021-22. It recommends that a third party study of all child care institutions must be commissioned. It recommends to probe into causes of deaths and has sought a report within three months time.
The committee said while the adoption procedure laid down under the HAMA is simple and takes less time as compared to that stipulated in JJ Act, adoptions made under the JJ Act are transparent, accountable and verifiable.