Cabinet adopts bill to abort commercial surrogacy

Union Cabinet gives nod to introduction of bill seeking a complete ban on commercial surrogacy; only legally wedded Indian couples can opt for surrogacy

New Delhi: A bill proposing a complete ban on commercial surrogacy and allowing only legally wedded Indian couples to opt for children through it was yesterday approved by the government to check unethical practices.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Health Minister J P Nadda address a press conference after the Union Cabinet gave its approval for the introduction of Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill PIC/PTI

The Union Cabinet gave its nod to the introduction of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 in Parliament, seeking a bar on unmarried couples, single parents, live-in partners and homosexuals from opting for surrogacy.

The move is aimed at curbing unethical practices in the country. “The new bill proposes a complete ban on commercial surrogacy in the country and will allow only legally wedded Indian couples married for at least five years to have children through surrogacy. Foreigners as well as NRIs and PIOs who hold Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards have been barred from opting for surrogacy,” said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The bill, which will come up for consideration in Parliament during the Winter Session, aims to safeguard the rights of surrogate mothers and make parentage of such children legal.

2,000 Number of surrogacy clinics in India

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