Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 31
In a deviation from the national trend, Nagaland has registered a fall in the number of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children on the child adoption portal CARINGS (Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System), an online application/portal of Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).
Data shared by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) Smriti Irani in Rajya Sabha on July 26 informed that in 2022-2023, Nagaland registered 4 such cases, a fall from 15 in 2021-22. In 2020-21, there were 12 cases.
However, during the same period, there was 24.3% spike in registration of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children on the CARINGS portal actress India, it highlighted.
In absolute terms, the all-India figure increased from 4,521 in 2020-21 to 5,106 in 2021-22, and further rose to 5,663 in 2022-23.
Among the North-East States, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram saw increases during the last two years.
Meanwhile, the WCD Minister further informed in a written reply that rights of orphan children are secured under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021), the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Amendment Rules, 2022, Adoption Regulations 2022.
Protection, social integration and rehabilitation of such children have been safeguarded through legislations and other policy measures, she said.
Further, WCD Ministry is implementing Mission Vatsalya Scheme for care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstances on predefined cost sharing basis between the Central and the State Governments, she added.
Under Mission Vatsalya Scheme, support is provided for undertaking a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances as well as for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and funds for Non-Institutional Care.
Such children have access to both institutional and non-institutional care and rehabilitation under Mission Vatsalya Scheme, the Minister said.
The number of children supported under CCIs in Nagaland during the last three years also showed a decreasing trend from 770 (2020-21) to 597 (2021-22) to 493 (2022-23).
Across India, it decreased by 26.7% from 77,615 (2020-21) to 57,940 (2022-23).
10 adoptions in Nagaland
Meanwhile, Nagaland recorded 10 cases of child adoption during the last one year as per CARINGS portal. There were 3,441 adoptions across India during the same period.
As informed by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), Adoption Regulations, 2022 have been framed in-line with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021) which has been notified on September 23, 2022, the WCD Ministry informed in an another written reply.
The Adoption Regulations, 2022 were framed keeping in mind the issues and challenges faced by CARA and other stake holders including the Adoption Agencies & Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs), it said.
Some of the salient features of 2022 Regulations include empowerment of District Magistrates to issue Adoption Orders instead of Court; upper age limit for PAPs reduced to 85 years for couple and 40 years for a single PAPs in case they are adopting a child below 2 years; determination of the health status of the child based on Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO); strict time line for uploading LFA (Legally Free for Adoption) within maximum period of ten days; mandatory counselling for all the relevant stakeholders like prospective parents and older children at pre-adoption, adoption and post-adoption stages etc.
CARINGS platform has been developed for end to end digital processing through a robust web-based management system designed to bring transparency in the adoption system and also curtailing delays at various levels, it added.
