NEW DELHI: Over 30,000 Indian parents are waiting for adoption in the country, the centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, said there are 32,856 In-Country Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) and 859 Inter-Country Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) waiting for adoption as per data on Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) portal.
She said the WCD ministry is the nodal ministry for the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) which is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and wellbeing of children in need of care and protection.
The functionaries of the states and UTs implement the Act through institutions like State Adoption Resource Agencies, local Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs).
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Rules, 2022 have empowered the District Magistrates (DMs) on adoption related matters.
She said at present, there are only 22 adoption orders pending at DM level across the country as per the CARINGS portal.
Adoption process is completely online and transparent through the designated CARINGS portal. "There is no scope to register illegal adoptions through the CARINGS portal," she said.
The ministry also said that India has achieved a significant milestone in child adoption, as 4,515 adoptions were recorded during the financial year 2024-25.
Officials said this is the highest figure in the last 12 years. Out of the total adoptions, 3,950 were domestic, while 565 were international.