NEW DELHI: As many as 2,768 children are currently awaiting adoption in the country, with West Bengal allegedly reporting the highest number of such pendency, followed by Uttar Pradesh, government data has shown.
Despite the Adoption Regulation, 2022, mentioning timelines for authorities and agencies in handling adoption matters, the process continues to take time as it involves multiple stakeholders.
According to data from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), a nodal body mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions, West Bengal has the highest pendency, with 352 adoption cases.
It is followed by Uttar Pradesh (318), Odisha (262), Maharashtra (250), Telangana (201), Bihar (196), Delhi (176), Madhya Pradesh (139), Andhra Pradesh (128), Punjab (112), Karnataka (106), Rajasthan (75), Tamil Nadu (53) and Kerala (45).
Officials said the referral and adoption of a child depend upon the preference made by the Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) regarding the child’s age, health condition, and state during online registration on the CARINGS portal, leading to delays in some cases.
To avoid such pendency, the Centre has notified the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021), which empowers the District Magistrate to effectively coordinate and monitor the functions of the agencies responsible for implementing the Act, including those related to adoption.
The functionaries of the states and Union Territories implement the Act through institutions such as State Adoption Resource Agencies, local Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs).
The entire adoption process is online and transparent through the CARINGS portal.
Moreover, officials said CARA regularly conducts training sessions, including weekly virtual refresher programmes that are accessible nationwide, to promote and facilitate adoption.
In the financial year 2024–25, India was able to register a record 4,515 adoptions. Officials said this was the highest figure in the last 12 years. Of the total adoptions in the same period, 3,950 were domestic, while 565 were international.