Foreign parents can adopt only if nobody available in India

Mumbai, Jan 11 (PTI) The Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) today told the Bombay High Court that it has imposed some new conditions for granting No Objection Certificate (NOC) for international adoption.

According to the new conditions, apart from the declaration by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) that the child is available for adoption, a certificate will also be required from the state government that there are no waiting parents available for adoption within the country and the case can be considered for inter-country adoption.

CARA had filed its affidavit in response to seven petitions filed by prospective foreign parents, who had applied for adoption through Pune based adoption house Preet Mandir.

The adoption house had come under scrutiny after a sting operation showed that it allegedly sold babies to foreign couples.

Vinod Joshi, counsel for CARA, informed the court that they would clear foreign adoptions only after the new conditions were fulfilled by the parents. "In the case of Preet Mandir, an additional certificate will be required from the state government appointed committee."

In a related development, another bench of the high court allowed Preet Mandir to continue providing facilities to 86 children, who are placed there for adoption.

Following the sting operation, the government had said that it would be relocating the children to other adoption houses.

However, today, the government filed an affidavit saying that concession will be given to Preet Mandir, so that it can continue providing care for the 86 children for the time being.

The High Court however, directed Preet Mandir not to admit any fresh children.