SC ALLOWS CLAUSE AGAINST SINGLE PARENT SURROGACY

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court allowed a PIL petitioner to approach the Centre to include a clause in the impending surrogacy bill to prohibit single parents like noted film producer/ director Karan Johar from having surrogate children.

A bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice NV Ramana asked senior advocate Shekhar Naphade to give a representation to the Union Government after it was informed that draft Parliamentary Bill to regulate commercial surrogacy was pending with the standing committee.

“The learned senior counsel has informed the court that it is desirable to have a prohibition on a single parent from going in for surrogacy. He says there is no specific prohibition in the draft Bill. He is permitted to give a representation for consideration by the government,” the apex court noted in its order.

During the hearing of a petition seeking to stop illegal commercial surrogacy, Naphade referred to media reports related to Johar having surrogate kids, though he did not name the Bollywood personality. He said the proposed bill for regulating the practise was silent on putting any bar on single parents.

Naphade also urged the top court to direct the Medical Council of India (MCI) to conduct regular inspections of hospitals facilitating surrogacy, until Parliament passes the proposed Act. The court, however, asked the petitioner to file a separate application for the direction.

SC is hearing a PIL filed by advocate Jayashree Wad, seeking a ban on commercial surrogacy. Wad complained a large number of foreign couples come to India for availing the services of Indian women in respect of surrogate motherhood. Among other things, Wad wanted a ban on the import of human embryo, which the government did so through a notification.