Surrogate need not be a close relative: Parl panel
NEWDELHI: A parliamentary panel has recommended that not only close relatives but any woman who is “willing” should be allowed to act as a surrogate.
The 15 major changes suggested by the 23-member select committee of Rajya Sabha to the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019, also include deleting the definition of ‘infertility’ as the inability to conceive after five years of unprotected intercourse on the ground that it was too long a period for a couple to wait for a child.
While citing “rights and duties” to explain why single men and same-sex couples should be kept out of the proposed law’s ambit, the panel said surrogacy laws cannot be on par with the rules governing adoption in the country.
The committee, which tabled its report in Parliament’s upper House on Wednesday, has recommended t hat widows a nd divorced women – in the age group of 35 to 45 years -- should be
Surrogate mother need not be a close relative of the person choosing to have a child in this manner. The close relative restriction could limit options for genuine cases
Allow some single women to opt for having a child through surrogacy. The panel said widows and divorced women should be given the option
Remove ‘inability to conceive after 5 years’ as basis allowed to have children through surrogacy, but single men and same-sex couples should be kept out of the bill’s purview.
Head of the panel and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Bhupender Yadav, however, said the panel excluded single women from the list of people who they have said should be allowed to for couples to qualify for surrogacy since it is too long a wait. Panel also said couples must not be required to show infertility certificate
Allow persons of Indian-origin to avail surrogacy in India after obtaining a certificate of recommendation from Surrogacy Boards
Increasing insurance cover for surrogate mother from the proposed 16 months to 36 months have children through surrogacy after “detailed discussion”.
“The committee felt that raising a child requires both adhikar and kartavya [rights and duties]. Where there is an option of marriages available, then surrogacy should not be allowed. It [surrogacy] is for those married couples