Child rights panel issues guidelines for surrogacy

MUMBAI: Pravin Ghuge, Chairperson of Child Right Commission, has stated that in the absence of stringent surrogacy law in the country, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has recommended stringent regulations for the surrogacy centres in the state and a statelevel monitoring cell.

An important recommendation is the creation of a state-level cell to monitor the surrogacy centres and to handle the surrogacy cases as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The MSCPCR said that a task force inclusive of district officers from the health and police department and representatives of reputed volunteer organizations should be formed in each district of the State. The task force shall take care of registration of surrogacy hospitals and protection of surrogate mothers and the child. It shall ensure that the centres are running as per the guidelines of the ICMR.

The government shall decide the procedure for registration of surrogacy centre. The hospitals willing to open surrogacy centres must register with the appropriate authority. The District Women and Child Development Officer and District Health officer shall form a committee to understand the family, social, financial and statutory background of the person.

The surrogacy process shall be initiated only after submitting the report before the children’s court constituted under Section 25 of the Child Rights Protection Commission Act, 2005.