Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2020 passed
Recently Rajya Sabha has passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020.
Although the bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha referred it to a select committee.
This committee had suggested 15 major amendments to the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019.
Key provisions of the bill:
- The Bill defines surrogacy as a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for a intending couple with the intention that after birth she (the woman) will hand over the child to the intending couple.
- The bill prohibits commercial surrogacy, but allows selfless surrogacy.
- Only Indian couples can opt for surrogacy in the country.
- The Bill defines surrogacy as a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an ‘interested couple’ with the intention that after birth she (the woman) will hand over the child to the intending couple.
- Surrogacy shall be permitted in case the intending couple is suffering from any of the conditions or diseases specified in the regulations and proven infertility/infertility.
- The definition of ‘sterility’ as the inability to conceive after five years of unprotected sex has been removed on the grounds that it was too long a period for determining infertility.
- The child born out of surrogacy will be considered as the biological child of the intending couple.
- Abortion of a surrogate child requires the written consent of the surrogate mother and approval of the appropriate authority.
- Penalties have been defined for contravention of the provisions of the Bill.
Source – The Hindu
