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Government of India Rules to Allow Adoptions by Non-Hindus
Sources: Compass Direct News, WorldWide Religious News, IANS

Ending a long era of discrimination against non-Hindus, the government of India has cleared the way for all religious communities in every Indian state to adopt legally. Until now, Christians and other non-Hindus could only be “guardians” of adopted children and did not enjoy full parenthood that Hindus had.

On Oct. 26 the government’s ruling coalition of political parties, the United Progressive Alliance, gave notice of new rules under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act of 2006, making room for all communities to adopt. Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, said his group welcomed the “significant move” by the federal government “to enhance the legal rights of adopted children and the couples who adopt them.”

It is estimated that only about 5,000 children a year are adopted in India even though there are more than 56 million orphaned and destitute children. “This has ended a long wait by the Christian community which for many years has been urging the government to grant them the right to adopt,” a representative of the Christian Legal Association said.
 
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