Landmark surrogacy law to limit women to 3 births
New Delhi: Under a new law that may be enacted soon, women over 35 and below 21 will not be eligible to act as surrogate mothers in India.
The government, in a move aimed at regulating the thriving business of surrogacy, proposes strict measures in the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill that may come up before the Cabinet soon.
Under the health ministry’s proposal, the maximum age of a surrogate mother will be set at 35; and to prevent the commercialisation of surrogacy, no woman will be allowed to act as a surrogate for more than three successful births, including her own children.
Also, there must be at least a two-year gap between deliveries. The Bill is the first move to set up a regulatory framework for surrogacy in India.
The department of health research under the Indian Council of Medical Research came out with a draft Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill that said the surrogate baby of a separated or divorced couple will remain their “legitimate child” if both the parties had consented to assisted reproductive technology to have the baby. The birth certificate will have the name(s) of the genetic parents/parent. Also, only Indian citizens can act as surrogate mothers in this country. The bill may be tabled in Parliament's Winter Session.
A foreigner or a foreign couple or a non-resident Indians seeking surrogacy will have to appoint a local guardian who will be legally responsible for the care of the surrogate mother during and after pregnancy until the baby is delivered to the parent/parents or local guardian.
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