Details about the Child Adoption in India and International sugar organization

Child Adoption in India

Why in news?

• The Supreme Court of India recently called for collaborative efforts to bring children into the adoption pool.
• CARA findings: According to a recent finding by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), many children were living in Child Care Institutions for over a year with undetermined legal status.

Direction by the Supreme Court:

• The Supreme Court said that children living in child care institutions (CCI), whose parents have not visited them for over a year or have “unfit” parents or guardians, should be identified and brought into the adoption pool.
• The court has ordered States and Union Territories to begin a bi-monthly drive to identify children in the orphaned, abandoned, surrendered (OAS) category in institutions.
• It is imperative for the States to ensure registration of all OAS children in the district on the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) portal
• Defining an “unfit guardian”:

The court defined an “unfit guardian” as someone who is “unable or unwilling for parenting, indulging in substance (drug) abuse, abuse or alcohol, known to have abused or neglected the child, having a criminal record, in need of care themselves, mentally unsound, etc”

 

What is CARA? CARA is a statutory body of Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India. Role: CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003. Function: CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated /recognised adoption agencies. In India, a child can be placed with a family under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act 1956, Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. The mandatory registration of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and linking to CARA has been provided in Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

 

What are the Laws to Adopt a Child in India?

• The adoption in India takes place under Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act).
  • HAMA, 1956 falls in the domain of Ministry of Law and Justice and JJ Act, 2015 pertains to the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • As per the government rules, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs are legalized to adopt kids.
• Until the JJ Act, the Guardians and Ward Act (GWA), 1980 was the only means for non-Hindu individuals to become guardians of children from their community.
  • However, since the GWA appoints individuals as legal guardians and not natural parents, guardianship is terminated once the ward turns 21 and the ward assumes individual identity

What are the Challenges in Adoption

• Huge mismatch:
  • According to CARA’s online portal, the CARINGS, there is “huge mismatch” between children available for legal adoption and the number of prospective adoptive parents (PAP).
  • A State-wise break-up of the figures provided by CARA showed that 2,146 children were available for adoption as on October 28, 2023.
  • As opposed to this, about 30,669 PAPs have been registered for in-country adoption as of October 2023.

• Delays:
  • PAPs have to wait for between three to four years for getting ‘a healthy and young child’ due to the huge mismatch in the number of registered PAPs and children available for adoption.
  • Adding to these reasons for delay in the adoption process is the fact that PAPs “prefer” children up to the age of two for adoption.
• Dearth of Specialised Adoption Agencies:
  • Also, out of 760 districts in the country, only 390 districts have Specialised Adoption Agencies.
• Role of pandemic:
  • According to critics, these delays are systemic. The pandemic has only made the wait time longer because the process is held up at every step.
  • Medical reports could not be prepared because of the dearth of doctors, parents could not travel to meet the child, home surveys could not happen.

• Lack of regulation & communication:
  • Many CCIs are not regulated by the State and are not linked to adoption agencies, and so the children in these institutes are invisible to the adoption pool.
  • Even if they are linked to agencies, the paperwork is not completed, sometimes for years, and so the child is not declared legally free for adoption.
  • PAPs also criticise the complete lack of communication from CARA.
• Lack of ‘desirable’ children:
  • Even within the small pool of children available for adoption, there are three categories who often do not find a home in India: older children, siblings, and those with disabilities.
    • Whereas, foreign adoptive parents are more favourable to children in these categories.
  • It isn’t easy for parents to adopt an older child or a child with special needs, and there is a lot of preparation needed.

Way Forward

• Need to Prioritise Children’s Welfare:

The primary purpose of giving a child in adoption is his welfare and restoring his or her right to family.

• CARA and the ministry must accord attention to the vulnerable and invisible community of children silently suffering in our institutions.
• Need to Strengthen the Institutional Mandates:

The adoption ecosystem needs to transition from a parent-centric perspective to a child-centric approach.

• Need to Adopt an Inclusive Approach:

There is a need to adopt an inclusive approach that focuses on the needs of a child to create an environment of acceptance, growth, and well being, thus recognising children as equal stakeholders in the adoption process.

• Adoption Process Needs to Simplified:

The process of adoption needs to be simplified by taking a close relook at the various regulations guiding the procedure of adoption.

• The ministry can engage with concerned experts working in this field to get feedback on the practical difficulties which prospective parents are facing

 

International sugar organization

Why in news?

• In its 63^rdcouncil meeting, International Sugar Organisation (ISO), headquartered in London, has announced India to be the Chair of the organisation for 2024.
• This is a huge achievement for the country to lead the global sugar sector and reflection of growing stature of the country in this domain.
• While attending the ISO Council Meeting, Shri Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary (Food), Government of India remarked that during its period of chairmanship of ISO in 2024, India seeks support and cooperation from all member countries and would like to focus on bringing together all member countries to adopt more sustainable practices in sugarcane cultivation, sugar and ethanol production and better utilisation of by-products.

What is the International Sugar Organization?

• The International Sugar Organization serves as a vital intergovernmental body dedicated to enhancing the global sugar market. It represents:
• 87% of world sugar production
• 64% of world sugar consumption
• With a membership of around 88 nations, India being among them, the organization encompasses a diverse range of countries.
• The ISO administers the International Sugar Agreement (ISA), 1992 aiming to:
• Foster international cooperation in sugar-related matters
• Facilitate intergovernmental discussions to improve the global sugar economy
• Collect and disseminate market information
• Encourage expanded sugar use, especially in non-traditional applications

 

Status of Sugar Industry in India:

• India is the largest consumer and second-largest producer of sugar globally. With a substantial 15% share in global sugar consumption and a robust 20% production rate, India’s strategies significantly impact the international sugar market.
• India stands as the Eastern Hemisphere’s market leader in sugar, complementing Brazil’s stronghold in the Western Hemisphere

 

 

 

Geographical Conditions for the Growth of Sugar:

• Temperature: Between 21-27°C with hot and humid climate.
• Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
• Soil Type: Deep rich loamy soil.

Distribution:

• The sugar industry is predominantly located across two primary production regions: the northern belt encompassing Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar and the southern belt comprising Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
• The southern region benefits from a tropical climate, which is conducive to higher sucrose content in crops, resulting in increased yields per unit area compared to northern India.

Related Indian Government Initiatives:

• Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP): The government has set the FRP for the 2023-2024 sugar season at Rs. 315 per quintal.
• FRP is the minimum price that sugar mills must pay sugarcane farmers. It is announced annually by the Centre.
• The government fixes the FRP based on recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• Under the FRP system, the price paid to farmers for sugarcane is not linked to the profits generated by sugar mills.

Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme

• Ethanol is an agricultural by-product primarily sourced from the processing of sugarcane for sugar, and can also be derived from alternative sources like rice husk or maize.
• When ethanol is mixed with petrol to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in vehicle operation, it is termed Ethanol Blending.
• India aims to achieve a 20% ethanol-blended petrol target by the year 2025.

Way forward

India’s chairmanship of ISO is not just a recognition of its market position but also its efforts in sustainable practices, farmer welfare, and consumer price stability.

India’s leadership in ISO is expected to bring positive changes in global sugar sector practices and collaborations