IMPHAL | Manipur is stepping up efforts to prevent illegal child adoptions and encourage families to follow the prescribed legal process, with officials stressing that greater public awareness is essential to protect children from exploitation.

Director of Social Welfare Abdul Hakim said lack of awareness about legal procedures continues to prompt some families to bypass the prescribed system. Hakim was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a one-day awareness programme on legal adoption organised by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) in association with the Social Welfare Department at Hotel Imphal.

The programme brought together Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, police personnel and other stakeholders involved in child protection and welfare.

Hakim said the state government had taken several measures to prevent illegal adoptions and facilitate lawful procedures. State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARAs) have been established across Manipur’s districts to assist families with adoption-related processes.

The state has 91 Child Care Institutions, each with a designated cradle point, he said. Cradle points have also been established at district hospitals, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences and the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences to provide a safe mechanism for the surrender of children.

Anganwadi and ASHA workers have also received training to spread awareness about legal adoption procedures, Hakim said. Despite these measures, he said, cases of people attempting to adopt children outside the legal framework continue to be reported.

According to Hakim, 10 children have been legally adopted in Manipur so far this year. “Children are the future pillars of the country,” Hakim said, stressing that every child has the right to a safe and dignified life and protection from exploitation.

He called for closer coordination among government departments, police and frontline workers to ensure that all adoptions are conducted through the legal system.

CARA explains legal safeguards

CARA senior professional Upasana Chakma said the authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development and functions under Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. CARA is responsible for regulating, monitoring and facilitating the adoption of children in India.

Chakma said the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2022, and the Adoption Regulations, 2022, provide the legal framework for the adoption of orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children, as well as adoptions involving relatives and stepchildren.

She urged prospective adoptive parents to follow the prescribed procedures, saying this was necessary to safeguard children’s rights and ensure their protection throughout the adoption process. The awareness programme was aimed at strengthening coordination among agencies and frontline workers while encouraging families to use the formal adoption system rather than arranging adoptions outside the legal framework.