Women may get equal rights in adoption of children

New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) Women in India are likely to
get equal rights in guardianship and adoption of children.
The Personal Laws Amendment Bill, 2010 -- introduced
in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) on April
22 -- has been referred to the parliamentary standing
committee on Law and Justice for eliciting public opinion on
the issue.
It is learnt that all members of the Committee were
unanimous in supporting its provisions. "We will meet on July
29 to adopt the report...there was no dissenting voice in the
committee," a member of the panel told PTI.
With this, the proposed Bill, which seeks to amend the
Guardians and Wards Act (GWA), 1890 and the Hindu Adoption
Maintenance Act, 1956, is likely to be tabled in the Lok Sabha
(Lower House of Indian Parliament) in its month-long session
beginning July 26.
According to the GWA, which applies to Christians,
Muslims, Parsis and Jews, if a couple adopts a child, the
father is the natural guardian.
The proposed amendment to the 120 year-old Act allows
the mother along with the father to be appointed as a
guardian, making the process gender neutral.
The Bill provides for the mother to be appointed as a
guardian along with the father so that the courts don't
appoint anyone else in case the father dies.
The second amendment, proposed in the Hindu Adoption
Maintenance Act, 1956, (applicable to Hindus, Jains, Buddhists
and Sikhs) aims to remove the hurdles in the way of a married
woman to adopt and also give a child for adoption.
Presently, unmarried and divorced women as also widows
are allowed to adopt a child but women separated from their
husbands and engaged in lengthy divorce battles cannot adopt a
child.
The new amendment would allow a married woman
separated from her husband to adopt with the consent of her
husband even during the time of divorce proceedings.
However, if he changes his religion or is declared to
be of unsound mind, no consent from the estranged husband
would be required.
"Bills which are forward looking and are in the
interest of the society and the country are usually cleared
unanimously," said another committee member. PTI NAB
MRD