People asked to stop illegal adoption of children in state

Fresh guidelines for adoption of children was aimed at strengthening regulation for adoption of orphans, abandoned and surrendered children and expected to bring more transparency and efficiency, joint secretary, ministry of Women and Child Development, Rashmi Saxena Sahni said Monday while urging all section of people to stop all kinds of illegal adoption of children in the state.
He was addressing a consultative meeting on new rules and guidelines on adoption of children organised by Nagaland State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) at Zonal Hall, Kohima.
Sahni said the government has also launched a revamped IT application for the purpose of adoption of children called- Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) and has been operational from August 1, 2015.
According to Sahni, CARINGS contain a centralized data bank of adoptable children and PAPs.
She also informed that under the new system, PAPs in India need not approach adoption agencies for registration.
She also urged officials of the government departments to come forward for successful implementation of the fresh guidelines so that each child will get a home. “If our children are protected today, our future is secured”, she added.
Also addressing the meeting, secretary, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), ministry of Women and Child Development, Veerendra Mishra informed that major stakeholders of CARINGS in the country have 9,262 prospective adoptive parents, 141 authorized foreign adoption agencies/central authority, 36 SARA/ state govt., 410 specialized adoption agencies and 412 district child protection units.
Mishra also elaborated various reasons for revision of existing guidelines for children adoption, salient feature of new guidelines 2015, adoption procedure, issues of pre-adoption process and delay in implementing in new system.
Director social welfare, T. Merangtsungba Aier also graced the gathering.
Earlier, welcome address was delivered by chairperson, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), Meilemla Pongener.
The vote of thanks was offered by programme manager SARA Renchumi Imti.
In the second session, state coordinator Surabhi Sanduja led the technical sessions for the SCPS, SARA, DCPU, CCIs and SAA.
The programme was attended by deputy mission director, CPSU, WCD, Shama Khan Seth, Specialized Adoption Agencies (SAAs), district child protection officers, protection officers (NIC), legal cum probation officers, child care institutions, Nagaland commission for protection of child rights, Angami Public organization and child welfare commission for women.