Facts on Indian orphans and Adoptions

• Approximately there are 12.44 million orphans, and close to 40

million destitute children live in India.
• Each year, about a million new orphans are added to the society in
India.
• There are approximately 22 million married couples that are infertile.
• There are only 5,000 recorded in-country adoptions take place every
year.
• Little over 1,000 recorded inter country adoptions are taking place
every year.
• Legal adoption cost in India can range anywhere between 20,000
rupees ($445/-) to 200,000 rupees ($4,445) whereas the annual per
capita income of India is 21,600 rupees ($480/-)
• Adoptions in India are predominantly done because of the reasons of
infertility.
• Children in India are adopted under two different laws based on one's
faith: Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs must adopt under a law
called "Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956". Under this law,
parents receive complete parental rights on the child and the adoption
is irrevocable. Christians, Muslims, Parsis and the Jews must adopt
under a law called "Guardian and Wards Act, 1890". Under this law,
parents do not receive complete parental rights but instead receive
guardianship on the child and the adoption revocable.
• Indian Government provides grants to the recognized orphanages for
the welfare of children up to 6 lakhs of rupees per year ($13,334/-) for
every ten children but provides no support to a family who want to
adopt a child.
• United States of America is the largest recipient of all the Indian
children adopted by the foreign countries.
• Of all the children adopted from the international destinations to the
US, Indian children constitute approximately 7 percent.