ADOPTION: AN IDENTITY TO PARENTS/CHILD AND ITS IMPACT UPON NATION

INTRODUCTION

A Family may be defined as any basic unit of society consisting of Father, Mother, Son or
daughter and others. The relation between family members is, in general, biological but at the
same time affinity also plays a significant role formation of the family. Adoption has become a
mean to have a complete family to those who cannot get it naturally. However, it also faces a
problem in its lawful implementation.

AN IDENTITY TO PARENT AND CHILD AS WELL

Adoption is a legal procedure of permanently placing a child with a parent other than the
biological parent. In this process, the parental right of a biological parent gets terminated and the
adoptive parent assumes the full legal responsibility of the child. It has rightly been said that
“They may not have my eyes, they may not have my smiles, but they have all my heart.

Adoption is not only about providing parent roof to any heirless or orphan child but it also
provides child to those people who can’t bear their ones naturally. The kid can start afresh life
with a new parent. On the other hand, it can also help those couple who are unable to bear their
biological child due to any inability. The other reason for adoption by any couple could be an
emotional or social attachment with any child. The couple or even a single parent may adopt any
child to complete his family. Eventually, it will provide an identity of parent to that couple and
the kid both.

The adoption statistics show that in 2017-2018 approximately 3900 children were adopted out of
which 3276 children were in-country adoption and the remaining were of inter-country adoption.
The number increases to approximately 4000 in 2018-2019 when approximately 3374 children
were adopted in-country adoption and the remaining were of inter-country adoption.1

IMPACT OF ADOPTION

Adoption leaves a remarkable impact upon the person who adopted any child. Though adoption
helps to complete someone family, the couple or individual going for adoption must have to do
1
Central Adoption Resource Authority, ADOPTION STATISTICS, MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD
DEVELOPMENT, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, https://cara.nic.in/resource/adoption_Stattistics/html
some legal paperwork to safeguard the right of the child. Each state possesses their law which
governs adoption. Apart from all these situations, adoption plays a significant role in the
development of any country in different ways.

1. POSITIVE IMPACT OF ADOPTION

Its impact upon any nation may have a contributory role in preserving humanity. It helps in
preventing the exploitation of orphans. Several areas, where adoption plays a vital role in
controlling them are:-

i) Controlling Population: - Adoption of any heirless or orphan children rather than giving
birth to a new one will play a vital role to check the growing population. It will not only
control the population but it will also help in providing shelter to the orphan and heirless
children and descendent to the couple. The study shows that India is home to 20 million
orphans which are about 4% of the total child population.2
ii) Child Trafficking: - It is a type of human trafficking in which children’s are taken away
from their protective environment for their exploitation Out of total human trafficking,
approximately 20% of total contributions to child trafficking, which is believed to be a
multi-billion dollar industry.3 The FBI, in their report, has said that children who do not
have a family are an easier target for predators that children who are safely placed in a
loving home.4
iii) Begging: - Begging is another heartbreaking problem which has clenched the entire
country under its grip. Children’s are forced to beg near the railway stations, bus stand
and many different other places. Reports show that begging is also a billion-dollar
industry in which children are forced to beg.5 Thus, if these orphan or parentless child
will become a part of the family, then they will not need to do such work to feed them.

2
Sos Children’s Villages, INDIA NOW HOME TO 20 MILLION ORPHANS, JUL 26 (2011)
https://www.soschildrensvillages.ca/india-now-home-20-million-orphans-study-finds

3
Dr Arvind P. Bhanu, Rajni Kant Mishra, Child Trafficking in India, 2 International Journal of Law, 33-36 January
(2016), http://www.lawjournals.org/download/15/2-2-18.1.pdf
4
Daniel Nehrbass, A misconception that adoption will cause trafficking has the government doubting the benefits of
adoption, PREVENT TRAFFICKING: ADOPT, adopyion.com, https://adoption.com/prevent-trafficking-adopt
5
Mohammed Siddique, Begging: A Rs 1.8 billion Industry, REDIFF.COM, October 10 (2008),
https://www.rediff.com/money/report/beg/20081010.htm
 2. NEGATIVE IMPACT OF ADOPTION

Though adoption can be is a great thing but it also has some negative side. Criminals try to
misuse adoption for their illegal works. The negative impact of adoption includes selling or
buying of any children under the shade of adoption.

i) Using adoption as a tool for trafficking

Criminals use adoption to get custody of any children for their benefit. There are many cases in
which children’s has been rescued from illegal adoption. A 4-year-old baby girl was rescued by
police, who was sold to a couple in Vishakhapatnam under the shade of adoption 6. Similarly, in
another case, 54 children were rescued in Andhra Pradesh from an orphanage which was
managed by the wife of additional director general of police. Enquiry shows that all the 54
children were illegally adopted by that orphanage.7

ii) Trafficking of manufactured orphan

Trafficking of the manufactured orphan is a big threat to adopting procedure as it creates a sense
of fear in both parents and adopted child. The cases of manufactured orphan could be heard
easily under inter-country adoption. The research statistics show that international adoption has
decreased up to 77% since 2004.8 The reason behind this reduction is restrictions imposed on
several countries to reduce such trafficking. Children get trafficked illegally.

“Asha Dijkstra, an adopted baby girl from Delhi was believed to come from an orphanage home
but in reality, she was abandoned by her parent. Similarly, another girl named Jyoti Svahn, was
also adopted from a well-known agency in Bengaluru, by a Dutch citizen, however, her original
father was still alive.”9

6
Telangana Today, child adoption racket busted in Hyderabad; 4-year-old baby rescued, TELANGANA TODAY,
November 7 (2017), https://telanganatoday.com/child-adoption-racket-busted-in-hyderabad-4-year-old-baby-rescued
7
The Times of India news service, 54 children rescued in Andhra adoption racket bust, Times OF INDIA, April 27,
(2001), http://toi.in/S2BhFb/a31gj
8
Shelly N. Orr, Human Trafficking Through International Adoption, GLOBAL HONORS THESES. 58., MAY 7,
(2018), https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=gh_theses
9
Gita Aravamudan, Child trafficking ‘manufactured orphans’: The dark underbelly of inter-country adoption in
India, FIRSTPOST, SEPTEMBER 03, (2017), http://www.firstpost.com/india/child-trafficking-manufactured-
orphans-the-dark-underbelly-of-inter-country-adoption-in-india-4000837.html
CONCLUSION

Though adoption help in securing the future of a child and couple and also in controlling the
population, child exploitation and other, its implication on a broader level will help to check the
offences of child trafficking in which children’s are forced to work as a beggar, criminal and
many others. But the misuse of adoption for illegal work needs to be controlled also. The
government and international organizations should come together and must ensure that proper
love and care are being provided to the adopted child. Strict laws should be made to ensure the
safety of adopted child and parent and to protect them from any kind of deception.