New Delhi: In a bid to simplify adoptions by foreign nationals in India, the external affairs ministry has directed all its passport offices to accept the date of birth of the child mentioned in a court order and not insist on a birth certificate. An MEA circular states that the passport authorities can now accept the date of birth recorded in a court order, attached with a copy of an NoC from the Central Adoption Resource Authority, the nodal body for the adoption of Indian children and monitors these adoptions, to issue a passport.

This came after a request by the women and child development ministry, which said that some abandoned inter-country adopted children had difficulties getting a birth certificate, which is mandatory for obtaining a passport. The norms on birth certificates for inter-country adoption were relaxed on request of the women and child development ministry

“The matter has been examined in this ministry (MEA) and to mitigate the problems faced by such children, it has been decided that for the issuance of passports to abandoned, orphan inter-country children, passport authorities may either accept copy of birth certificate or the date of birth as recorded in the court order which should be accompanied by a copy of NOC of CARA bearing DOB of the adopted child, as his birth proof,” the MEA circular dated March 19 said.

In the circular, the MEA also noted that in spite of various measures, some abandoned and orphan inter-country adopted children are facing difficulties in obtaining relevant documents necessary for passport. The Centre, as per the provisions of the Hague Convention, had asked all its passport department offices to expedite the process of issuing passports to inter-country adopted children. The MEA had also waived the requirement of police verification for such kids in the past.

According to agencies, addressing the national meet on adoption organised by CARA recently, WCD minister Maneka Gandhi had expressed concerns over the rate of adoptions. The adoption rate of 800 to 1,000 per year in India, which has around 50,000 orphan children, is “shameful”, she had reportedly noted, adding that she wants more and more children to be adopted per year failing which the worst performing adoption agencies will be shut.