Central Adoption Resource Authority
Why in News?
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is in the news because of a major nationwide directive issued on March 16, 2026, aimed at tightening the adoption framework and protecting the rights of adoptees and children. Additionally, CARA is holding a Regional Consultative Workshop in Bhopal on March 17, 2026, to discuss challenges in the adoption ecosystem.
CARA Overview
- The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body under India's Ministry of Women and Child Development, established in 1990 and governed by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
- It serves as the nodal agency for regulating in-country and inter-country adoptions of orphan, abandoned, or surrendered children.
- CARA is India's Central Authority under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (1993), ratified in 2003.
Key Functions
- Promotes in-country adoptions and facilitates inter-state processes via coordination with State Adoption Resource Agencies (SARAs).
- Regulates inter-country adoptions, authorizing foreign agencies for NRIs/OCIs/foreign parents.
- Monitors entities like Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs), Authorised Foreign Adoption Agencies (AFAAs), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), and District Child Protective Units (DPCs).
- Maintains a centralized database (Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System - CARINGS) for children and prospective parents.
- Frames regulations, conducts research, sets uniform standards, and establishes counseling centers.
Core Objectives
- Ensures adoptions prioritize the child's best interest, family rights under Section 56 of the JJ Act.
- Streamlines processes digitally, boosts legally free children for adoption, and tracks statistics (record highs in 2024-25).
- Safeguards adoptee privacy and enables future access to records.
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