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  • Sushma Swaraj says surrogacy has become a fashion. But was the bill necessary? Here are some salient features

Sushma Swaraj says surrogacy has become a fashion. But was the bill necessary? Here are some salient features

Union Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday slammed some 'celebrities' who, she said, have made surrogacy 'a fashion' and 'shauq' (hobby).

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Written By: Agencies | Published : August 25, 2016 10:28 AM IST

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Union Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday slammed some celebrities who, she said, have made surrogacy a fashion and shauq (hobby). Without naming anyone, she said that some celebrities who already have kids - both boys and girls - try to get another child through surrogacy as they don't want to put their wives in (labour) pain . We have many examples of celebrities who have their own children, still they have gone for a surrogate child, she said. Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Amir Khan and Tusshar Kapoor are some of the celebrities who have had kids through surrogacy. I am pained to say that the procedure that started as a necessity, has become a hobby of sorts. This is not a thing for pleasure...it has become a fashion these days, she said while addressing a press conference here. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016. Sushma Swaraj headed the Group of Ministers (GoM) formed to look into the issue of surrogacy. (Read: Surrogacy in India Will the new bill spawn corruption as many doctors claim?)

Salient features of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, cleared by the Union cabinet on Wednesday:

Who can go for surrogacy ?

  • Only Indian couples, who are legally married
  • The couple must be married for at least five years
  • The couple will have to produce a medical certificate testifying that either partner is medically unfit to produce children (Read: What is surrogacy?)

Who cannot go for surrogacy?

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  • Foreigners, NRIs and even OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card holders
  • Same sex couples, live-in partners
  • Couples having one or more children, either biological or adopted. (Read: Bill to prohibit commercial surrogacy approved by the cabinet)

Who can become a surrogate mother?

  • Only a married woman with at least one child
  • Surrogate mother must be a close relation of the couple seeking surrogacy
  • A woman is allowed to surrogate only once
  • A couple can avail surrogacy only once in their lifetime

What is legal protection?

  • Surrogacy clinics must be registered with the government
  • Illegally operating clinics, or those flouting norms may be punished with 10 years imprisonment and/or Rs 10 lakh fine
  • Clinics required to maintain each case record for 25 years

Rights versus wrongs:

  • A surrogate child, whether boy or girl, cannot be abandoned by parents
  • A surrogate child will have all the rights that a biological child has, including right to property
  • A surrogate mother cannot be mistreated by the clinic or the parent couple.

Source: IANS

Photo source: IANS (Image for representational purpose only)

Agencies

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