Surrogacy will still be available as an option to childless Indian couples, reported the Times of India.
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The Supreme Court had earlier said that commercial surrogacy should not be allowed but was still going on unabated as “business” in the country without any legal sanctity.
The Central government has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court to make commercial surrogacy illegal.
The government has also made a decision to prohibit and punish commercial surrogacy services.
The existing rules say foreign couples seeking to enter into a surrogacy arrangement in India must be a “man and woman (who) are duly married and the marriage should be sustained at least two years”.
But critics have said a lack of legislation encourages “rent-a-womb” exploitation of young, poor Indian women. In unequivocal terms, Centre states that it does not support professional surrogacy and will soon clamp down on the thriving industry.
With this, no foreigners can avail surrogacy in India and their would be no import of embryo for surrogacy objective.
Since health is a state subject, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also sent a draft bill on surrogacy, The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill 2014, to the states for their feedback. The National Commission for Women and different departments of the government had on October 15 conducted a consultation in Delhi on surrogacy.
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As a result, couples from foreign countries will not be allowed to have children through surrogate mothers in India.
