| Syllabus: GS-I, Subject: Society and Social Justice, Topic: Social Sector-Health, Issue: Surrogacy in India |
Context: Indians are traveling overseas for commercial surrogacy.
Surrogacy in India:
- Commercial surrogacy became legal in India in 2002.
- Legalization lead to a boom due to affordability and economic benefits for women from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
- In response to exploitation, the government made commercial surrogacy illegal for foreigners in 2015 and introduced altruistic surrogacy in 2016.
- Current regulations permit only altruistic gestational surrogacy with eligibility criteria including medical conditions and marital status.
- Restrictions on surrogacy eligibility perpetuate inequality and uphold a patriarchal notion of family, excluding single individuals, LGBTQIA+ couples, and live-in partners
Conclusion:
- Surrogacy laws in India must evolve to accommodate diverse family structures and aspirations.
