The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) announced on Thursday that it will initiate a review of the adoption provisions approved in 2022. The goal of this review is to strengthen the legal framework and address 'emerging legal, procedural, and implementation issues.'

The 2022 regulations marked a significant change as they granted district magistrates the authority to make adoption decisions instead of district courts.

In a public notice released on Thursday, CARA requested opinions and suggestions from the public and organizations regarding the 2022 provisions that may require amendments, additions, replacements, or exclusions. The deadline for submitting proposals is September 9.

Following this, CARA plans to hold consultations with stakeholders to finalize the review results before developing a draft amendment. This draft will also be presented to the public before its finalization, sources reported.

According to officials, despite the significant changes made in 2022, some areas still lack clear definition. Currently, such issues are resolved through official orders and letters to interpret specific points in accordance with the law.

An official representative noted that these concerns will be taken into account during the review after consulting with key stakeholders to ensure clarity.

It is known that one of CARA's main areas of work is increasing the number of adoptions of children with special needs. One option under consideration is the creation of a subcategory for children with temporary or curable conditions, such as cleft lip, to increase the adoption potential in such cases.

According to data on the CARA website, out of 5022 children adopted between April 2025 and March 2026, only 392 were categorized as children with special needs. Of these, only 84 children fell into the domestic adoption category, while the remaining 308 adoptions occurred through international adoption.

The times of India