New Delhi: The Centre is likely to make changes in the surrogacy bill passed by the cabinet after many of its provisions created a huge controversy, sources said on Wednesday.
Top sources said some of these controversial provisions are likely to be amended before the draft bill comes up in Parliament. Here are the key changes expected
#Options for a surrogate parent will be widened but care will be taken to ensure that it doesn’t become a commercial transaction. The draft bill says heterosexual couples with proven infertility can go for a surrogate mother, without money exchanging hands, if the woman is close relative. The Government could change this after experts pointed out that this could lead to genetic disorders.
#The draft bill says couples who already have a child cannot try for another one through surrogacy. This too could change, if those opting for surrogacy can provide a" good reason".
#Two other provisions are also likely to be changed: One, which says a couple can't opt for surrogacy if they have already adopted a child; and that someone who has been a surrogate mother once in the past cannot do it a second time.
Last Wednesday, the Union Cabinet had cleared the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, banning commercial surrogacy in India. The Bill bars foreigners, homosexual couples, people in live-in relationships and single individuals - making only childless, straight Indian couples married for a minimum of five years eligible for surrogacy.
The draft bill said eligible couples will have to turn to close relatives, not necessarily related by blood, for altruistic surrogacy where no money exchanges hands between the commissioning couple and the surrogate mother.
External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier defended the bill saying that it is within the legal framework and aligned with Indian values.
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