By Praneetha Shivaprasad

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that the states are in breach of complying with the direction of the court as ordered on 20^th November 2023. All states were ordered to compile and submit to the Director of the  Central Adoption and Research Agency, the annual data pertaining to adoptions under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act for 2021, 2022 and 2023 within each of their respective territories as on 15^th January 2024. They were ordered to provide the data by 31^st January 2024. The data was to be examined by the court to provide directions for ease of adoption under the Juvenile Justice Act. In its preliminary review of the adoption process, the court made suggestions for the lacunae in the bureaucratic system and asked the states for further data. Presently the court has ordered all the States/Union Territories to furnish data to the Ministry of Women and Child Development on or before 8^th April 2024, upon which it will be collated by the Union Government and presented before the bench on 19^th April 2024. (W.P. (C) No. 1003 of 2021)

Click here to read/download the order dated 15^th March 2024 

Click here to read/download the order dated 20^th November 2023