Choose safe surrender over infant abandonment

Source– The post is based on the article “Choose ‘safe surrender’ over infant abandonment” published in The Hindu on 3rd October 2022.

Syllabus: GS1- Social empowerment. GS2- Vulnerable sections

Relevance– Child welfare

News– The article explains the difference between abandonment and surrender of children. It also gives suggestions to reduce the incidents of abandonment of children by their parents.

Recently a two-year-old girl was found alone in a government bus in Tamil Nadu.

Data by the National Crime Records Bureau shows that 709 criminal cases of exposure and abandonment of children under twelve years were registered in the year 2021.

What are the legal provisions for abandonment and surrender of children?

The Juvenile Justice Act provides that no first information report shall be registered against any biological parent in the process of inquiry relating to an abandoned and surrendered child.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure that all efforts are made to trace the parents of the child without initiating any criminal action.

What is the difference between abandonment and surrender of a child?

Abandonment– An abandoned child means a child who is deserted by parents.

Surrender– It means that parents are not willing to continue to have their children with them. It is due to physical, emotional and social factors beyond their control.

Why is surrender better than abandonment?

Abandonment endangers the child’s life. Surrender ensures that the Child Welfare Committee will take care of the child until he or she is matured or adopted by someone.

A child is considered eligible for surrender only after a prescribed process of enquiry and counselling

The disclosure of the identity of surrendered children is prohibited. All reports related to the child are to be treated confidentially by the CWC.

No case is registered when a child is surrendered to the Child Welfare Committee constituted

under the Juvenile Justice Act.

What is the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act?

The Court passed an interim order to allow an unmarried woman petitioner to abort her pregnancy of 24 weeks arising out of a failed live-in relationship. It should be recommended by the medical board.

What is the way forward?

ASHAs and anganwadi workers have a strong network in villages. They know about unwanted pregnancy. There is a need to educate and sensitize them.

Juvenile Justices prescribe authorities to whom a parent may approach if he wants to surrender his child. It shall be the duty of such an authority to produce the child before the CWC within 24 hours. Wide publicity needs to be given to these provisions of the JJ Act.