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What Are the Issues Related to Surrogacy in India?
Surrogacy in India has emerged as a groundbreaking practice fulfilling the wishes of many infertile couples over the past few decades. How surrogacy works in India involves placing a developed womb into a surrogate mother who carries the baby for nine months and delivers the child to the original parents after birth. This process has been a boon to infertile couples, homosexuals, single parents, and those living in live-in relationships.
Over the last decade, India has solidified its position as a hub for surrogacy in India. The availability of affordable surrogate mothers attracts couples from all over the world, transforming surrogacy into a full-fledged business, particularly in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Typically, the cost ranges from ₹70,000 to ₹3 lakhs, which encourages poor or lower-middle-class women to willingly come forward as surrogate mothers.
However, as the saying goes, a coin has two faces. The ethical issues in surrogacy have surfaced, turning what was once seen as a blessing into a bane for society. These economically disadvantaged women often face heavy exploitation during the surrogacy process. There have been cases where young girls are coerced into becoming surrogate mothers, leading to physical and emotional weakening. Additionally, instances have been reported where couples abandon their child if the baby is deemed unfit or if they dislike the skin tone.
To address these concerns, the government passed a surrogacy bill in 2016, aiming to regulate surrogacy in India more strictly. The bill prohibits large-scale commercial surrogacy and restricts it to only infertile couples, excluding others from accessing surrogacy services. Moreover, it mandates that a surrogate mother can only carry one child and must be a close relative of the intended parents. This legislative step is hoped to favor society by ensuring that surrogacy assists the needy rather than the greedy.