Social- og Ældreudvalget 2020-21
SOU Alm.del
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16.8.2021
India set to pass bill banning commercial surrogacy
India set to pass bill banning
commercial surrogacy
Issued on: 20/11/2019 - 19:01 Modified: 20/11/2019 - 19:03
Commercial surrogacy, made legal in India in 2002 and popular among foreign
couples, has provided a large source of income for some Indian women. AFP
PHOTO/Sam Panthaky
Text by:
Vikram Roy in New Delhi
The Indian government is on Thursday
expected to vote a bill into law that would ban
commercial surrogacy. New Delhi says the
legislation is aimed at dismantling the
booming "rent-a-womb" industry that is
https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20191120-india-set-pass-bill-ban-commercial-surrogacy-rent-womb-industry-billions
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 SOU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 754: MFU spm. om, hvilke erfaringer der er med rugemoderskab, både ift. barnets udvikling og kvinden der føder barnet, i den danske og internationale litteratur, til social- og ældreministeren
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16.8.2021
India set to pass bill banning commercial surrogacy
estimated to be worth some 3.3 billion euros
annually.
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Parliamentary debate on the Surrogacy Regulation Bill,
2019 ran into a second day Wednesday, with health
minister Harsh Vardhan deploring that trafficked women
were passed off as suitable surrogates.
He also argued that 2,000 “foreign babies” took birth
every year in India and that many of an estimated 3,000
fertility clinics were believed to be engaged in unethical
practices.
“In the absence of regulation, India has unfortunately
emerged as a surrogacy hub for couples from different
countries,” said Harsh Vardhan, who introduced the bill
in July. A month later, it was approved by the elected
lower house.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20191120-india-set-pass-bill-ban-commercial-surrogacy-rent-womb-industry-billions
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 SOU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 754: MFU spm. om, hvilke erfaringer der er med rugemoderskab, både ift. barnets udvikling og kvinden der føder barnet, i den danske og internationale litteratur, til social- og ældreministeren
16.8.2021
India set to pass bill banning commercial surrogacy
India opened up to commercial surrogacy in 2002. But
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government sees
fertility clinics as baby factories for the rich that cheat
impoverished women into signing contracts they do not
fully understand.
The draft law allows surrogacy for Indian couples
married for at least five years, or for female relatives to
help out provided the paperwork is legitimate. The law
prohibits divorced women, same-sex partners, lesbians
or homosexuals from raising families through
outsourcing.
Hefty penalties
The controversial bill also bans advertising commercial
surrogacy and sale or import of human embryo for the
purpose. Violators of the law would face a prison term of
10 years plus a fine of one million rupees or 12,500
euros and other penalties.
Lawmakers such as Rajeev Gowda have asked Modi’s
administration to remove draconian provisions from the
draft law.
Many of them argued women could also be coerced to
become surrogate mothers in families in need of
bloodline babies.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20191120-india-set-pass-bill-ban-commercial-surrogacy-rent-womb-industry-billions
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 SOU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 754: MFU spm. om, hvilke erfaringer der er med rugemoderskab, både ift. barnets udvikling og kvinden der føder barnet, i den danske og internationale litteratur, til social- og ældreministeren
16.8.2021
India set to pass bill banning commercial surrogacy
“We are living in 21st century India and many people
who may be single, who may be divorced may also
desire to have children using the surrogacy method and
so why should they be prevented,” said Gowda, an MP
from the main opposition Congress party.
Gay rights activists; legal and healthcare experts are
also up in arms, calling the bill regressive.
“Why is the government saying that only certain kinds of
people can be biological parents? Why are they saying
only a particular mode of parenthood is something that
is legitimate?” Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundi said
during a televised debate.
“Is this something that is a compelling state interest? If it
is not a compelling state interest then why is the
government involved at all?”
An army of physicians and cheap technology has seen
India rent-a-womb industry boom. According to some
estimates, surrogates can be paid around 5,000 euros –
in a country where average monthly earnings are
around 133 euros.
The cost of importing a surrogate baby from India is five
times less than the sum charged in the US.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20191120-india-set-pass-bill-ban-commercial-surrogacy-rent-womb-industry-billions
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