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IPEM Journals/Law/Vol. 7

Unpacking the Surrogacy Regulation Act 2021: A Critical Analysis of India’s Newest Legislation on Gestational Surrogacy

Prof. Dr. R. Haritha Devi · S. Ramana Subramanian · S. Dhanus · S. Deepasree

Vol. 7, Issue 1 (2023)Pages 31-38Published 2023-11-30DOI 10.61691/IPEM_Law.7.2023.31-38

Abstract

"If you want to know how strong a country's health system is, look at the well-being of its mother". In India, the reproductive rights of women are limited to selective issues like child marriage, female foeticide, menstrual health, hygiene issues and sex selection. In addition to these issues, this right extends alternative reproductive methods like surrogacy. Surrogacy is an arrangement, whereby a woman agrees to labour on behalf of another couple or person, who will become the child's parent(s) after birth.In India, surrogacy is being regulated by the Surrogacy Regulation Act, 2021 which deals with protecting the rights of surrogate mother and surrogate child. It also talks about the eligibility criteria for the intended parents and the surrogate. While discussing about the above, the Act also poses a few practical problems which might deprive the marginalised group from the right to parenthood in unlikely conditions, restricting the scope of the procedure. The Act also remains silent on if the LGBTQ ++ community and live in couples can opt for surrogacy and the clause of the Act mandates that the surrogate mother should be genetically related to the intending parents. The Act poses an age bar for the intended parents and the surrogate limiting the scope of the process to the group lying beyond the bar. The Act also restrains unmarried women to have a surrogate child. Only altruistic surrogacy is permitted by the law which might be practically difficult at all times.

Keywords

  • surrogacy
  • reproductive health
  • altruistic surrogacy
  • commercialization
  • lgbtqia++
  • live-in

Author affiliations

  • Prof. Dr. R. Haritha Devi , Professor, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University
  • S. Ramana Subramanian , Student, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University
  • S. Dhanus, Student, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University
  • S. Deepasree, Student, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University

How to cite

Devi, Subramanian, Dhanus &Deepasree. (December 2023). Unpacking the Surrogacy Regulation Act 2021: A Critical Analysis of India's Newest Legislation on Gestational Surrogacy. IPEM LAW JOURNAL, 7, 31-38.

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Unpacking the Surrogacy Regulation Act 2021: A Critical Analysis of India’s Newest Legislation on Gestational Surrogacy | IPEM Journals