India Press Live
The Chhattisgarh government has made an important change to the Adoption Act, which is over a hundred years old. They have replaced the term ‘adopted son’ with ‘adopted child’ in all legal documents. This change is seen as a big step towards gender equality and social reform.
Positive Reactions
The State Finance Minister, OP Choudhary, explained that the old Act from 1908 only mentioned ‘son’ for adoption, showing the mindset of that time. By changing it to ‘adopted child’, they are promoting gender neutrality and respect for women.
Many people have praised this amendment. Social worker V Polamma mentioned that daughters got equal property rights in 2005, and it’s only fair that adoption laws reflect the same equality. Another activist, Vibha Singh, believes this change sends a strong message against gender bias in adoption.
Adoption Statistics
Between January 2021 and February of this year, 417 children were adopted in Chhattisgarh. Out of these, 246 were girls. Additionally, 369 children from the state were adopted by families in different Indian states, and 48 children found homes internationally.
Up until now, all adoption documents used the term “adopted son” regardless of the child’s gender. This shows the importance of the recent amendment in recognizing and including all adopted children.
Challenges Ahead
While adoption laws are becoming more progressive, there is still gender-biased language in many official forms and practices. Terms like “I, son of…” are still commonly used, highlighting the need for broader reforms to challenge male-centric language and thinking in Indian society.
