Gs Paper-2
Syllabus: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
Context:
The government has issued fresh surrogacy rules, making it mandatory for couples who wish to become parents through surrogacy to buy health insurance plans for surrogate mothers for a period of 36 months.
Provisions:
- Limited attempts: The government has also ensured that the number of attempts of any surrogacy procedure on the surrogate mother shall not be more than three times.
- Allowed abortion: A surrogate mother may be allowed for abortion during the process of surrogacy in case of any complication as advised by the doctors
- Regulation of private clinics: Every private surrogacy clinic has to file an application for registration with a fee of ₹2 lakh which is non-refundable. However, facilities under government-run institutes are exempt from such fees.
- Specialist availability: Surrogacy clinics shall have at least one gynaecologist, one anaesthetist, one embryologist and one counsellor.
- Marriage period: The couple should be married for more than five years.
- Consent of surrogate: Under the Surrogacy Rules 2022, a surrogate mother has to give her consent through an agreement for giving up all her rights over the child and shall hand over the child/children as soon as she is permitted to do so by the hospital.
Counter view: Some experts have highlighted that health insurance coverage for 36 months which includes the postpartum expense for surrogate mother is a long period as it will unnecessarily burden the intending couple.
Insta Links
Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020
The debates around the Surrogacy Act
What’s in ART, Surrogacy Bills?
Practice Questions:
Q. In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2021)
- Passing on mitochondrial diseases from parent to child can be prevented by mitochondrial replacement therapy either before or after in vitro fertilization of an egg.
- A child inherits mitochondrial diseases entirely from the mother and not from the father.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c)
Q. India’s regulation of surrogacy falls short of protecting bodily autonomy and guaranteeing reproductive liberty. Critically analyse. (15M)
Source: Live Mint
