More Girls Than Boys Adopted In India In 2021-2022: CARA Data

Recently updated data on the official website of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) reveals that of the 2,991 “in-country” adoptions made between April 2021 and March 2022, around 1,698 were girls. This clearly shows that the number of girls adopted in the country outstrips boys, but also highlights the fact that more girls are abandoned at birth or given up for adoption in India.

The data released by CARA also highlights that despite a steady increase in the number of girls in the nation’s adoption pool, the children available for adoption is still too less to match the demands of the thousands of eager prospective adoptive parents (PAPS). This is further affirmed by the fact that only 2,991 adoptions occurred successfully in the last year.

Currently, there are 2,211 children available with CARA for adoption. A report by TOI shows that 1,379 of these children fall under the special needs category irrespective of gender. On the other hand, around 28,000 PAPs are registered with CARA in the domestic “in-country” adoption category.

Another concern revealed by CARA data is that not all abandoned at birth or otherwise children make it to the legal adoption system, highlighting the fact that illegal adoptions are still rife.

*Image used for representative purpose.