Open to changes in the Bill: JP Nadda

The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, which has been brought to put a blanket ban on commercial use of surrogacy, would see some remarkable modifications during the course of discussion over it with different stakeholders before becoming a law. According to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, the government is open to make modification in the surrogacy Bill as it in initial stage.

“The Bill will be sent to Parliamentary Standing Committee, wherein its clauses would be reviewed by the panel and if needed suggestive changes would be made. We have just made the legal framework and the detailed rules has yet to be worked out,” Nadda said, adding that the core mandate of the Bill would remain unchanged. The main objective of the bill is to protect surrogates from exploitation, put a check on abandonment of surrogate new born and stopping the misuse of the technology, the minister added.

He clarified, “The bill got delayed as consultation went so long. In total, we have got suggestions from 18 ministries, 22 states and 40 stakeholders, which included eminent NGOs, gynaecologists, people running surrogacy clinics, etc.” “As like Mental Healthcare Bill, which has seen above 100 amendments, this Bill would also adopt some changes. It’s a long way to go prior to it becoming a law. There are several issues that we have not thought of like compensation to surrogate mothers, maternity leave to women going for surrogacy as the present law doesn’t has any mention about it,” the minister said.