In a move to ban commercial surrogacy, a bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday which also seeks to protect women from exploitation and ensure the rights of the child born through surrogacy. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 was introduced by health minister JP Nadda amid protest by the opposition over the government’s demonetisation move. Once approved by Parliament, there will be a complete ban on commercial surrogacy, but altruistic surrogacy will be permitted for needy infertile couples under strict regulations. With no law governing surrogacy, India has emerged as a surrogacy hub for couples from different countries. There have been incidents concerning unethical practices, exploitation of surrogate mothers and abandonment of children born out of surrogacy.

Source: Hindustan Times November 21, 2016 11:25 UTC