DMs to issue adoption orders, monitor child homes: Bill in LS

New Delhi, March 15

The government on Monday introduced a landmark new Bill in the Lok Sabha to empower district magistrates to issue adoption orders and vet and monitor childcare institutions.

The Bill allows district magistrates to pass adoption orders to reduce pendency. At present, the family court, district or a city civil court is competent to pass the adoption order and 1,000 adoption cases remain pending at any given time.

The Bill also makes DMs in charge of vetting applications to set up childcare institutions and monitor them taking the charge away from district child protection officers. It introduces the need for qualifications for members of child welfare committees. As soon as Cabinet minister Smriti Irani rose to introduce the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill-2021, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor opposed the move, saying it violated the constitutional principle of separation of powers by allowing DMs (rather than the civil courts) to issue adoption orders and also by providing for appeals against adoption orders to the Divisional Commissioners instead of courts. — TNS

Irani rejects Tharoor’s claims as ‘myopic’

• As soon as Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani rose to introduce the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill-2021 on Monday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor opposed the move to empower DMs on child protection.
• Rejecting Tharoor’s assertions as “myopic”, the minister introduced the Bill by voice vote. As per the decision, in every district, the DM will get the power to monitor functions of agencies responsible for the implementation of the Act.

‘Non-filing of FIRs hits justice delivery’

• Delay and denial of justice to women and children, who are victims of various crimes, is because of non-registration of FIRs by the police, said a parliamentary panel in its 230th report in the Rajya Sabha.
• The department-related Standing Committee on Home Affair said, “Cases of crimes against women and children are not getting registered promptly and that is one of the main reasons for denial of justice.”

Will open mandi outside Parliament: Tikait

• Taking a dig at PM Modi, BKU’s Rakesh Tikait said in the coming days, farmers would open an ‘Adani sale counter’ outside Parliament, where the industrialist “would decide the foodgrain prices”.
• Addressing a press conference in Satna, Tikait said: “The Prime Minister had said the three farm laws ensured that farmers could sell their produce outside any market. We will open a new market outside Parliament.”
• “All parties are with us. We are striving to bring a new discourse in the country and working hard so that the government thinks about the poor, farmers and workers,” the BKU leader said.