Why does it seem like surrogacy rules do not apply to Karan Johar and other celebrities

Surrogacy laws in India were in news again recently because of Karan Johar who chose to have twins through surrogacy. Recently  the Law Commission has strongly recommended against Commercial Surrogacy. The Surrogate Bill of 2016 came out with some very stringent laws. A lot has been spoken and told about surrogacy in India. Here is a chance for us to look at the cold hard facts of the matter. 

The current surrogacy laws in India:

Commercial surrogacy has been legal in India since 2002.

1.India is emerging as a leader in international surrogacy and a sought after destination in surrogacy-related fertility tourism. Indian surrogates have been increasingly popular with fertile couples in industrialized nations because of the relatively low cost. Indian clinics are at the same time becoming more competitive, not just in the pricing, but in the hiring and retention of Indian females as surrogates. Clinics charge patients roughly a third of the price compared with going through the procedure in the UK.

2. Surrogacy in India is relatively low cost and the legal environment is favorable. In 2008, the Supreme Court of India in the Manji's case (Japanese Baby) has held that commercial surrogacy is permitted in India with a direction to the Legislature to pass an appropriate Law governing Surrogacy in India. At present the Surrogacy Contract between the parties and the Assisted Reproductive Technique (ART) Clinics guidelines are the guiding force. Giving due regard to the apex court directions, the Legislature has enacted ART BILL, 2008 which is still pending and is expected to come in force somewhere in the next coming year. The law commission of India has specifically reviewed the Surrogacy Law keeping in mind that  India is an International Surrogacy destination.

(i) Cases of abortions should be governed by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 only.
The Report has come largely in support of the Surrogacy in India, highlighting a proper way of operating surrogacy in Indian conditions. Exploitation of the women through surrogacy is another worrying factor, which the law has to address. 

3.International Surrogacy involves bilateral issues, where the laws of both the nations have to be at par/uniformity else the concerns and interests of parties involved will remain unresolved and thus, giving due regard to the concerns and in order to prevent the commercialization of the Human Reproductive system, exploitation of women and the commodification of Children, the law commission has submitted it’s report with the relevant suggestion:

4.The Law Commission of India has submitted the 228th Report on “NEED FOR LEGISLATION TO REGULATE ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY CLINICS AS WELL AS RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF PARTIES TO A SURROGACY.” The following observations had been made by the Law Commission: -

(a)       Surrogacy arrangement will continue to be governed by contract amongst parties, which will contain all the terms requiring consent of surrogate mother to bear child, agreement of her husband and other family members for the same, medical procedures of artificial insemination, reimbursement of all reasonable expenses for carrying child to full term, willingness to hand over the child born to the commissioning parent(s), etc. But such an arrangement should not be for commercial purposes.

(b)       A surrogacy arrangement should provide for financial support for surrogate child in the event of death of the commissioning couple or individual before delivery of the child, or divorce between the intended parents and subsequent willingness of none to take delivery of the child.

(c)       A surrogacy contract should necessarily take care of life insurance cover for surrogate mother.

(d)      One of the intended parents should be a donor as well, because the bond of love and affection with a child primarily emanates from biological relationship. Also, the chances of various kinds of child-abuse, which have been noticed in cases of adoptions, will be reduced. In case the intended parent is single, he or she should be a donor to be able to have a surrogate child. Otherwise, adoption is the way to have a child which is resorted to if biological (natural) parents and adoptive parents are different.

(e)       Legislation itself should recognize a surrogate child to be the legitimate child of the commissioning parent(s) without there being any need for adoption or even declaration of guardian.

(f)        The birth certificate of the surrogate child should contain the name(s) of the commissioning parent(s) only.

(g)       Right to privacy of donor as well as surrogate mother should be protected.

(h)       Sex-selective surrogacy should be prohibited.

(Source-

The proposed changes:

 The Surrogacy Bill of 2016 is drafter to protect the rights of surrogate mothers and children. According to that bill, which has not passed in the parliament yet (and hence celebs are still having surrogate children) will be discussed in the winter session of the parliament this year. 

According to that bill, the main points that will affect surrogacy are:

1. Commercial Surrogacy will be banned in India completely
2. Only Indian couples who have fertility issues will be able to have children through surrogate
3. The aim is to be able to carry out surrogacy in the true spirit of altruism and hence the surrogate mother should be a close relative and not a stranger
4. It states the various rights the surrogate mother can have over the surrogate child
5. a framework where a national aggregater will be able to oversee all the clinics that provide for the surrogacy service  

The changes implemented:

So far none of the changes suggested by the Surrogacy bill have been implemented hence celebrities as well as foreigner continue to flood Indian Surrogacy clinics.

While there is no doubt that Surrogacy laws in India need to be tweaked to protect the surrogate mother but the changes suggested in the Bill are too dramatic having great repercussions for the various surrogate clinics in India as well as the medical tourism on the whole.