Marriage certificates required for adoption, transgenders unhappy

Continued from page 1

Talkingabout the adoption facility for transgenders, Mallu S. Kumbar, state coordinator, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum, told: “Anyone who walks into the office with the required documents is eligible to adopt. We here have never denyed someone based on their sexuality.”

Nirmala A.N., programme officer at the State Adoption Resource Authority, explained: “We just take in all the applications and forward them to the court. The process of selecting children for couple is not in our hands. The court will decide who should adopt and who should not.”

According to Legal Service of India, an e-journal, a Bill was introduced in Parliament in 2019 to guarantee rights to people from the community. But it was not welcomed by the community.

They said the Bill was drafted hastily. It failed to cover the essential needs of the community, one of which is adoption rights.

Sana added: “After trying hard for years, I gave up on adopting a child legally from outside. I ended up adopting a child from

Transgenders face difficulties not only in adoption also in other activities | Credits: Dhananjay G one of my family members.”

Hemanth Kumar, a lawyer, said that there are a lot of legal procedures that have to be followed before somebody adopts a child. “The current legal system does not allow an individual to adopt unless she is a widow. There is no provision for transpersons to adopt because most of them are single. We need to make sure that even if an unfortunate incident happens to the person who adopts, there is someone else to take care of the child. Additionally, most of these people are not financially capable to raise a child. It is the security of the child that matters the most. I understand that they are fighting for their rights, but the matter is too complicated. We need to consider different aspects of the matter before making any decisions."

Madhu Bhushan, a women and gender rights activist, said: “Transgenders face difficulties not only in adoption but also in other sections like marriage certificates. The government has made many laws for them, but the problem lies in implementation.”

The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act recognizes a valid adoption only if it is carried out by a man or woman. Therefore, third-gender adoptions are prohibited. But Section 41(6) of the Juvenile Justice Act says any person has the right to adopt.

According to a report by Economic Times, if same-sex union gets legalised in India as live-in couples are not yet permitted to adopt a child in the country, experts have said. vindhya.p@iijnm.org

Another report by Deccan Herald which came out on December 2022 says that “Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai wants his pet Raitha Vidya Nidhi scholarship scheme to cover anywhere between two and six lakh children of landless agricultural labourers, but authorities are struggling to identify them in the absence of proper data with them.”

This could be the reason why the potential beneficiaries are skeptical of the scheme. arsha.s@iijnm.org

K’taka 1st state to implement NEP: Bommai

Continued from page 1

Thecorridors of BCU are littered with broken doors and unused cement bags. Workers are seen taking the bricks to the garden space. There are only two washrooms for men and women as the rest of them are still under renovation. White paint is splattered around the corridors.

Addressing the students at the Jnanajyoti Auditorium on Palace Road, 250 metres away, the chief minister said: “There are a lot of colleges and deemed universities in the city. We are planning to convert Bengaluru into an education district. We will attract more students to Bengaluru for various cours NEP is the best education policy in the world, and Karnataka is the first state to implement it. I have a dream to build a knowledge city in Bengaluru. Two thousand acres of land will be allocated. I want all top state, national and foreign institutes to set up their campuses in the knowledge city. This will help all our students to receive top education.” yashaswini.s@iijnm.org

Inner Peace through Guided Meditation - An Introduction to Satsang

Sat, Mar 25, 4:30 PM

New Horizon College of Engineering • Bengaluru, KA Madhubani Painting Workshop

Sat, Mar 25, 11 AM to 2 PM

The Purple Turtles 128 1st Main Rd Paramahansa Yogananda Rd Stage

Wine tours at Bangalore Sat, Mar 25

Wine tours at Bangalore Sat, Mar 25, yet to be disclosed

Nandi valley winery Pvt Ltd ( Kinvah Vineyards)

Business Leadership Summit 2023

Saturday, April 8, yet to be confirmed

Aloft Hotel Whitefield Photography Workshop for Beginners

Sunday, March 26 12 to 6 PM Circular Square, Kanakpura

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Produced by the Print students of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media at Nityananda Nagar, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074.

Editor: Yukta Mudgal

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Copy editors: Siddhi Chauhan

Reporters: Arsha BS, Vindhya

Pabolu, Yashaswini S

Photo editor: Siddhi Chauhan

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