The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is the statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development that regulates and monitors both in-country and inter-country adoption of children in India. Every legal adoption of an orphaned, abandoned or surrendered child through the formal system passes through a framework that CARA administers, using its online platform, the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS).
Because adoption involves some of the most vulnerable children in the country, the Central Adoption Resource Authority acts both as a facilitator and as a safeguard. It maintains the national register of children who are legally free for adoption, vets prospective adoptive parents, licenses and oversees adoption agencies, and acts as the Central Authority for India under the Hague Convention on adoption. This explainer sets out how the system works, who can adopt, and what protections exist against trafficking and illegal placements. It was last reviewed on 15 October 2026.
Quick Facts: Central Adoption Resource Authority
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) |
| Parent ministry | Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India |
| Set up as an autonomous body | 1990, originally under the then Ministry of Welfare |
| Statutory status | Conferred by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (Section 68) |
| Core role | Regulating and monitoring in-country and inter-country adoption |
| International role | Central Authority for India under the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (India ratified it in 2003) |
| Online platform | Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) |
| Governing rules | Adoption Regulations framed under the Juvenile Justice Act (current set notified in 2022) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
Key Takeaways
- The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is the national regulator of adoption in India and works under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- CARA began in 1990 as an autonomous body and received statutory status under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
- CARA is India’s Central Authority under the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, which India ratified in 2003.
- All registrations of prospective adoptive parents and all referrals of legally free children take place through the CARINGS online portal.
- Only a child declared legally free for adoption by a Child Welfare Committee can be placed for adoption through the CARA system.
- Indian adoption law under the Juvenile Justice Act is secular, so any eligible person can adopt irrespective of religion, unlike the personal-law route under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.
What is the Central Adoption Resource Authority and what does it do?
The Central Adoption Resource Authority is the national nodal agency that frames the rules, keeps the central records and supervises the agencies involved in the legal adoption of children in India. Its work covers children who are orphaned, abandoned or surrendered, and families seeking to adopt within India or from abroad.
In practical terms, CARA performs several distinct functions:
- Maintaining the national database of children who are legally free for adoption and of registered prospective adoptive parents (PAPs).
- Framing and updating the Adoption Regulations, which turn the Juvenile Justice Act into step-by-step procedure.
- Recognising and monitoring Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) and, for inter-country cases, Authorised Foreign Adoption Agencies (AFAAs).
- Acting as the Central Authority under the Hague Convention for adoptions involving other member countries.
- Promoting in-country adoption, giving priority to Indian families before a child is considered for inter-country placement.
- Collecting data, running awareness campaigns and issuing guidance to state and district bodies.
CARA does not itself run children’s homes or choose which family receives which child by hand. The matching is done through the CARINGS system under the Adoption Regulations, while the legal declaration that a child is free for adoption is made by a Child Welfare Committee at district level.
When and why was CARA set up?
The Central Adoption Resource Authority was set up in 1990 as an autonomous body to bring order and oversight to adoption, particularly the growing number of inter-country placements. Before a central regulator existed, adoption was handled through a patchwork of private agencies and court orders, with limited monitoring of where children went.
A key influence was the Supreme Court’s judgment in Lakshmi Kant Pandey v. Union of India (1984). The Court was responding to concerns about the exploitation of children in inter-country adoption and laid down principles and procedural safeguards that later shaped national guidelines. These included preferring placement within the child’s own country where possible, and regulating the agencies and foreign applicants involved. CARA was created to administer such guidelines uniformly.
India later joined the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption in 2003, which required a designated Central Authority. CARA took that role. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 then gave CARA clear statutory status under Section 68, replacing its earlier administrative footing.
Which laws and rules govern adoption in India?
Adoption in India is governed by two parallel legal tracks: the secular Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and community-specific personal laws such as the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956. CARA’s authority flows from the first track.
The Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and its amendment
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 contains the chapter on adoption and created the statutory CARA. It allows any eligible person, regardless of religion, to adopt a child who is legally free for adoption. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2021 changed who issues the final adoption order: it shifted that power from civil courts to the District Magistrate, including the Additional District Magistrate, to speed up the process and reduce backlog.
The Adoption Regulations
The detailed procedure sits in the Adoption Regulations framed by CARA under the Act. Earlier versions were issued in 2017, and a revised set, the Adoption Regulations 2022, aligned the process with the 2021 amendment. These regulations set out eligibility, registration, home study, referral, court or magistrate procedure, and post-adoption follow-up.
Personal laws
The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 allows adoption by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs, and creates a legal parent-child relationship. Other communities such as Muslims, Christians and Parsis historically relied on the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, which creates guardianship rather than full parentage. The Juvenile Justice Act route is the common, secular alternative, and it is the one CARA regulates.
What is the CARINGS portal?
CARINGS, short for Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System, is the centralised online platform run by CARA through which registration, matching and tracking of adoptions are carried out. It replaced paper-based, agency-level records with a single national system.
The portal serves several user groups:
- Prospective adoptive parents create an account, upload documents, track their application and receive referrals of children.
- Specialised Adoption Agencies upload details and photographs of children who are legally free for adoption and conduct home studies.
- Child Welfare Committees record the legal status of children, including the order declaring a child free for adoption.
- Courts or District Magistrates record adoption orders.
- State Adoption Resource Agencies and CARA monitor timelines, pendency and compliance.
The principle behind CARINGS is transparency and fairness. Because referrals are generated by the system according to registration seniority and the parents’ stated preferences, the process is meant to reduce discretion and the scope for private, unregulated placements.
Who can adopt a child through CARA?
Any prospective adoptive parent who is physically, mentally and emotionally stable, financially capable and free of life-threatening medical conditions can adopt through CARA, irrespective of religion or marital status, subject to specific conditions. The Adoption Regulations lay down these conditions in detail.
- Married couples: both spouses must consent, and a couple is expected to have a stable marital relationship, with a minimum period of marriage specified in the regulations.
- Single women: a single woman may adopt a child of any gender.
- Single men: a single man is not permitted to adopt a girl child.
- Age gap: the regulations require a minimum age difference of 25 years between the child and each prospective parent.
- Special needs and older children: relaxed or priority provisions apply, because such children are harder to place.
Eligibility is assessed through a home study report prepared by an SAA, which covers the family’s circumstances, motivation, health, finances and support network. Relatives and step-parents who adopt a child within the family follow a simpler route under the Act, and are not governed by the same waiting list.
What are the types of adoption in India?
India recognises four main types of adoption: in-country adoption, inter-country adoption, relative adoption and step-parent adoption. The table below summarises how each type works.
| Type | Who adopts | Key feature |
|---|---|---|
| In-country adoption | Resident Indian citizens | Goes through CARINGS and an SAA, with home study and referral |
| Inter-country adoption | Non-resident Indians, Overseas Citizens of India and foreign nationals | Applies only after in-country options are exhausted; follows Hague Convention procedure where applicable |
| Relative adoption | A blood relative of the child, in India or abroad | Child need not come through the waiting list; documentation and orders still required |
| Step-parent adoption | A parent’s spouse after remarriage | Requires consent of the biological parent and an adoption order |
How does the adoption process work, step by step?
The adoption process through CARA moves in seven broad stages: registration, home study, referral, acceptance, pre-adoption foster care, legal order and post-adoption follow-up. Timelines are set in the regulations so that no stage is left open-ended.
- Registration: the prospective adoptive parents register on CARINGS, choose an SAA and upload identity, income and health documents.
- Home study: an SAA social worker meets the family, visits the home and prepares a report on suitability.
- Referral: once the home study is approved, the system offers the parents a limited number of children, depending on their stated preferences and the seniority of their registration.
- Acceptance: the parents meet the child, review medical and legal records, and accept a referral within the time allowed.
- Pre-adoption foster care: the child may live with the family for a period before the court order, to allow bonding.
- Adoption order: under the 2021 amendment, the District Magistrate issues the adoption order. The order makes the child the legal child of the adoptive parents for all purposes.
- Post-adoption follow-up: the agency submits periodic reports on the child’s well-being, normally for two years after adoption.
After the order, parents can apply for the child’s new birth certificate, which carries the adoptive parents’ names, and for other documents such as a passport or school admission.
How does inter-country adoption work and what is the Hague Convention’s role?
Inter-country adoption in India is allowed only when a suitable Indian family cannot be found for a child, and it follows the safeguards of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, 1993. India ratified the Convention in 2003, and CARA became the Central Authority responsible for its implementation.
The Convention rests on three ideas: the best interests of the child come first, a child should normally grow up in a family in the country of birth, and inter-country adoption is a subsidiary option when no suitable domestic family exists. It also aims to prevent the abduction, sale or trafficking of children by requiring cooperation between the Central Authorities of the sending and receiving countries.
In practice, a family living abroad applies through an Authorised Foreign Adoption Agency or the Central Authority of their own country, which sends the application to CARA. If a child is available only after in-country options have been exhausted, CARA arranges a referral, and the legal adoption order is passed in India before the child leaves. Non-resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India are treated as inter-country applicants for procedural purposes, though they may adopt under specified conditions.
Which children are legally free for adoption?
A child is legally free for adoption only after a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) formally declares the child orphan, abandoned or surrendered after due inquiry. Without that declaration, no child may be placed with a family through CARA, however long the child has lived in an institution.
- Orphan: a child with no parents, or whose parents or guardians are unable or unwilling to care for the child.
- Abandoned: a child deserted by parents or guardians, whose family cannot be traced after inquiry.
- Surrendered: a child voluntarily given up by parents or guardians, usually by a formal surrender deed before the CWC, with a reconsideration period for the parents.
The declaration process includes police inquiries, public notices and efforts to trace the biological family. These steps are designed so that a child who has relatives, or whose parents later come forward, is not wrongly placed for adoption. Children who are older, have disabilities or belong to sibling groups are classified as having special needs in the adoption system, and they are given priority attention.
How does CARA safeguard against child trafficking and illegal adoption?
CARA safeguards against child trafficking by allowing adoption only through registered agencies, verified legal declarations and a centralised, traceable online system. The goal is to ensure that every child placed in a family has a documented legal status and an accountable chain of custody.
The main safeguards are:
- Legal declaration first: only a CWC can declare a child free for adoption, after inquiry, so private or informal handovers are not legitimate.
- Registered agencies only: children can be placed only through recognised SAAs, which are regularly inspected and can lose recognition for violations.
- Central records: because every step is logged on CARINGS, the movement of a child can be audited later.
- Home study and follow-up: checks before and after placement help protect the child from unsuitable homes.
- Penal provisions: the Juvenile Justice Act penalises the sale or buying of a child and the illegal adoption of children, including unauthorised institutions that arrange adoptions.
- Inter-country checks: the Hague framework requires both the sending and receiving countries to approve the placement.
Despite these rules, illegal adoption networks have been reported over the years, which is why the system emphasises traceability and why courts and the regulator regularly emphasise that private adoptions outside the legal channel carry legal risk for all parties.
What are the challenges and criticisms of the adoption system?
The main criticism of the adoption system in India is the gap between the number of prospective parents and the number of children available for adoption. Many parents prefer a healthy, young child, while a large share of children in institutions are older, have disabilities or belong to sibling groups, so waiting times can be long and many children remain unadopted.
Other commonly raised issues include delays in the legal declaration of children by Child Welfare Committees, uneven functioning of agencies across states, and limited awareness of the legal route, which pushes some families toward informal arrangements. Commentators also point to the need for stronger post-adoption support and counselling. Reforms such as moving adoption orders to District Magistrates and tightening timelines on CARINGS were introduced to address these delays.
Bottom Line
The Central Adoption Resource Authority is the single national regulator that keeps adoption in India legal, transparent and child-centred. Families who wish to adopt should register on CARINGS and work only with recognised agencies, because that is the route that gives the child, and the parents, a secure legal status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CARA in adoption?
CARA is the Central Adoption Resource Authority, the statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development that regulates in-country and inter-country adoption in India. It maintains the national adoption database, frames the Adoption Regulations, and oversees adoption agencies. CARA also acts as the Central Authority for India under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.
How do I adopt a child in India through CARA?
You adopt a child through CARA by registering on the CARINGS portal, completing a home study with a Specialised Adoption Agency, and accepting a child referral generated through the system. After acceptance, a District Magistrate issues the adoption order, and the agency conducts post-adoption follow-up. Every stage is tracked online to ensure transparency.
Can a single person adopt a child in India?
Yes, a single person can adopt a child in India through CARA, subject to conditions. A single woman may adopt a child of any gender, while a single man is not permitted to adopt a girl child. The prospective parent must also meet the health, financial and age-gap requirements in the Adoption Regulations.
What is the CARINGS portal?
CARINGS is the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System, the online platform run by CARA for managing adoption. Prospective parents use it to register and receive referrals, while agencies, Child Welfare Committees and authorities use it to record the child’s legal status and the adoption order. The system makes the process traceable and reduces discretion.
What is the minimum age gap between the child and the adoptive parent?
The Adoption Regulations require a minimum age difference of 25 years between the child and each prospective adoptive parent. The rule applies to couples and single parents alike. Special provisions apply for relative and step-parent adoptions, where the rules are treated differently.
Is adoption through CARA open to all religions?
Yes, adoption under the Juvenile Justice Act, which CARA regulates, is secular and open to eligible persons of any religion. This differs from the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, which applies only to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. Families of other faiths can therefore adopt with full legal parentage through the CARA route.
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