Bhubaneswar: Recently Odisha may be in news for all wrong reasons; be it child deaths due to suspected Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in tribal-dominated Malkangiri district or malnutrition deaths at Nagada in mineral rich Jajpur district, but what something to cheer about is that in child adoption, the state has secured fourth position in the country.
Data available with Odisha State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) indicate that 230 children have been adopted in the State in 2015-16. While Maharashtra tops the list with 724 adopted kids, the southern state is followed by Karnataka (273) and Telengana (240).
SARA sources said 170 children were adopted in 2013 in the State, which rose to 198 in 2014. The year 2015 too recorded the similar number.
Interestingly, with 178 children have already been adopted this year (till September), the adoption rate is showing an increasing trend in the State. Officials engaged in the process attribute the trend to the educated mass.
“It is really a good thing that the number is increasing. In the recent past we have also observed that enquiries regarding adoption have increased manifold. This is really a healthy trend,” said Sujata Mohanty, Programme officer, SARA.
“The enquiries are mostly from the educated mass who really understand the importance and need of adoption”, she pointed out.
The official noted a total number of 744 children have been adopted from 17 adoption centres in the State since 2013. At present 332 children are living in various homes in the State of whom 261 are adoptable. Besides there are 70 adoptable children with special needs in various homes in the State.
To bring more transparency in the system, the Centre has made all adoptions online.
Though people from all sections of the society adopt a child, it has been observed that more female children are adopted than male and about 70 per cent of adopted children are in the age group of 0-2 years. (see image)
“We are glad that clearly there is disparity between a male and a female child so far as adoption is concerned. The figure across the nation shows that people are gradually becoming sensitive towards girl children. We must welcome this,” said Kasturi Mohapatra, chairperson, Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR).