How does adoption work under the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 and CARA procedure?

Question

I am not Hindu and want to adopt a child through the formal government process. How does adoption under the Juvenile Justice Act and CARA work? I would rather settle this without going to court if the law allows it, but I need to know my rights before I sign anything. Please tell me what to do first and what document to keep.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

Under Indian law, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, Section 56 is the starting point for this family law question. What follows is the position in substance, together with the steps that usually make the difference in practice.

Section 56 of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 provides that adoption of an orphan, abandoned or surrendered child shall be regulated in the manner prescribed by the Central Adoption Resource Authority, known as CARA.

Section 63 lays down the procedure for inter-country adoption and requires that such adoptions be routed through CARA-recognised agencies to prevent trafficking.

All prospective adoptive parents, regardless of religion, must register on the CARA CARINGS portal, undergo a home study report and be matched with a legally free child through the specialised adoption agency.

The 2022 Adoption Regulations empower the District Magistrate to issue the final adoption order instead of courts, aiming to speed up the process while retaining judicial oversight through appeal to the Divisional Commissioner.

This route is mandatory for non-Hindus and for anyone adopting a child who is not a relative, whereas relative adoptions and Hindu adoptions under personal law can follow a simpler process.

In practice, in this order: 1) Register as a prospective adoptive parent on the CARA CARINGS online portal; 2) Complete the home study report through a registered specialised adoption agency; 3) Accept a child referral and complete the pre-adoption foster care period as directed; 4) Obtain the adoption order from the District Magistrate and register the child's revised birth certificate.

Timing matters here: Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, Section 56 works on limitation periods, so a cara adoption procedure claim that is right on the merits can still fail if it is brought late. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in family law.