Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has asked all States to get the childcare homes run by Mother Teresa-founded Missionaries of Charity inspected immediately. An official release said, Mrs Gandhi also directed the States to ensure that all childcare institutions (CCIs) are registered and linked to Central Adoption Resource Authority  (CARA)  within a month. The move comes after cases of alleged illegal adoptions carried out by the childcare homes run Missionaries of Charity in Jharkhand came to light recently. The shelter home in Ranchi has allegedly been involved in selling three children and giving away another one.

According to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, registration of childcare institutions and their linking with the CARA is mandatory, but some orphanages have challenged the validity of the clause. Approximately 2,300 CCIs have been linked to CARA since December last year, while about 4,000 more are still pending for linkage. Mrs Gandhi has expressed displeasure over the fact that the children in the 2,300 institutions linked to CARA are yet to be brought under an adoption system.

According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), 2,32,937 children are currently under the care of CCIs — both registered and unregistered  in the country.