Surrogacy Bill 2016: why to ban commercial surrogacy.?

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By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Surrogacy has become a sensitive topic in India. Changes in the surrogacy law or regularizing it; has become a debate over long now. Last year when surrogacy banned for foreign couples in India, it has become a debate then also. Medical tourism plays a significant role in bringing foreign currency to the country. Moreover, these women were able to support their families with this money. Recently, the surrogacy bill passed by the government of India brought turmoil in the rising area of assisted reproduction.

I believe Surrogacy shouldn’t be treated as immoral or illegitimate. There are about 50 million deserving infertile couples in India who will remain childless because of this ban by the government. In my opinion commercial surrogacy shouldn’t be banned instead it should be regulated and monitored properly so that nobody can misuse this opportunity. 

By banning commercial surrogacy, infertile couples will loss the opportunity to become a parent and at the same time surrogate will also loss the monetary benefits associated with it.  Also, by saying Altruistic surrogacy, in today’s time not every relative come forward to become a surrogate. So, in my opinion commercial ban is not very appropriate. 

After certain bans there is definitely a decline in surrogacy cases. But if you see, Surrogacy actually helps people have their own biological child.

Not only to infertile couples or people having serious medical issues like cancer or faced many miscarriages, liver cirrhosis, failed IVF cycles, Muscular skeleton discomfort and much more it will also monetarily benefit the surrogate and her family too. 

I have dealt with N number of surrogacy’s; recently I came across a patient where she was suffering from cancer and her eggs got destroyed during chemotherapy she was desperate to have a child so they hired a surrogate and blessed with a boy and a girl. Surrogate also gets monetarily benefited and that money helped her to pay off her husband’s long due medical bills and school fees of her children. So, in my opinion complete ban is not correct. 

Cabinet approves bill to prohibit commercial surrogacy. The Bill prohibits commercial surrogacy and allows ethical surrogacy to needy infertile couples. It also prohibits Single parents, homosexual couples, live-in relationships couples to opt for altruistic surrogacy…published in The Indian Express.