<p>The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020, which allows any "willing" woman to be a surrogate mother and proposes that widows and divorced women can also benefit from its provisions, besides infertile Indian couples.</p>.<p>The bill incorporates all recommendations made by a Rajya Sabha select committee, which studied an earlier version of the draft legislation, and is aimed at banning commercial surrogacy and allowing altruistic surrogacy, Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters.</p>.<p>His Cabinet colleague Smriti Irani said the bill proposes that only Indian couples, with both partners being of Indian origins, can opt for surrogacy in the country.</p>.<p>She asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led from the front with a liberal view on the issues of reproductive rights of women, be it medical termination of pregnancy, the Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation Bill or the surrogacy bill.</p>.<p>The amended bill is reformed version of the draft legislation which was passed by Lok Sabha in August 2019 but its provisions, including that only a close relative of a couple can be a surrogate mother, had invited criticism.</p>.<p>The government then agreed to send the bill to a Rajya Sabha select committee, which is headed by BJP MP Bhupender Yadav, for holding wide consultations with various stakeholders and making recommendations.</p>.<p>The amended bill is likely to be tabled in the second half of the Budget Session beginning next month.</p>.<p>The bill also proposes to regulate surrogacy by establishing National Surrogacy Board at the central level and, State Surrogacy Board and appropriate authorities in states and Union Territories respectively.</p>.<p>The proposed insurance cover for surrogate mother has now been increased to 36 months from 16 months provided in the earlier version.</p>.<p>While commercial surrogacy will be prohibited including sale and purchase of human embryo and gametes, ethical surrogacy to lndian married couples, Indian-origin married couples and Indian single woman (only widow or divorcee between the age of 35 and 45 years) will be allowed on fulfilment of certain conditions, official sources said. </p>
<p>The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020, which allows any "willing" woman to be a surrogate mother and proposes that widows and divorced women can also benefit from its provisions, besides infertile Indian couples.</p>.<p>The bill incorporates all recommendations made by a Rajya Sabha select committee, which studied an earlier version of the draft legislation, and is aimed at banning commercial surrogacy and allowing altruistic surrogacy, Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters.</p>.<p>His Cabinet colleague Smriti Irani said the bill proposes that only Indian couples, with both partners being of Indian origins, can opt for surrogacy in the country.</p>.<p>She asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led from the front with a liberal view on the issues of reproductive rights of women, be it medical termination of pregnancy, the Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation Bill or the surrogacy bill.</p>.<p>The amended bill is reformed version of the draft legislation which was passed by Lok Sabha in August 2019 but its provisions, including that only a close relative of a couple can be a surrogate mother, had invited criticism.</p>.<p>The government then agreed to send the bill to a Rajya Sabha select committee, which is headed by BJP MP Bhupender Yadav, for holding wide consultations with various stakeholders and making recommendations.</p>.<p>The amended bill is likely to be tabled in the second half of the Budget Session beginning next month.</p>.<p>The bill also proposes to regulate surrogacy by establishing National Surrogacy Board at the central level and, State Surrogacy Board and appropriate authorities in states and Union Territories respectively.</p>.<p>The proposed insurance cover for surrogate mother has now been increased to 36 months from 16 months provided in the earlier version.</p>.<p>While commercial surrogacy will be prohibited including sale and purchase of human embryo and gametes, ethical surrogacy to lndian married couples, Indian-origin married couples and Indian single woman (only widow or divorcee between the age of 35 and 45 years) will be allowed on fulfilment of certain conditions, official sources said. </p>