For the very first time in India, Hyderabad passport officials have
issued a passport to an Non Resident Indian (NRI) couple’s surrogate
baby
Till
now, the passport guidelines did not include babies born out of
surrogacy and there was a mandate for a biological declaration by the
father of the baby to get a passport. This is the very first time that
even surrogate babies have been given the facility of getting passports
issued on their names.
In two similar
cases last year, one involving a US-based Hyderabadi couple and another
involving a Jamaican and American couple, who wanted surrogate babies
born to Indian women
The
Jamaican woman, who approached the Jamaican consulate in Delhi, was
directed to the passport officer in Hyderabad. Finally, an identity
certificate to the newborn surrogate baby, with a verification report,
was submitted by the Hyderabad police and the woman was able to go home
with her son.
“After encountering
such a rare case, the Regional Passport Officer wrote to the ministry of
external affairs seeking guidelines for such cases. But so far no such
guidelines have been received,” an official said.
One
issue that still needs to be addressed pertains to the name to be
mentioned on the surrogate baby’s passport. Should it be the biological
mother’s name, or should surrogacy be mentioned?
