The right to adopt a child – till now restricted to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains – now extends to Muslims, Christians, Jews, Parsis and all other communities.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that any person can adopt a child under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 irrespective of the religion he or she follows and even if the personal laws of the particular religion does not permit it.

“Till now Muslims, Christians, Jews and those from the Parsi community only had the power of guardianship in which one possess only legal right on the child till he or she turns an adult. The biological parents have a right to intervene during that period. Adoption makes one natural parents and the child also gets all rights akin to a naturally born child and even inherit property,” said senior lawyer Colin Gonsalves who represented social activist Shabnam Hashmi, the petitioner in the case.

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