A Bangkok court on Tuesday granted a Japanese man &quot;sole parent&quot; rights to 13 children he fathered through Thai surrogate mothers, a ruling that paves the way for him to take custody of the group.

Mitsutoki Shigeta caused a &quot;baby factory&quot; scandal in 2014 after Thai police said DNA samples linked him to nine infants found in a Bangkok apartment, plus at least four other babies born by surrogates.

The murky case threw the spotlight on Thailand&#39;s then unregulated rent-a-womb industry, and helped push authorities to bar foreigners from paying for Thai surrogates in 2015.

Shigeta, the son of a Japanese tycoon, left the country in the wake of the scandal but later sued Thailand&#39;s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security for custody of the children.

&quot;For the happiness and opportunities which the 13 children will receive from their biological father, who does not have a history of bad behaviour, the court rules that all 13 born from surrogacy to be legal children of the plaintiff,&quot; Bangkok&#39;s Central Juvenile Court said in a statement.

Shigeta, who did not attend the trial in person, was deemed the &quot;sole parent&quot; of the children after the Thai surrogates had signed away their rights, the court said.

As he comes from a wealthy family, he has ample money and has prepared nurses and nannies to care for the children in Japan, the ruling stated.

Shigeta&#39;s lawyer said he would contact the Social Welfare Ministry, who has taken care of the children since the scandal broke in 2014, about the next steps in transferring them from state custody.

Shigeta hired the Thai surrogates before the kingdom banned the lucrative trade in 2015, following a string of scandals and custody tussles.

Surrogacy agencies quickly migrated to neighbouring Cambodia, who followed suit and barred the industry in 2016.

In recent months there have been signs the industry has shifted to Laos, an opaque communist country with no restrictions on surrogacy.&nbsp;

Some surrogacy agencies are now offering services to carry out the embryo transfer in Laos and then provide pregnancy care for the surrogate in Thailand, a wealthier country with vastly superior medical facilities.

Mitsutoki Shigeta caused a 'baby factory' scandal in 2014 after Thai police said DNA samples linked him to nine infants found in a Bangkok apartment, plus at least four other babies born by surrogates

A Bangkok court on Tuesday granted a Japanese man "sole parent" rights to 13 children he fathered through Thai surrogate mothers, a ruling that paves the way for him to take custody of the group. Mitsutoki Shigeta caused a "baby factory" scandal in 2014 after Thai police said DNA samples linked him to nine infants found in a Bangkok apartment, plus at least four other babies born by surrogates. The murky case threw the spotlight on Thailand's then unregulated rent-a-womb industry, and helped push authorities to bar foreigners from paying for Thai surrogates in 2015. Shigeta, the son of a Japanese tycoon, left the country in the wake of the scandal but later sued Thailand's Ministry of Social Development and Human Security for custody of the children. "For the happiness and opportunities which the 13 children will receive from their biological father, who does not have a history of bad behaviour, the court rules that all 13 born from surrogacy to be legal children of the plaintiff," Bangkok's Central Juvenile Court said in a statement. Shigeta, who did not attend the trial in person, was deemed the "sole parent" of the children after the Thai surrogates had signed away their rights, the court said. As he comes from a wealthy family, he has ample money and has prepared nurses and nannies to care for the children in Japan, the ruling stated. Shigeta's lawyer said he would contact the Social Welfare Ministry, who has taken care of the children since the scandal broke in 2014, about the next steps in transferring them from state custody. Shigeta hired the Thai surrogates before the kingdom banned the lucrative trade in 2015, following a string of scandals and custody tussles. Surrogacy agencies quickly migrated to neighbouring Cambodia, who followed suit and barred the industry in 2016. In recent months there have been signs the industry has shifted to Laos, an opaque communist country with no restrictions on surrogacy. Some surrogacy agencies are now offering services to carry out the embryo transfer in Laos and then provide pregnancy care for the surrogate in Thailand, a wealthier country with vastly superior medical facilities.

Japanese 'baby factory' man wins custody of 13 kids born to Thai surrogates

Women employees of the central government who have a child through surrogacy will be entitled to maternity leave, according to an official order of the personnel ministry.

They can get paid maternity leave of 26 weeks (about 180 days).

The ministry has written to all central government departments about a Delhi High Court order of 2015 on the issue.

&quot;All ministries/departments are advised to give wide publicity of its contents to the concerned officers,&quot; the personnel ministry said in its latest directive to all the ministries and enclosed a copy of the court&#39;s order with it.

The court verdict had come on a plea by a Kendriya Vidyalaya teacher who had twins through a surrogate mother but was denied maternity leave as she was not the biological mother.

&quot;A female employee, who is the commissioning mother, would be entitled to apply for maternity leave,&quot; the court had held.

Based on the material placed before it, the competent authority would decide on the timing and the period for which maternity leave ought to be granted to a commissioning mother who adopts the surrogacy route, the court said.

The scrutiny would be keener and detailed, when leave is sought by a female employee, who is the commissioning mother, at the pre-natal stage, it said.

In case maternity leave is declined at the pre-natal stage, the competent authority would pass a reasoned order having regard to the material, if any, placed before it, by the female employee, who seeks to avail maternity leave, the court order said.

In a situation where both the commissioning mother and the surrogate mother are employees, who are otherwise eligible for leave (one on the ground that she is a commissioning mother and the other on the ground that she is the pregnant women), suitable adjustment would be made by the competent authority, it said.

They will get maternity leave of 26 weeks (about 180 days)

Women employees of the central government who have a child through surrogacy will be entitled to maternity leave, according to an official order of the personnel ministry. They can get paid maternity leave of 26 weeks (about 180 days). The ministry has written to all central government departments about a Delhi High Court order of 2015 on the issue. "All ministries/departments are advised to give wide publicity of its contents to the concerned officers," the personnel ministry said in its latest directive to all the ministries and enclosed a copy of the court's order with it. The court verdict had come on a plea by a Kendriya Vidyalaya teacher who had twins through a surrogate mother but was denied maternity leave as she was not the biological mother. "A female employee, who is the commissioning mother, would be entitled to apply for maternity leave," the court had held. Based on the material placed before it, the competent authority would decide on the timing and the period for which maternity leave ought to be granted to a commissioning mother who adopts the surrogacy route, the court said. The scrutiny would be keener and detailed, when leave is sought by a female employee, who is the commissioning mother, at the pre-natal stage, it said. In case maternity leave is declined at the pre-natal stage, the competent authority would pass a reasoned order having regard to the material, if any, placed before it, by the female employee, who seeks to avail maternity leave, the court order said. In a situation where both the commissioning mother and the surrogate mother are employees, who are otherwise eligible for leave (one on the ground that she is a commissioning mother and the other on the ground that she is the pregnant women), suitable adjustment would be made by the competent authority, it said.

Women govt employees who have surrogate children to get paid maternity leave

Kim Kardashian West and her husband Kanye West have welcomed their third child, a baby girl via surrogacy. 
 
Kardashian West shared the news on her website and verified social media accounts early on Tuesday.&quot;We are incredibly grateful to our surrogate who made our dreams come true with the greatest gift one could give and to our wonderful doctors and nurses for their special care,&quot; Kardashian West wrote.

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She&#39;s here. <a href="https://t.co/oVg6se6VeQ">https://t.co/oVg6se6VeQ</a>
&mdash; Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) <a href="https://twitter.com/KimKardashian/status/953312420390408193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier in September last year, it was reported that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were &quot;excited&quot; for their third baby via a surrogate mother.As per reports, the surrogate is an African-American woman in her 20s, who is married and has two sons. 
 
She was apparently being paid 45,000 Dollars for acting as a surrogate for the Kardashian-Wests.Their baby girl is couple`s third child after daughter North and son Saint.

Kardashian West shared the news on her website and verified social media accounts early on Tuesday.

Kim Kardashian West and her husband Kanye West have welcomed their third child, a baby girl via surrogacy. Kardashian West shared the news on her website and verified social media accounts early on Tuesday."We are incredibly grateful to our surrogate who made our dreams come true with the greatest gift one could give and to our wonderful doctors and nurses for their special care," Kardashian West wrote. She's here. https://t.co/oVg6se6VeQ — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 16, 2018 × Earlier in September last year, it was reported that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were "excited" for their third baby via a surrogate mother.As per reports, the surrogate is an African-American woman in her 20s, who is married and has two sons. She was apparently being paid 45,000 Dollars for acting as a surrogate for the Kardashian-Wests.Their baby girl is couple`s third child after daughter North and son Saint.

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West welcome their third baby via surrogacy

Bollywood former beauty queen and versatile actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been approached to play a surrogate mother in&nbsp;KriArj Entertainment&#39;s upcoming film titled &quot;Jasmine&quot;.

While there has been no official confirmation whether the actress will take up the role, Prernaa Arora&#39;s production house unveiled the first poster of the film Monday.

The film poster tweeted on production house&#39;s official Twitter page was captioned:&nbsp;&quot;Expect the unexpected. Here&rsquo;s the poster of #Jasmine - the story of a leased womb. Delivering soon! #2018 @ShreeNSingh @jackkybhagnani @vashubhagnani @KuttiKalam @NChandrachud&quot;

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Expect the unexpected. Here&rsquo;s the poster of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jasmine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jasmine</a> - story of a leased womb. Delivering soon! #2018 <a href="https://twitter.com/ShreeNSingh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShreeNSingh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jackkybhagnani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jackkybhagnani</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/vashubhagnani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vashubhagnani</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KuttiKalam?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KuttiKalam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NChandrachud?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NChandrachud</a> <a href="https://t.co/YilSPKuXs5">pic.twitter.com/YilSPKuXs5</a>
&mdash; KriArj Entertainment (@kriarj) <a href="https://twitter.com/kriarj/status/950333447867789312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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According to the looks of the poster and what was previously reported, &quot;Jasmine&quot; will be the story of a&nbsp;woman based in Gujarat who doesn&#39;t want children but ends up becoming a surrogate mother for somebody else. After having the baby, the woman starts developing affection for the child and wants to get it back.&nbsp;

If Aishwarya gives her nod for the film, it will surely become one of the most challenging roles of her career.&nbsp;

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was last seen in &quot;Ae Dil Hai Mushkil&quot; alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in a romantic drama. Shah Rukh Khan also appeared in the movie in a cameo role. The movie went on to become a hit.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The actress has been approached to play the lead role and the makers are reportedly waiting for her nod

Bollywood former beauty queen and versatile actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been approached to play a surrogate mother in KriArj Entertainment's upcoming film titled "Jasmine". While there has been no official confirmation whether the actress will take up the role, Prernaa Arora's production house unveiled the first poster of the film Monday. The film poster tweeted on production house's official Twitter page was captioned: "Expect the unexpected. Here’s the poster of #Jasmine - the story of a leased womb. Delivering soon! #2018 @ShreeNSingh @jackkybhagnani @vashubhagnani @KuttiKalam @NChandrachud" Expect the unexpected. Here’s the poster of #Jasmine - story of a leased womb. Delivering soon! #2018 @ShreeNSingh @jackkybhagnani @vashubhagnani @KuttiKalam @NChandrachud pic.twitter.com/YilSPKuXs5 — KriArj Entertainment (@kriarj) January 8, 2018 × According to the looks of the poster and what was previously reported, "Jasmine" will be the story of a woman based in Gujarat who doesn't want children but ends up becoming a surrogate mother for somebody else. After having the baby, the woman starts developing affection for the child and wants to get it back. If Aishwarya gives her nod for the film, it will surely become one of the most challenging roles of her career. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was last seen in "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in a romantic drama. Shah Rukh Khan also appeared in the movie in a cameo role. The movie went on to become a hit.

Aishwarya Rai likely to star in surrogacy drama titled 'Jasmine', watch first poster

Bollywood director Karan Johar has become a father to twins --a baby boy and a girl -- who were born through surrogacy.

Karan Johar has become a single father of twins - a baby boy and girl - who were born through surrogacy and the filmmaker says he is &quot;enormously blessed&quot; to be a parent.

The ecstatic filmmaker said he was enormously blessed to be a parent, PTI reported.

&nbsp;&quot;I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash. I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science,&quot; Johar, 44, said in a statement.

Karan Johar has named his daughter Roohi and his son Yash, after his late father Yash Johar.

The &quot;Ae Dil Hai Mushkil&quot; filmmaker says he took the emotional but well thought out decision considering all the responsibilities and duties that come with being a parent.

&quot;In order to arrive at this decision, I have prepared myself mentally, physically, emotionally and logistically to ensure that my children get all the unconditional love, care and attention from me and mine. I have submitted to the fact that my children are my world and priority.&quot;

The filmmaker says he is prepared for the fact that his work, travels and social commitments will back seat now that he is a parent.

&quot;By the grace of God, I have the most caring and supportive mother who will be an integral part in the up-bringing of her grandchildren and of course, friends who are family,&quot; he says.

The filmmaker thanked the surrogate mother and says he is eternally grateful to her as she has fulfilled his &quot;lifelong dream and provided a warm, loving and nurturing environment to my children before bringing them into this world.&quot;

&quot;She will always remain in my prayers. Finally, a big thank you to Dr Jatin Shah for his guidance and support and for being like a family member through this wonderful and exciting journey,&quot; he said.

Karan Johar had earlier expressed a desire to adopt or have a surrogate child in his autobiography, &quot;An Unsuitable Boy&quot; which released in January this year.

Last year, actor Tusshar Kapoor welcomed a baby boy, who was born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy.

Karan Johar&#39;s friend, actor Shah Rukh Khan&#39;s third child, AbRam, was also born through surrogacy in 2013.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Karan Johar said he took the decision considering all the responsibilities and duties that come with being a parent

Bollywood director Karan Johar has become a father to twins --a baby boy and a girl -- who were born through surrogacy. Karan Johar has become a single father of twins - a baby boy and girl - who were born through surrogacy and the filmmaker says he is "enormously blessed" to be a parent. The ecstatic filmmaker said he was enormously blessed to be a parent, PTI reported. "I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash. I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science," Johar, 44, said in a statement. Karan Johar has named his daughter Roohi and his son Yash, after his late father Yash Johar. The "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" filmmaker says he took the emotional but well thought out decision considering all the responsibilities and duties that come with being a parent. "In order to arrive at this decision, I have prepared myself mentally, physically, emotionally and logistically to ensure that my children get all the unconditional love, care and attention from me and mine. I have submitted to the fact that my children are my world and priority." The filmmaker says he is prepared for the fact that his work, travels and social commitments will back seat now that he is a parent. "By the grace of God, I have the most caring and supportive mother who will be an integral part in the up-bringing of her grandchildren and of course, friends who are family," he says. The filmmaker thanked the surrogate mother and says he is eternally grateful to her as she has fulfilled his "lifelong dream and provided a warm, loving and nurturing environment to my children before bringing them into this world." "She will always remain in my prayers. Finally, a big thank you to Dr Jatin Shah for his guidance and support and for being like a family member through this wonderful and exciting journey," he said. Karan Johar had earlier expressed a desire to adopt or have a surrogate child in his autobiography, "An Unsuitable Boy" which released in January this year. Last year, actor Tusshar Kapoor welcomed a baby boy, who was born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy. Karan Johar's friend, actor Shah Rukh Khan's third child, AbRam, was also born through surrogacy in 2013. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Acclaimed Indian director Karan Johar welcomes twins through surrogacy

At a hostel for dozens of pregnant women, impoverished widow Sharmila Mackwan weighs up her decision to carry twins for another couple, her only ticket out of poverty, as the government moves to close India&#39;s multi-million dollar surrogacy industry. 
 
She has left her own children at an orphanage for the whole nine months of her pregnancy because her contract stipulates she has to stay at the housing facility, which is attached to the hospital she will deliver at in western Gujarat state. 
 
She also knows the Rupees 400,000 ($6,000) she will eventually earn for safely giving birth to the twins will change her family&#39;s fortunes. 
 
But authorities are planning to ban the controversial commercial practice, dubbed rent-a-womb, due to concerns women are being exploited. 
 
&quot;Surrogacy should stay as otherwise I would have never been able to save so much money even if I had slogged all my life,&quot; said Mackwan, who plans to use the money to send her sons, aged 9 and 12, to school and to build a small house. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am quite scared as I am carrying twins for the first time. But what can I do? I am just hoping God will take care of me,&quot; the 31-year-old added, as she eased into a chair at the hostel&#39;s dormitory, where some 60 women sleep in beds side by side in spacious rooms. 
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<h5>India tightened rules surrounding the industry in 2012 by barring gay couples and single people from using such services. Last November, authorities instructed surrogacy clinics to stop accepting overseas clients.</h5>
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Mackwan, who is four months&#39; pregnant, is among about 2,000 mainly poor Indian women who earn a relative fortune every year carrying babies for others.&nbsp; 
 
After opening up to surrogacy in 2002, India became a world leader in the multi-million dollar industry, with hundreds of foreign couples flocking for cheap and safe services. 
 
India tightened rules surrounding the industry in 2012 by barring gay couples and single people from using such services. Last November, authorities instructed surrogacy clinics to stop accepting overseas clients. 
 
&#39;Childless couples&nbsp;misusing wombs of poor women&#39;&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s 2,000-odd clinics charge couples between $20,000 and $30,000, a fraction of the price in the US and other Western countries, while offering modern technology, skilled doctors and a steady supply of surrogates. 
 
But Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said such services were being misused, with the proposed new law aimed at protecting the welfare of the women. 
 
&quot;Many so-called childless couples were misusing the wombs of poor women. It was a matter of great worry because there were instances where a girl child or disabled child have been abandoned soon after birth,&quot; she said. 
 
The proposed law, which still has to be passed by Parliament, sparked an outcry among couples desperate for a family, along with heated debate in India about the ethics of hiring out a women&#39;s body.&nbsp; 
 
At a busy private hospital in Gujarat&#39;s Anand town, which has become India&#39;s surrogacy capital, fertility specialist Nayana Patel warned of the dangers of banning, instead of regulating, the industry. 
 
&quot;Anything you try to ban totally will happen underground. People will find other ways and means and that would be even worse,&quot; said Patel who has helped deliver 1,124 babies over the years at Akanksha hospital. 
 
Patel also said the ban would deny scores of poor women &quot;a lifetime opportunity&quot; to financially improve their lives. 
 
&quot;She is not doing anything immoral. She is not breaking a family, she is making a family and when she is doing such a noble deed who are we to point a finger at her and say you are selling your womb,&quot; Patel told AFP. 
 
At the hostel attached to the hospital, Mackwan can rest and her diet and health are monitored to ensure a safe birth. The stay away from her hometown also offers a reprieve from the social stigma of being a surrogate.&nbsp; 
 
She concedes she is concerned about her sons in the orphanage but feels she made the right decision to carry twins for an Indian couple. 
 
&quot;My drunkard husband killed himself just before I delivered my (own) second baby. My in-laws threw me out and I had no one else to turn to,&quot; said Mackwan, who normally earns a pittance undertaking odd jobs. 
 
 
Lack of basic safeguards&nbsp; 
 
Health experts say many that choose to become surrogates lack basic safeguards, such as medical insurance if something goes wrong during pregnancy.&nbsp; 
 
There have been reports of illiterate women being pressured into signing contracts they don&#39;t understand. 
 
Sutapa B. Neogi said surrogates are often impregnated with multiple fertilised eggs to increase the chances of pregnancy. Abortions are performed if more than one pregnancy takes hold. 
 
&quot;Every abortion poses a health risk to the mother besides obviously the psychological trauma,&quot; said Neogi, an additional professor at the Delhi-based Indian Institute of Public Health. 
 
Under the new law, only married Indian couples will be allowed to opt for surrogacy and only then by using an unpaid close relative, said Swaraj. 
 
But 26-year-old surrogate Jagruti Bhoi and others at the hostel criticised the government, saying it knew little of the decisions facing poor women. 
 
&quot;It is easy for the ministers to sit in their plush offices and make decisions for us poor,&quot; Bhoi said. 
 
&quot;In our hearts, we know we are doing something that will help our families and also those sisters longing to have babies of their own.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Authorities are planning to ban the controversial commercial practice, dubbed rent-a-womb, due to concerns women are being exploited

At a hostel for dozens of pregnant women, impoverished widow Sharmila Mackwan weighs up her decision to carry twins for another couple, her only ticket out of poverty, as the government moves to close India's multi-million dollar surrogacy industry. She has left her own children at an orphanage for the whole nine months of her pregnancy because her contract stipulates she has to stay at the housing facility, which is attached to the hospital she will deliver at in western Gujarat state. She also knows the Rupees 400,000 ($6,000) she will eventually earn for safely giving birth to the twins will change her family's fortunes. But authorities are planning to ban the controversial commercial practice, dubbed rent-a-womb, due to concerns women are being exploited. "Surrogacy should stay as otherwise I would have never been able to save so much money even if I had slogged all my life," said Mackwan, who plans to use the money to send her sons, aged 9 and 12, to school and to build a small house. "I am quite scared as I am carrying twins for the first time. But what can I do? I am just hoping God will take care of me," the 31-year-old added, as she eased into a chair at the hostel's dormitory, where some 60 women sleep in beds side by side in spacious rooms. India tightened rules surrounding the industry in 2012 by barring gay couples and single people from using such services. Last November, authorities instructed surrogacy clinics to stop accepting overseas clients. Mackwan, who is four months' pregnant, is among about 2,000 mainly poor Indian women who earn a relative fortune every year carrying babies for others. After opening up to surrogacy in 2002, India became a world leader in the multi-million dollar industry, with hundreds of foreign couples flocking for cheap and safe services. India tightened rules surrounding the industry in 2012 by barring gay couples and single people from using such services. Last November, authorities instructed surrogacy clinics to stop accepting overseas clients. 'Childless couples misusing wombs of poor women' India's 2,000-odd clinics charge couples between $20,000 and $30,000, a fraction of the price in the US and other Western countries, while offering modern technology, skilled doctors and a steady supply of surrogates. But Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said such services were being misused, with the proposed new law aimed at protecting the welfare of the women. "Many so-called childless couples were misusing the wombs of poor women. It was a matter of great worry because there were instances where a girl child or disabled child have been abandoned soon after birth," she said. The proposed law, which still has to be passed by Parliament, sparked an outcry among couples desperate for a family, along with heated debate in India about the ethics of hiring out a women's body. At a busy private hospital in Gujarat's Anand town, which has become India's surrogacy capital, fertility specialist Nayana Patel warned of the dangers of banning, instead of regulating, the industry. "Anything you try to ban totally will happen underground. People will find other ways and means and that would be even worse," said Patel who has helped deliver 1,124 babies over the years at Akanksha hospital. Patel also said the ban would deny scores of poor women "a lifetime opportunity" to financially improve their lives. "She is not doing anything immoral. She is not breaking a family, she is making a family and when she is doing such a noble deed who are we to point a finger at her and say you are selling your womb," Patel told AFP. At the hostel attached to the hospital, Mackwan can rest and her diet and health are monitored to ensure a safe birth. The stay away from her hometown also offers a reprieve from the social stigma of being a surrogate. She concedes she is concerned about her sons in the orphanage but feels she made the right decision to carry twins for an Indian couple. "My drunkard husband killed himself just before I delivered my (own) second baby. My in-laws threw me out and I had no one else to turn to," said Mackwan, who normally earns a pittance undertaking odd jobs. Lack of basic safeguards Health experts say many that choose to become surrogates lack basic safeguards, such as medical insurance if something goes wrong during pregnancy. There have been reports of illiterate women being pressured into signing contracts they don't understand. Sutapa B. Neogi said surrogates are often impregnated with multiple fertilised eggs to increase the chances of pregnancy. Abortions are performed if more than one pregnancy takes hold. "Every abortion poses a health risk to the mother besides obviously the psychological trauma," said Neogi, an additional professor at the Delhi-based Indian Institute of Public Health. Under the new law, only married Indian couples will be allowed to opt for surrogacy and only then by using an unpaid close relative, said Swaraj. But 26-year-old surrogate Jagruti Bhoi and others at the hostel criticised the government, saying it knew little of the decisions facing poor women. "It is easy for the ministers to sit in their plush offices and make decisions for us poor," Bhoi said. "In our hearts, we know we are doing something that will help our families and also those sisters longing to have babies of their own." (AFP)

Proposed surrogacy ban triggers fear among India's poor

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