Uttar Pradesh officials are lauding the state's Mission Shakti Programme as more and more girls are now being adopted by childless couples from other countries. According to a government spokesman, orphan girls are being adopted by foreign couples from countries like Belgium, Spain, Italy, Canada, France and Malta. This trend shines as a beacon of hope for many young lives, as this reflects a positive sign of changing mindsets.

Adoption booms under the umbrella of Mission Shakti in UP

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In 2019, 67 children were adopted by foreigners, out of which 45 were girls. However, in 2020, the number of domestic adoption soared to 131 despite the raging pandemic, which included 88 girls. Foreigners adopted 22 girls out of a total of 35 children adopted from January 1, 2020 to November 22, 2020, an official stated. As many as 456 girls have been adopted by domestic and foreign couples in the past two years.

"The children are mostly below the age of six, though sometimes, they are around 8-9 years old too. In October alone, a girl was adopted by a US couple. Another girl will be leaving for Spain on November 25. Specialized adoption agency does the follow-up at regular interval." said Sangeeta Sharma, a member of the Child Welfare Committee.

Mission Shakti was launched in October, aiming at the safety, dignity and the empowerment of women and girls. However, the government spokesperson has also added that the initiatives of the Mission Shakti campaign, have intensified with emphasis on children's rights, female foeticide, sexual crimes against girls and also adoption of orphaned girls.

-With inputs from IANS