In trying to “regulate the practice and process” of surrogacy through the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019, the imagination of a “family” is limited to strict heteronormative, patriarchal definitions. This definition excludes the never married, the widowed, the divorced, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer couples and numerous other classes of people who do not seem to fit within the rigid patriarchal norms outlined in this bill. Such exclusion is in the teeth of established jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and an affront to constitutional values
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About the Author
Alok Prasanna Kumar is Co-Founder and Lead, Vidhi Karnataka. His areas of research include judicial reforms, Constitutional law, urban development, and law and technology. He graduated with a B.A. LL.B. (Hons) from the NALSAR University in 2008 and obtained the BCL from the University of Oxford in 2009. He writes a monthly column for the Economic and Political Weekly and has published in the Indian Journal of Constitutional Law and National Law School of India Review apart from media outlets such as The Hindu, Indian Express, Scroll, Quint and Caravan. He has practiced in the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court from the chambers of Mr Mohan Parasaran, and currently also co-hosts the Ganatantra podcast on IVM Podcasts.