Women and Child Development Ministry has notified revised guidelines regarding adoption of children effective from the first of August this year. These 2015 guidelines will provide for more effective regulation for adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children and would bring more transparency and efficiency in the adoption system. With the new guidelines, it would be possible for Prospective Adoptive Parents to track the status of their application making the entire system more user friendly.<br/><br/>The maximum combined age for married couple has been increased from 105 years to 110 years to encourage adoption of older children. A minimum 25 years age gap between the child and adoptive parents has been prescribed under the guidelines. There is more clarity in adoption of special needs children, older children and siblings. Older children and siblings would no more be considered as special needs children. NRIs will be treated at par with resident Indians in terms of priority regarding referral of a child.