<span style="color: #222222;">The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill 2018 was introduced in the Lok Sabha today by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bill seeks to empower district magistrates to pass orders for adoption of children to reduce the time taken for issuing such directions. It will ensure timely processing of adoption cases and provide orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children with familial care and protection. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bill also provides for transferring of all the proceedings pending before any court relating to adoption orders under certain provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act to the district magistrate having jurisdiction over the concerned area. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Currently, there is an inordinate delay in issuing adoption orders by the courts due to heavy work load. As of July 20 this year, as many as 629 cases relating to passing of adoption orders are pending in various courts.</span><br />