Cabinet has approved the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016. The bill seeks to prohibit commercial surrogacy and allow ethical surrogacy to needy infertile couples.<br/><br/>The government had recently admitted that in the absence of a statutory mechanism to control commissioning of surrogacy, there have been cases of pregnancies by way of surrogacy, including in rural and tribal areas, leading to possible exploitation of women by unscrupulous elements. <br/><br/>To prevent exploitation of women, especially those in rural and tribal areas, the government has prohibited foreigners from commissioning surrogacy in the country and has drafted this comprehensive legislation.<br/> <br/>Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, External affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, the bill was needed as India has emerged as a surrogacy hub for couples. She said several incidents of unethical practices have been reported. The Minister said, National Surrogacy Boards will be set up at central and the state level. <br/><br/>Mrs Swaraj said there is provision for ten years imprisonment in the bill if the couple refuses to claim the new born on any ground. Single parents, homosexual couples, live-in relationship couples will not be allowed altruistic surrogacy. <br/><br/>Nearly two thousand surrogacy clinics are functioning in different parts of the country exploiting poor women. She said only married woman with at least one child will be eligible to rent her womb for surrogacy. <br/><br/>Besides, surrogacy can not be allowed before five years of married life and woman cannot become surrogate mother for more