sThe Centre has ordered all state governments to inspect shelter homes run by Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, after alleged cases where babies were being sold were reported.
NDTV reported that Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi while giving the direction to state governments also said that states must ensure that all child care institutions must be registered and linked to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) within a month.
This comes a week after a nun, who worked for a unit run by the Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi, was reportedly arrested on 5 July after she sold a baby for Rs 1.25 lakh.
Hindustan Times reported that the woman was arrested after a complaint registered by the Child Welfare Committee in Ranchi.
PTI reported that the Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi is accused of selling three children and giving away one.
It is mandatory for all child care facilities to link to CARA. The PTI report says that while around 2,300 child care institutions across the country have already been linked to CARA since December 2017, there are 4,000 institutions whose registrations to CARA as still pending.