Bollywood producer-director Karan Johar became the single parent to twins, a boy and a girl, through surrogacy on February 7, 2017. The twins, Yash and Roohi, were born at Masrani hospital. In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) specialist Dr. Jatin Shah, who runs a clinic on Grant Road, Mumbai carried out the procedure.
Incidentally, Bollywood actor Tusshar Kapoor also became a single parent in June, 2016, through in-vitro fertilisation and surrogacy. In June 2013, actor Shah Rukh Khan’s third child was born with the help of a surrogate mother at the same hospital. In case of both Karan Johar and Tusshar Kapoor, while the sperm came from them, the eggs belonged to a donor.
What is Surrogacy and Surrogate Mother?
Surrogacy is when another woman carries and gives birth to a baby for the couple who want to have a child. Surrogacy can be of two types: full and partial.
Full Surrogacy
Also known as 'Host' or 'Gestational', full surrogacy is when an embryo is planted in the womb of a surrogate mother. The embryo can be created by any of the following methods:
- The eggs and the sperms both belong to the intended parents.
- A donated egg is fertilised with the sperm of the intended father.
- When the embryo is created by using both donor eggs and sperms.
- As per the draft bill, commercial surrogacy is banned. Any payment to a woman opting to be a surrogate mother is prohibited.
- Surrogacy for singles, foreigners and persons of Indian origin is also banned as per the new proposed bill.
- Only a blood relative aged 25 to 35 years can become a surrogate.
- The woman opting to become a surrogate mother should be married and with a child of her own.
- The draft Bill also bans egg donation.
- In other words, surrogacy will be allowed only in an altruistic form and there will be no monetary benefits for the surrogate mother.
