(1) The Authority shall perform the following functions, in addition to the functions specified in sub-section (1) of section 68 of the Act, namely:
(i) receive applications of a non-resident Indian or overseas citizen of India or a foreigner living abroad through authorised adoption agency or Central Authority or the Government Department concerned or an Indian Diplomatic Mission and process the same in terms of sub-section (5) of section 59 of the Act;
(ii) receive and process applications received from a foreigner or an overseas citizen of India residing in India for one year or more, and who is interested in adopting a child from India in terms of sub-section (12) of section 59 of the Act;
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(iii) issue no-objection certificate in all cases of inter-country adoptions;
(iv) issue conformity certificate in the inter-country adoption cases under Article 23 of the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of inter-country adoption;
(v) intimate the immigration authorities of India and the receiving country of the child about the inter- country adoption cases;
(vi) maintain Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System for transparency in the adoption system;
(vii) provide support and guidance to State Adoption Resource Agencies, District Child Protection Units, Specialised Adoption Agencies and other stakeholders of adoption and related matters, through trainings, workshops, exposure visits, consultations, conferences, seminars and other capacity building programmes;
(viii) coordinate with Governments and the State Adoption Resource Agencies and advise them in adoption related matters;
(ix) establish uniform standards and indicators, relating to-
(a) adoption procedure related to orphan, abandoned and surrendered children and also related to relative adoptions;
(b) quality child care standards in specialised adoption agencies and child care institutions;
(c) monitoring and supervision of service providers;
(d) standardisation of documents in cases of adoptions;
(e) safeguards and ethical practices including online applications for facilitating hassle-free adoptions.
(x) conduct research, documentation and publication on adoption related matters;
(xi) maintain a comprehensive centralised database relating to children and prospective adoptive parents for the purpose of adoption in Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System;
(xii) maintain a confidential centralised database relating to children placed in adoption and adoptive parents in the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System;
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(xiii) carry out advocacy, awareness and information, education, and communication activities for promoting adoption either by itself or through its associated Bodies;
(xiv) enter into bilateral agreements with foreign Central Authorities, wherever necessary under the Hague Adoption Convention;
and
(xv) authorise foreign adoption agencies to process applications of non-resident Indians or overseas citizen of India or foreign prospective adoptive parents for inter-country adoption of Indian children.