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Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational - UPSC Social Issues
What is Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational in UPSC Social Issues?
Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational is a key topic under Social Issues for UPSC Civil Services Examination. Key points include: Surrogacy involves a woman carrying a pregnancy for intended parents.. <strong>Traditional Surrogacy:</strong> Surrogate is biological mother (her egg + intended father's sperm).. <strong>Gestational Surrogacy:</strong> Surrogate has no biological link (embryo from intended parents/donors implanted).. Understanding this topic is essential for both UPSC Prelims and Mains preparation.
Why is Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational important for UPSC exam?
Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational is a Medium-level topic in UPSC Social Issues. It is tested in both Prelims (factual MCQs) and Mains (analytical answer writing). Previous year UPSC questions have frequently covered aspects of Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational, making it essential for comprehensive IAS preparation.
How to prepare Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational for UPSC?
To prepare Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational for UPSC: (1) Study the comprehensive notes covering all key concepts on Vaidra. (2) Practice previous year questions on this topic. (3) Connect it with current affairs using daily updates. (4) Revise using key takeaways and mind maps available for Social Issues. (5) Write practice answers linking Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational to related GS Paper topics.
Key takeaways of Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational for UPSC
- Surrogacy involves a woman carrying a pregnancy for intended parents.
- <strong>Traditional Surrogacy:</strong> Surrogate is biological mother (her egg + intended father's sperm).
- <strong>Gestational Surrogacy:</strong> Surrogate has no biological link (embryo from intended parents/donors implanted).
- Gestational surrogacy is medically more common and legally preferred due to fewer genetic complexities.
- India's <strong>Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021</strong> permits only <strong>altruistic gestational surrogacy</strong> for eligible Indian couples/single women, banning commercial surrogacy.
Surrogacy: Types - Traditional and Gestational
Medium⏱️ 8 min read
social issues
📖 Introduction
Understanding Surrogacy Types
Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman (the surrogate mother) carries a pregnancy for another individual or couple (the intended parents). This medical procedure allows individuals or couples who cannot carry a pregnancy to term to have children.
There are primarily two distinct types of surrogacy, each with different biological and legal implications. Understanding these differences is crucial, especially in the context of evolving legal frameworks like India's Surrogacy (Regulation) Act.
Traditional Surrogacy
Traditional surrogacy is a method where the surrogate mother is also the biological mother of the child. This process involves the use of the intended father’s sperm to fertilise the surrogate’s own egg.
In traditional surrogacy, conception typically occurs through artificial insemination. The surrogate mother contributes her genetic material, making her the biological mother of the child.
The surrogate carries the pregnancy to term and gives birth to the baby. Consequently, the child born through traditional surrogacy is biologically related to the surrogate mother and the intended father.
Key Point: Due to the surrogate's genetic link, traditional surrogacy often raises more complex ethical, emotional, and legal challenges regarding parental rights.
Gestational Surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy is the more common and legally preferred form of surrogacy today. In this method, the baby is not biologically related to the surrogate mother.
An embryo is created through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) using the intended father’s sperm (or donor sperm) and the biological mother’s egg (or donor egg). This embryo is then implanted into the surrogate’s uterus.
The gestational surrogate carries the pregnancy to term, but she has no genetic connection to the child. Her role is solely to gestate the embryo and give birth.
UPSC Insight: The distinction between traditional and gestational surrogacy is fundamental for questions on reproductive technologies, bioethics, and social issues in GS Paper I and GS Paper II.
💡 Key Takeaways
- •Surrogacy involves a woman carrying a pregnancy for intended parents.
- •<strong>Traditional Surrogacy:</strong> Surrogate is biological mother (her egg + intended father's sperm).
- •<strong>Gestational Surrogacy:</strong> Surrogate has no biological link (embryo from intended parents/donors implanted).
- •Gestational surrogacy is medically more common and legally preferred due to fewer genetic complexities.
- •India's <strong>Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021</strong> permits only <strong>altruistic gestational surrogacy</strong> for eligible Indian couples/single women, banning commercial surrogacy.
🧠 Memory Techniques
98% Verified Content
📚 Reference Sources
•The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, Government of India
•Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, Government of India
•NCERT Sociology Textbooks (for social implications)
•Medical and Legal journals on Assisted Reproductive Technologies