INFORMAL CHILD ADOPTION AMONG THE NYISHI OF KRA DAADI DISTRICT, ARUNACHAL PRADESH: LEGAL INVISIBILITY, GENDER AND IDENTITY

Informal child-care and child-placement practices among Nyishi families in Kra Daadi District of Arunachal Pradesh reveal a complex interface between customary practices, formal adoption law, gender norms, and children’s legal and social identities. This study examines how children are received and raised within families without formal adoption orders and explores the legal and child-rights concerns arising from the limited formal recognition and documentation of such practices, as well as geographical distance from formal adoption institutions. The study adopts a doctrinal and empirical socio-legal methodology. The doctrinal component examines the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Adoption Regulations, 2022, and the constitutional framework applicable to Arunachal Pradesh, including Article 371H. The empirical component is based on fieldwork conducted in August 2026 across nine Circles of Kra Daadi District—Palin, Chambang, Yangte, Gangte, Tarak Langdi, Tali, Paye, Nyorik, and Pip Sorang—with 66 respondents selected through purposive and snowball sampling. The findings indicate that informal child placement takes place largely through kinship and community networks, contacts with persons associated with local health and community networks, and other informal channels, while access to specialised adoption institutions remains limited. The study also identifies gendered dimensions of such arrangements, particularly in relation to the reception of girl and boy children and questions concerning clan affiliation, lineage, inheritance, and community identity. In remote areas, geographical inaccessibility further compounds these challenges. The study finds that the gap between customary child-care and placement practices and formal legal mechanisms may create vulnerabilities concerning children’s legal identity, family status, inheritance, and access to institutional protection. It therefore proposes a locally accessible, child-centred facilitation mechanism within the existing statutory framework, involving the Child Welfare Committee, District Child Protection Unit, district administration, and appropriate community-level institutions, while ensuring that the best interests and rights of the child remain paramount.