Official guidance, Tamil Nadu land law
Circular No. 1261/C1/2025, Adoption Deed Instructions, 3 July 2026
The Office of the Inspector General of Registration, Registration Department, issued Circular No. 1261/C1/2025 on 3 July 2026 to regulate the registration of adoption deeds in Tamil Nadu. It directs registering officers to register only adoptions completed under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, or through the process under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and to refuse deeds that do not meet these requirements.
Purpose
Circular No. 1261/C1/2025, issued by the Office of the Inspector General of Registration, Registration Department, on 3 July 2026, gives instructions for scrutinising adoption deeds before registration. The instructions follow an order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court in W.P.(MD) No.18174 of 2018, pronounced on 12 November 2024.
The Madras High Court directed the Inspector General of Registration to restrain registering officers from registering adoption deeds executed without following the mandatory provisions of the applicable enactments, irrespective of the religion of the persons involved.
Who is affected
Circular No. 1261/C1/2025 affects persons presenting an adoption deed for registration and the registering officers who examine the deed. It also assigns supervisory responsibility to District Registrars and Deputy Inspectors General of Registration.
The instructions apply to adoption deeds presented by persons of any religion. Registration depends on whether the adoption followed the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, or the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 framework.
Key registration requirements
The Office of the Inspector General of Registration sets out the following requirements:
- An adoption legally completed under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 does not need to proceed through the Child Welfare Committee, Central Adoption Resource Authority, or the Juvenile Justice framework.
- An adoption not made under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 must follow the process under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
- For such other adoptions, the required route is through the Child Welfare Committee, Central Adoption Resource Authority, or the Juvenile Justice framework.
- Adoption deeds cannot be registered under other personal laws outside these permitted routes.
- Registering officers must carefully scrutinise adoption deeds and verify the details before registration.
- A registering officer must refuse an adoption deed that does not comply with these requirements.
Compliance and supervision
Circular No. 1261/C1/2025 directs all registering officers to follow the instructions strictly. District Registrars and Deputy Inspectors General of Registration must supervise compliance by registering authorities. All officers in the registration hierarchy are also required to acknowledge receipt of the circular.
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Common questions
Can an adoption completed under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 be registered without going through the Child Welfare Committee?
Yes. The circular states that an adoption legally finalised under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 does not need to go through the Child Welfare Committee, Central Adoption Resource Authority, or the Juvenile Justice framework.
What process applies when the adoption is not under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956?
The adoption must follow the process prescribed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, through the Child Welfare Committee, Central Adoption Resource Authority, or the Juvenile Justice framework.
Can a Sub Registrar refuse to register an adoption deed?
Yes. Circular No. 1261/C1/2025 directs registering officers to refuse an adoption deed that violates the stated requirements.
Do these adoption deed checks apply regardless of religion?
Yes. The Madras High Court directed that adoption deeds must not be registered without compliance with the applicable enactments, irrespective of the religion of the persons executing them.
