UP appoints nodal officer to clear ART, surrogacy pending applications

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh govt has appointed Director General, Family Welfare, Dr Pawan Kumar Arun, as nodal officer to expedite disposal of applications pending with the state under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and the Surrogacy (Regulation) framework.The decision was taken at the second meeting of the State Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Surrogacy Board, chaired by deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak in Lucknow on Wednesday.Calling surrogacy a highly sensitive issue, Pathak said all stakeholders must work in close coordination to ensure effective implementation of the regulatory framework and timely processing of applications.He said the nodal officer’s appointment would strengthen interdepartmental coordination, ensure time-bound disposal of pending cases and help track progress against prescribed timelines.Pending applications were reviewed during the meeting, and officials discussed steps to streamline the approval process.Additional chief secretary (medical, health and family welfare) Amit Kumar Ghosh, National Health Mission director Dr Pinky Jowel and other senior officials attended.