NEW DELHI: Even as the Missionaries of Charity seek de-recognition for 13 of its 16 homes, the government said children will be moved out of the institutions if the charity did not comply by its guidelines. The Centre however is keen to hold consultation to convince the missionaries.

The organisation founded by Mother Teresa and known for its charitable work have opposed the new adoption guidelines that allow single parents to adopt. While separated or divorced parents were eligible to adopt earlier as well, the new guidelines have made registration of prospective parents with the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) mandatory and applications can be tracked online. The issue came to the fore after CARA found two cases of rejection by the Missionaries because of the prospective parents' single status.

CARA chairperson Stuti Kacker said that in case they do not agree, the children will be transferred out to another children's home to be put up for adoption. "Adoptions can only happen through a registered childrens' home. If they refuse to be licensed according to the rules of land, we will be left with no choice but to transfer children out to another registered agency to facilitate the adoptions," she said.

Women and child development (WCD) ministry sources said they would write to the Missionaries of Charity and ask them to reconsider their decision. "The organisation is doing a lot of good work. It is a pity that they have taken this stand. We will try and convince them to understand the modern context where being divorced or separated does not mean you are a bad person or a bad caregiver," a senior official said.

On Thursday WCD minister Maneka Gandhi said that the organization would now have to follow the "secular agenda. "

"Till now the Mother Teresa's (Foundation) orphanages had their own agenda and now when they have to come under a unified secular agenda they are refusing it. They have decided not to follow the guidelines," the minister said.

The country has only about 411 adoption agencies on CARA's list with a little over 800 available children whereas around 9,000 parents are waiting to adopt a child.