India is foremost in surrogacy because of the low cost treatment and ready availability of women opting to be surrogate for childless foreigners. By some estimates Surrogacy in India is already $ 445 million business. In India Surrogacy costs about $ 12,000 compared to US where it is $70,000. Moreover laws in US and UK do not allow the surrogate woman to charge the childless couple; whereas in India there are no laws preventing a surrogate woman in accepting compensation for renting her womb. Dr. Nayna Patel, medical Director, Akanksha clinic in Anand, Gujarat receives 40-50 requests per month from couples from world over and She says that the childless couples offer Rs.3, 00,000 to Rs.4,00, 000 and sometimes even funds for education to the surrogate woman and there should be laws in India protecting not just the couple but also the woman opting to be surrogate keeping in mind the economic compensation and help that it offers to not just the illiterate women but also their families in India.

Rizvi Law College, Mumbai had organized a National Moot Court competition at their college premises which was held from 22nd to 24th Aug’08. Around 100 best Law Schools and Colleges from all over India were invited, among whom 24 colleges were selected to participate. School of Excellence, Chennai won the national Moot court competition, whereas National University of Judicial Science, Kolkatta received the runner up trophy. Each team had 3 members. When asked about their opinion on whether surrogacy should be allowed in India, both the finalists teams said yes it should be and Ms. Rohini Ravi Kumar, who is 22 years old final law student from School of Excellence, Chennai and 23 years old Mr.Anubhav Mehta from National University of Judicial Science, Kolkatta agreed that there should be surrogacy laws to protect the interest of not just the genetic parents and the surrogate mother but also the child who would be legally a citizen of India.

Mr.Apurva Agarwal, Partner Universal legal and Director, Legal Awareness, Rotary Club of Mumbai Nariman Point said that India is attracting lot of foreign couples because of low cost of treatment and easy availability of the women for surrogacy. Surrogacy has been a debatable issue in India and to further the cause of requisite laws for it, we organized the national moot court; as sooner or later we need to have the laws in place to protect the Indian surrogate women and also the foreigners who come here for treatment.

According to Principal of Rizvi Law College - Mrs. Daisy Alexander, “The aim of organizing a national Moot Court competition was to improve the oral advocacy skills of students and to give them a platform to showcase their training for proper and successful acting in court and their intellectual flexibility thereby preparing them for the real experience. We received over 100 entries pan India which was a very good response.”

The panel of judges for the finals comprised of Honorable Justice Mr. Bilal Nazki, High Court Judge, Honorable Justice Mr. Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, High Court judge. The Judges spoke to the students during the award ceremony and coax them to always give their best in the real court rooms.

Moot Court is a simulated trial or appellate-level legal argument made before a judge or panel of judges. Participants in a Moot Court competition present oral and written arguments about a legal question. Usually written arguments are submitted prior to the oral arguments, just as a written brief would be submitted to a court prior to the court hearing the matter. Participants are judged on both their oral and written arguments.

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