<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD JATS (Z39.96) Journal Publishing DTD v1.2 20190208//EN"
  "https://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.2/JATS-journalpublishing1.dtd">
<article xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
         xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
         article-type="research-article"
         dtd-version="1.2">

  <!-- ============================================================ FRONT -->
  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IJLTEMAS</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>International Journal of Latest Technology in Engineering, Management &amp; Applied Science (IJLTEMAS)</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">IJLTEMAS</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2278-2540</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>IJLTEMAS</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <!-- IDs -->
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">271</article-id>
            <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150800077</article-id>
      
      <!-- Categories -->
            <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Analysis</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      
      <!-- Title -->
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Psycho-Legal and Post-Delivery Rights of Surrogates: A Legal Analysis</article-title>
      </title-group>

      <!-- Authors -->
      <contrib-group>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>Chandak</surname>
            <given-names>Anshu</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur                        <country>India</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
              </contrib-group>

      <!-- Volume / Issue / Pages -->
            <volume>15</volume>
                  <issue>8</issue>
                        <fpage>1064</fpage>
            <lpage>1074</lpage>
            
      <!-- Dates -->
      <history>
                <date date-type="received">
          <day>27</day>
          <month>08</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
                        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>01</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
              </history>

            <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>16</day>
        <month>09</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      
      <!-- DOI Self-URI -->
            <self-uri xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150800077"/>
      
      <!-- Keywords -->
            <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
                <kwd>Surrogacy</kwd>
                <kwd>Reproductive autonomy</kwd>
                <kwd>Psycho-logical wellbeing</kwd>
                <kwd>Human rights.</kwd>
              </kwd-group>
      
    </article-meta>
  </front>

  <!-- ============================================================ BODY (Abstract) -->
  <body>
        <sec>
      <title>Abstract</title>
      <p>Infertility is a pivotal issue in our society which affects both health and well-being of a person suffering it. The advancements in science and technology have made it possible for the infertile couples to enjoy family life with children with the help of surrogates. Surrogacy, as an arrangement has been widely practiced across the globe. It has landed with several legal, moral, ethical and social issues as it interferes with natural process of reproduction and makes the entire process of procreation a contractual and transactional process. Where current legal models are predominantly concerned with establishing parentage and the rights of intended parents, surrogate’s psycho-legal and post-partum rights remain under theorized, and inadequately protected. It raises intersections between reproductive autonomy, contract law, human rights and psychological wellbeing of surrogates, intending parents and the child involved. The intended parents have dominating role in the legal framework but the post-delivery rights of surrogates need to be addressed. This paper explores psycho-legal dimension of surrogacy focussing on post-delivery rights of surrogates. From a legal standpoint, surrogacy regimes predominantly treats the surrogate’s consent as irrevocable once the child is born, thereby privileging contractual certainty and child stability over the surrogate’s post-delivery autonomy and wellbeing. This approach reflects a narrow contractual paradigm that inadequately accounts for embodied reproductive labour and its psychological consequences. By integrating insights from feminist legal theory, relational autonomy, and international human rights law—particularly the rights to health, dignity, and bodily integrity—this study argues for a re-conceptualisation of surrogates’ rights beyond delivery. A legal analysis on human rights norms, international comparative law, psychological research is being held to reveal systemic gaps in protection of surrogates, and rights of surrogates post-delivery. This paper proposes framework to reconcile autonomy, contractual and parental claims, and psychological wellbeing while advancing concrete legal reforms.</p>
    </sec>
      </body>

  <!-- ============================================================ BACK (References) -->
    <back>
    <ref-list>
      <title>References</title>
            <ref id="ref1">
        <label>1</label>
        <mixed-citation>Parashar, Varalika, et.al., “Surrogacy in India: Constitutional challenges, ethical concerns, and comparative legal perspectives”, JOURNAL OF INFORMATICS EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, Vol. 5, No.4, 2025.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref2">
        <label>2</label>
        <mixed-citation>Uma, “Surrogacy in India: An Indian legal perspective on intended parents and surrogate mothers”,       INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW, POLICY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2025.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref3">
        <label>3</label>
        <mixed-citation>Sharma, Ashok, THE LAW AND BIOETHICS OF SURROGACY ARRANGEMENTS DISCERNING THE RIGHTS OF SURROGATE SUCKLING, 1st ed. 2024.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref4">
        <label>4</label>
        <mixed-citation>Nikke, et.al., “Judicial contestation of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021: Navigating Constitutional rights in Indian courts”, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAW REVIEW, Vol. 4, No. 3,  2025.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref5">
        <label>5</label>
        <mixed-citation>ICMR (2005).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref6">
        <label>6</label>
        <mixed-citation>Banga, Anjali, “Surrogacy in India: Legal framework and mental health implications”, INDIAN JOURNAL  OF LAW AND LEGAL RESEARCH, Vol.7, No.3, 2025.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref7">
        <label>7</label>
        <mixed-citation>Supra N.2.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref8">
        <label>8</label>
        <mixed-citation>Bashiri, A., “Surrogacy: An important pathway to parenthood. A call for international standardization”,    JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Vol. 163, 2024.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref9">
        <label>9</label>
        <mixed-citation>Winston, Robert., et.al., “The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children”, LONDON JOURNAL OF PRIMARY CARE, Vol. 8, No.1, 2016.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref10">
        <label>10</label>
        <mixed-citation>Carter, C. Sue., “Oxytocin and love: Myths, metaphors and mysteries”, COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2021.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref11">
        <label>11</label>
        <mixed-citation>Arvindsson, Anna., et.al., “Surrogate mother- praiseworthy or stigmatized: a qualitative study on perceptions of Surrogacy in Assam, India”, GLOBAL HEALTH ACTION, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2017.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref12">
        <label>12</label>
        <mixed-citation>Section 10 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref13">
        <label>13</label>
        <mixed-citation>Graham, Patricia. “Ethics and Commercial Surrogacy: A Review”, BIOETHICS JOURNAL, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2019.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref14">
        <label>14</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ishikawa, K. “Surrogacy Regulations: Lessons from the UK and US”, COMPARITIVE LAW JOURNAL, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2021.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref15">
        <label>15</label>
        <mixed-citation>Article 14 of The Constitution of India.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref16">
        <label>16</label>
        <mixed-citation>Article 21 of The Constitution of India.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref17">
        <label>17</label>
        <mixed-citation>1999 (3) A.P.L.J. 127.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref18">
        <label>18</label>
        <mixed-citation>(2009) 9 SCC 1.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref19">
        <label>19</label>
        <mixed-citation>2017 10 SCC 1.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref20">
        <label>20</label>
        <mixed-citation>Article 23 of The Constitution of India.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref21">
        <label>21</label>
        <mixed-citation>Article 12 of The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref22">
        <label>22</label>
        <mixed-citation>Article 12 of The Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref23">
        <label>23</label>
        <mixed-citation>Article 7 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref24">
        <label>24</label>
        <mixed-citation>2025 INSC 1209.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref25">
        <label>25</label>
        <mixed-citation>Supra N. 3.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref26">
        <label>26</label>
        <mixed-citation>Julie, Moldenhauer, “Overview of post-partum care” , MSD MANUAL, February 01, 2025,  https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/postpartum-care/overview-of-postpartum-care, (visited on February 8, 2026).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref27">
        <label>27</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ibid.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref28">
        <label>28</label>
        <mixed-citation>Harleen Kaur, LAWS AND POLICIES ON SURROGACY COMPARITIVE INSIGHTS FROM INDIA,1st ed. 2021.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref29">
        <label>29</label>
        <mixed-citation>Charlotte Kilcar, “What is a parental order in Surrogacy?”, RWK GOODMAN, May 27, 2025, https://www.rwkgoodman.com/info-hub/what-is-a-parental-order-in-surrogacy/, (visited on February 9, 2026).</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref30">
        <label>30</label>
        <mixed-citation>Martinez-Lopez JA, et.al., “Surrogacy in the United States: analysis of sociodemographic profiles and motivations of surrogates”, REPRODUCTION BIOMED ONLINE, Vol. 49, No. 4, 2024.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref31">
        <label>31</label>
        <mixed-citation>Fantus Sophia, “A report on the supports and barriers of Surrogacy in Canada”, JOURNAL OF      OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Vol. 42, No. 6, 2020.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref32">
        <label>32</label>
        <mixed-citation>Lamba, N., et.al., “The psychological well-being and prenatal bonding of gestational surrogates”, HUMAN REPRODUCTION, Vol. 33, No. 4, 2018.</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
          </ref-list>
  </back>
  
</article>
