New medical textbooks label 'lesbianism' and 'sodomy' as unnatural sex offences; redefine virginity and hymen's importance
New Delhi; The National Medical Commission has reintroduced 'sodomy and lesbianism' as unnatural sexual offences in the forensic medicine and toxicology curriculum for undergraduate medical students.
The curriculum has also brought back topics such as importance of hymen, definition of virginity and defloration, and its legitimacy and medico-legal importance, which had been done away with in 2022 when the module was modified in accordance with the directions of the Madras High Court.
The revised curriculum under forensic medicine and toxicology also includes "Describe legal competencies including Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA)" besides "Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), Civil and Criminal Cases, Inquest (Police Inquest and Magistrate's Inquest), cognisable and Non-cognisable offences".
It talks about discussing sexual perversions, fetishism, transvestism, voyeurism, sadism, necrophagia, masochism, exhibitionism, frotteurism, and necrophilia.
The revised curriculum, does away with the distinction between consensual sex between queer individuals, adultery and offences such as incest and bestiality, which the NMC had introduced in 2022 to make the education more friendly to LGBTQ+ community.
The revised curriculum no longer includes the seven-hour training on disability.
New MBBS curriculum fails to protect rights of disabled, LGBTQ+, says activists.
At the end of teaching-learning in forensic medicine and toxicology, the student should be able to understand the medico-legal framework of medical practice, codes of conduct, medical ethics, professional misconduct and medical negligence, conducting medico-legal examination and documentation of various medico-legal cases and understand latest Acts and laws related to medical professional including related court judgements, the NMC said in its document.
"It was time to have a relook at all aspects of the various components in the existing regulations and guidelines, and adapt them to the changing demography, socio-economic context, perceptions, values, advancements in medical education and expectations of stakeholders," the NMC said in its Competency-Based Medical Education Curriculum (CBME) Guidelines, 2024.
It said that the result is a curriculum focused on outcomes that aligns with global trends. It emphasizes both horizontal and vertical integration of subjects, while still valuing the strengths and need for subject-specific instruction and assessment.
The undergraduate medical education program is designed to produce an "Indian Medical Graduate" (IMG) who possesses the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and responsiveness to function effectively and appropriately as a primary care physician in the community, while also maintaining global relevance.
To achieve this, the document prescribes the following national and institutional goals for learners in the Indian Medical Graduate training program:
The first contact physician should be skilled in performing the duties of a primary care physician and should have the requisite abilities for promotive, preventive, rehabilitative, palliative care, and referral services.
The changes in the curriculum have been uploaded on the NMC website.
