India’s medical education regulator, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has revised its guidelines for the forensic medicine curriculum after receiving widespread backlash for reintroducing regressive content. The changes, initially introduced on September 3, have now been removed, and a revised version was issued on September 12, 2024.
The Controversy Behind the Initial Guidelines
The earlier guidelines had triggered outrage for categorizing sodomy and lesbianism as “unnatural sexual offences,” equating them with crimes such as incest and bestiality. In addition, the curriculum reintroduced outdated topics like the importance of the hymen, definitions of virginity, and defloration — topics that had been removed in 2022 to align with modern legal and medical perspectives.
The guidelines also presented transvestism (cross-dressing) as a sexual perversion, and lumped a range of different sexual behaviors, including voyeurism and necrophilia, under a single category of “sexual perversion.” Disability rights activists were also angered by changes that minimized mandatory training on disability issues, which was significantly reduced from seven hours to two weeks.
Revised Curriculum After Public Outcry
The NMC responded quickly to the backlash, withdrawing the controversial version on September 5, stating that revisions would be made. The revised version, released on September 12, made the following changes:
– Removed the classification of sodomy and lesbianism as “unnatural sexual offences.”
– Excluded topics such as the hymen, virginity, and defloration from the curriculum.
– Introduced the teaching of informed consent, gender-based identities, and the history of decriminalization of consensual homosexual relations.
– Replaced the term “sexual perversion” with “paraphilias” and “paraphilic disorders,” focusing on unusual sexual behaviors and fantasies rather than stigmatizing diverse sexual orientations.
The curriculum now also emphasizes that outdated tests such as the “two-finger test” for virginity are unscientific and discriminatory.
Unintentional Error or Deliberate Reintroduction?
Although the NMC has not officially provided a reason for the initial reintroduction of the regressive content, some officials have indicated that it might have been an unintentional error — a mix-up in preparing the document, leading to portions from the pre-2022 curriculum being mistakenly included.
The 2022 Reforms: A Progressive Move
The initial changes in 2022 were significant as they aimed to modernize medical education. Following the Madras High Court’s orders in a case involving a lesbian couple, the NMC had introduced LGBTQI+ friendly content. The reforms taught medical students about consent, gender identities, and sexual orientation. Moreover, changes to the curriculum ensured better training on understanding the unique needs of individuals living with disabilities, promoting inclusivity in medical practice.
