Medical curriculum rollback: Sodomy, virginity topics reinstated by NMC

This shift has raised concerns among activists and medical professionals, especially due to the removal of distinctions between consensual queer relationships and criminal acts like incest

The National Medical Commission (NMC), the apex body overseeing medical education in India, has revised the forensic medicine curriculum for undergraduate students, reinstating topics such as “sodomy” and “lesbianism” under the category of unnatural sexual offences. This move marks a significant departure from the 2022 curriculum modifications that were aimed at making medical education more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, reported The Indian Express.

In addition to bringing back these topics, the revised curriculum reintroduces discussions on hymen, virginity, and defloration — concepts that had previously been removed. These changes follow the NMC’s decision to roll back reforms made in response to a 2022 Madras High Court directive, which had called for the elimination of such outdated and unscientific content.

 

LGBTQ+ friendly reforms reversed

The 2022 curriculum revision had notably removed the categorisation of consensual queer sex as unnatural, distinguishing it from offences such as incest and bestiality. It had also eliminated outdated practices like the two-finger test for virginity, deeming it “unscientific, inhuman, and discriminatory”. These reforms were part of an effort to make medical education more sensitive to issues of gender and sexual identity, aligning with global best practices.

However, the revised curriculum appears to undo many of these advances. The distinction between consensual queer relationships and criminal acts like incest is no longer part of the curriculum, raising concerns among LGBTQ+ activists and medical professionals alike.

Psychiatric education also affected

Changes to the psychiatry module have also raised eyebrows. While the module had previously included detailed discussions on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation to help students understand these complex issues, the revised version has scaled back this content. 

Although topics such as “gender identity disorders” have not been reintroduced, the removal of critical discussions on gender and sex has sparked criticism from experts in the field.

New laws, old concerns

One notable addition to the curriculum is the introduction of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). Students will now be trained on the provisions of these laws, which cover cases related to rape, injury, and the protection of children from sexual offences.

Despite this, disability rights activists have expressed concerns over the removal of disability-focused content. The revised curriculum omits the seven-hour training on disability that was part of the foundation course and fails to integrate disability topics into the module on medical ethics.

In a letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, disability rights advocates Dr Satendra Singh and Dr Sanjay Sharma from the Association of Transgender Health in India criticised the revisions, stating, “These competencies should have been integrated longitudinally throughout the curriculum but are conspicuously absent from the 2024 curriculum.” 

The letter further argued that the changes harm not only marginalised communities, such as people with disabilities and transgender individuals, but also damage India’s international reputation.