National Medical Commission Cancels Controversial Guidelines on Sexual Offences in Medical Curriculum

The National Medical Commission has withdrawn controversial guidelines that reintroduced sodomy and lesbianism as unnatural sexual offences in the Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum. The guidelines have been cancelled immediately and will be revised. The revised curriculum will focus on legal competencies and the medico-legal framework in medical practice.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has rescinded and cancelled recent guidelines under the Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum that had controversially reinstated sodomy and lesbianism as unnatural sexual offences. Issued on August 31, the guidelines have been annulled with immediate effect, and a revision is forthcoming.

Apart from the contentious topics of sodomy and lesbianism, subjects such as hymen types, their medico-legal significance, and definitions of virginity and defloration were also reintroduced. These had initially been removed in 2022 following a directive from the Madras High Court.

The revised curriculum will now focus on legal competencies covering laws like the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). Discussions on sexual perversions and distinctions between consensual queer sex have been removed. Training on disability has also been axed from the curriculum.

(With inputs from agencies.)