The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) recent revision of the Forensic Medicine Curriculum has sparked significant controversy, with Congress MP P Chidambaram condemning the changes as “unbelievably retrograde”. He expressed disbelief at the curriculum’s reintroduction of outdated ideas, remarking that it drags medical education back into the dark ages. “Our educators appear to remain in the primeval age,” he stated, adding, “Ignorance and prejudice have seemingly triumphed over science and research. Which of our gods will save this country and its educational institutions?”

The NMC has reinstated topics such as ‘sodomy and lesbianism’ as unnatural sexual offences, along with concepts like virginity, hymen importance, and defloration, which had been removed in 2022 following a ruling by the Madras High Court. This revision has eliminated distinctions between consensual same-sex relationships, adultery, and offences such as incest and bestiality, a move previously aimed at making education more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.

In addition to the changes in forensic medicine, the NMC has also dropped the seven-hour training on disability, which disability rights activists are strongly criticising. Dr Satendra Singh and Dr Sanjay Sharma, leading advocates for the rights of transgender and disabled individuals, have written to the Union Health Minister, urging correction. They argue that the omission of disability education damages both the interests of marginalised communities and India’s international image.

The revised curriculum now mandates the inclusion of legal competencies like the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and other legal provisions concerning sexual offences, protection of children, and more. Despite the backlash, the NMC maintains that the updated curriculum aligns with global trends and aims to produce medical graduates who can function effectively in community healthcare while maintaining global relevance. However, no specific reasons have been provided for the revisions.

Many, including medical professionals and activists, have expressed concern over the return of these outdated concepts, questioning whether these changes serve the advancement of modern medical education.

However, the National

Medical Commission, while announcing the Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, said the new Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER) attempt to stand on the shoulders of the contributions and the efforts of resource persons, teachers and students (past and present) and it intends to prepare the learner to provide health care to the evolving needs of the nation and the world.

Following the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education (GMER) 1997, the Commission said, a new crisp ‘avatar’ in the form of GMER 2023 was placed last year, and 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.

“Emerging health care issues particularly in the context of emerging diseases, impact of advances in science and technology and shorter distances on diseases and their management also need consideration.

The thrust in the new guidelines is put on continuation and evolution of medical education based on feedback and experience of CBME in the last 5 years since its inception in 2019, making it more learner-centric, patient-centric, gender- sensitive, outcome-oriented and environment appropriate,” the Commission said while adding that the result is an outcome driven curriculum which conforms to global trends.

It also added that the emphasis is made on alignment and integration of subjects both horizontally and vertically while respecting the strengths and necessity of subject-based instruction and assessment.

“This has necessitated a deviation from using “broad competencies”; instead, the reports have written end of phase subject competencies. These “competencies” can be mapped to the global competencies in the Graduate Medical Education Regulations. The importance of ethical values, responsiveness to the needs of the patient and acquisition of communication skills is underscored by providing dedicated time in curriculum in the form of a longitudinal program titled ‘AETCOM’ based on Attitude, Ethics and Communication (AETCOM) competencies. Great emphasis has been placed on collaborative and inter disciplinary teamwork, professionalism, altruism and respect in professional relationships with due sensitivity to differences in thought, socioeconomic position and gender,” it said.