The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn the controversial CBME (Competency Based Medical Education) guidelines issued recently regarding the MBBS course. In the new curriculum, sodomy and lesbianism were described as unnatural sexual crimes in the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology topic of MBBS, due to which NMC was facing strong opposition from the LGBTQIA+ (LGBTQIA+ i.e. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual) community for the past few days. Apart from homosexuality, NMC had also raised topics like the importance of hymen and its types and defining virginity, defloration, validity and its medical and legal importance in the new curriculum. Whereas as per the instructions of the Madras High Court, all these subjects were abolished in 2022. Then at the time of revision, all these topics were removed from the syllabus.
Activists from the LGBTQIA+ community say that these guidelines violate the rights of persons with disabilities and LGBTQ people. In 2018, the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexual relationships.
NMC said, “It is notified that the circular dated 31st August 2024 issued guidelines under CBME 2024 is withdrawn and repealed with immediate effect. New guidelines will be revised and uploaded in due course.”
NMC: NEXT in MBBS from this session, 75% attendance in elective is mandatory
What else was there in the new guidelines that were withdrawn
The new CBME (Competency Based Medical Education) guidelines regarding the MBBS degree course were released on August 31. The new guidelines issued by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of NMC for the MBBS course also stated that the first session of the NEXT exam will start from the MBBS course of the academic year 2024-25. The NEXT examination system will be implemented in two phases. It will start from the 54th week of the MBBS course and the second phase of NEXT (NExT) will be held during the 12th month of compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI).
As per the new CBME guidelines, MBBS students will be able to appear for University MBBS exams/next exams only if they have 75 per cent attendance in electives and have submitted the log book maintained during the electives.