IGIMS, Patna
Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, PatnaTwitter

The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Patna has removed the word 'virgin' from its marital status declaration form after a controversy.

The decision was taken after Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey said that virgin means unmarried and that there was nothing objectionable. He was responding to justify the government hospital's form that required new employees to declare their virginity or mention the number of times they were married.

Panday said that he had looked up the meaning of 'virginity' in the dictionary and added that there was nothing objectionable. This came as a response to the 'marital declaration' form of IGIMS that seemed to cross professional boundaries.

This form is reportedly applicable for all the employees. It further asks the male employees to give details if they have more than one wife.

Apart from declaring their virginity status, the women employees were asked if they were married to a person who has no other wife living. Polygamy was declared illegal in India in 1956 for all citizens except Muslims. 

On Wednesday, Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Manish Mandal had told India Today that this was an age-old practice. He explained that the marriage declaration form with these contentious questions was in practice since 1984 when the institute was established.

Mandal added that everyone had to fill this form as a part of Central Services Rules. Also, the form was similar to the one that AIIMS in New Delhi uses. He stated that if AIIMS or the Centre changed the format then the change will be followed in IGIMS forms as well.

The Deputy Medical Superintendent went on to add that the questions were asked to prevent any kind of wrong doing. However, he had agreed that the use of the word 'virginity' was incorrect.

"It is embarrassing for all of us to say anything," a health official told IANS.

Watch what the Bihar Health Minister told ANI on Thursday:

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