Patna: In respond to inexplicable “marital declaration” form circulated by a government-run hospital asking its new employees to declare whether they are virgin or not, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Thursday said `virgin` just means unmarried and there is nothing objectionable in it being written in the form.
“The word which is used is ‘virgin’. It means unmarried girl, maiden. I don’t think these words are not objectionable. But still this issue is being raised. I had a word with the officials of the IGIMS. They said that this is the format of AIIMS and since 1983, it is being used in every organisation of the country,” Pandey told ANI.
Pandey added that the declaration rule existing since the inception of the institute for medical staff to declare whether they are bachelor, widower or virgin.
“It has been a rule for 34 years for medical staff to submit the declaration,” he told reporters.
Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that a government-run Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) here has asked its employees to declare their virginity and number of wives in a marital status declaration form.
The hospital in its form also asks the employees about the number of wives and details about the past marriages of their spouses.
The form had three options to choose from. These are:
1. I am a ‘bechelor’/widower/vergin (sic)
2. I am married and have only one wife living
3. I am married to a person who has no other wife living/ I am married to a person who has another wife living.
Then they have to indicate if “That I am married to a person who has no other wife living” or “That I am married to a person who has another wife living” or “That I am married and have more than one wife”.
“It is embarrassing for all of us to say anything,” a state Health Department official said.
However, IGIMS Medical Superintendent Manish Mandal told media that there is nothing unusual in the form.
“The IGIMS follows New Delhi’s AIIMS which in turn follows CCS rules. The form is according to prescribed rules, which are made by the government and Constitution. If they change the word, we will change it,” Mandal said.
With agencies inputs