Virgin means unmarried, nothing offensive in it: Minister
Defending the IGIMS marital declaration form, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey said he checked the meaning of virgin in dictionary, wherein it meant unmarried woman and he didn't find anything objectionable in it.  Pandey added that he discussed the issue with the management, who informed him that the format used was same as AIIMS' and was being used since 1983.
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey has defended a controversial questionnaire put out by Patna's Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) for its staff. The ridiculous Marital Declaration questionnaire asked IGIMS employees to mention their marital status. "I looked the dictionary for the actual meaning of the word virgin. It means unmarried and I don't find anything objectionable in the usage of the word," Mangal Pandey said."However, when the issue was brought to my notice I enquired IGIMS management about it. They told me the format used in the form is the same which is used at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Science)," he added. The form also asks male employees to provide details if they have more than one wife.Women employees apart from declaring status regarding their virginity have also been asked to provide details on whether they are married to a person who has no other wife living or another wife living.Speaking to India Today, the Deputy Medical Superintendent, Dr Manish Mandal said that the marriage declaration form with the contentious questions have been in practice ever since the institute was established in 1984."Everyone has to fill this form which is part of Central Services Rules and this form is similar to what AIIMS in Delhi uses. If the Centre or AIIMS changes the format of the form in the future, we will also change it. This is not a new form and has been in practice since 1984 when IGIMS was established," said Mandal. ALSO READ: