Following the outcry over Patna's Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) marital status declaration form, asking if the person is a "bachelor/widower/virgin", 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 has been being used for 34 years the same way.

It was reported yesterday that the IGIMS has asked its employees to declare their virginity and number of wives in a marital status declaration form. Out of three such declarations, one reads: 'I am bachelor/widower/virgin'.

Earlier in the day, college medical superintendent Manish Mandal clarified the same and said the term 'virgin' does not have anything to do with virginity, but with marital status.

Representational image.