Modern medical education increasingly emphasizes deep learning, professional identity formation (PIF), and longitudinal competency development. The tea-steeping metaphor, drawn from the gradual infusion process of tea leaves into water, offers a novel lens to conceptualize immersive and time-dependent learning. This metaphor holds particular relevance in forensic medicine, where learners must develop a nuanced understanding of medico-legal principles, ethical reasoning, and procedural competence over time. Objective of this article is to explore the origin, educational applications, benefits, limitations, and practical impact of the tea-steeping metaphor in the context of forensic medicine teaching. A narrative review methodology was employed, integrating theoretical frameworks from constructivist learning, competency-based education, and experiential learning. Real-world applications in forensic education were examined, including longitudinal case-based learning, simulation-based training, reflective practice, and PIF. The tea-steeping metaphor supports gradual cognitive and affective skill development by allowing learners to process complex information over time and within context. In forensic medicine, this approach enhances critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and integration of theory with practice. Benefits include promotion of deep learning, reflective practice, and adaptability. However, challenges such as time constraints, potential information overload, and the need for optimal learning conditions limit its universal applicability. The tea-steeping metaphor provides a valuable pedagogical framework for forensic medicine education. When implemented strategically, it can foster immersive, reflective, and ethically grounded learning experiences. Further research is warranted to assess its longitudinal outcomes and adaptability across diverse educational contexts.

Traditionally, tropical medicine has been concerned with infectious diseases in terms of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control. But there is a growing dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in many low- and middle-income countries due to commercial determinants of health (CDoH). The marketing and availability of tobacco, alcohol, sugared drinks, and ultra-processed foods impact on health behaviour and lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and poor infection outcomes. Hence, tropical medicine needs to move beyond the clinical realm to include consideration of the commercial context of disease. This requires healthcare practitioners, universities, scientific societies, and medical publications to promote informed regulation of commercial determinants, healthy food environments, taxation policy, health literacy, and protection from harmful commercial activity. It is vital that CDoH be incorporated into research, teaching and health promotion activities as an integral part of the preventive mandate of tropical medicine.

Neonatal abandonment, concealment of birth, and unsafe surrender, which is defined as relinquishment of a newborn in unprotected, nonmedical settings such as public places, refuse sites, or private locations without supervision or care, remain persistent public health and medico-legal challenges in India. These events occur as the result of a combination of poverty, gender bias, social stigma, perinatal mental-health vulnerability, and gaps in accessible maternal support. For clinicians, immediate priorities include resuscitation, safeguarding the infant, ensuring systematic and accurate documentation, and in India, initiating mandatory reporting. In this review, we provide an overview of India's current legal framework and summarize evolving safe surrender initiatives, clinical and forensic challenges, and recommended strategies to reduce harm; comparison with approaches in other countries is also included. A rights-based approach, along with institutional protocols and perinatal mental-health services, may reduce preventable neonatal morbidity and mortality while supporting vulnerable mothers in India.

Indigenous Medical Knowledge (IMK) comprises holistic, culturally embedded health systems that remain inadequately protected by prevailing intellectual property (IP) regimes. Rooted in Western legal constructs, international frameworks such as TRIPS and the Nagoya Protocol often overlook IMK’s collective, intergenerational, and spiritual dimensions. This review highlights the resulting ethical and legal gaps, including biopiracy, epistemic injustice, and cultural erasure. It argues for a bioethically grounded policy reform through: (1) sui generis legal protections reflecting Indigenous epistemologies; (2) treaty amendments embedding Indigenous rights and decision-making authority; and (3) ethics-based governance models emphasizing consent, co-creation, and equitable benefit-sharing. Through case studies like the turmeric, neem, and San-Hoodia examples, the article positions global bioethics as a necessary framework for redressing knowledge inequities and advancing justice in IMK governance.

Introduction Competency-based medical education (CBME) emphasizes demonstrable competencies rather than time-based training. Miller's Pyramid remains an influential framework for conceptualizing clinical competence, but its contemporary application in forensic pathology education has not been comprehensively examined. This review evaluates its educational basis, applications, advantages, limitations, and relevance to forensic pathology teaching. Materials and Methods A narrative review was conducted of literature on Miller's Pyramid, CBME, workplace-based assessment (WPBA), entrustable professional activities (EPAs), milestones, programmatic assessment, and forensic pathology education. Educational and competency-based training approaches from India, the United States, Canada, and other settings were examined. Results Miller's Pyramid comprises four levels: Knows, Knows How, Shows How, and Does, representing progressive development from knowledge to independent practice. In forensic pathology, these levels can guide competency development in medico-legal autopsy, injury interpretation, evidence preservation, documentation, communication, and expert testimony. The framework facilitates alignment of learning objectives, teaching strategies, and assessment methods. However, its hierarchical structure may inadequately reflect the dynamic and context-dependent nature of competence and gives limited attention to professional identity, reflective practice, teamwork, and system-related influences. Integration with WPBA, EPAs, milestones, simulation, and programmatic assessment can address these limitations. Conclusion Miller's Pyramid remains a valuable framework for competency-based forensic pathology education. Its integration with contemporary assessment approaches can strengthen validity and support context-sensitive, longitudinal, and multimodal evaluation, ultimately promoting competent, accountable, and practice-ready forensic pathologists.

Forensic science is increasingly intersecting with the principles of nano physics, not only in the detection and analysis of trace evidence but also in understanding the mechanistic pathways through which nanometer-scale phenomena influence injury production in biological tissues. Traditional forensic biomechanics primarily explains how macroscopic forces disrupt anatomical structures. However, emerging evidence indicates that nanoscale physical interactions - including mechanotransduction, nanotoxicological effects, and quantum-scale surface phenomena - may contribute to the initiation, propagation, and interpretation of injuries encountered in forensic investigations. By synthesizing these fundamental nano-physical principles with established biochemical and biomechanical mechanisms of injury, this article explores the conceptual integration of nanoscience within forensic medicine and injury biomechanics. Such an approach may support the development of more refined frameworks for interpreting injury patterns and forensic evidence in future medico-legal practice.

The concept of Perezhivanie, introduced by Lev Vygotsky, encapsulates the interplay between cognitive processes and emotional experiences in response to environmental stimuli. Though widely explored in general educational psychology, its relevance to medical education - particularly in emotionally intense disciplines like forensic medicine - remains underutilized. This paper explores the origin, theoretical underpinnings, and educational significance of Perezhivanie and critically examines its application, benefits, challenges, and impact on forensic medicine teaching. A conceptual analysis was conducted using Vygotskyan literature, recent educational frameworks, and reflective pedagogical practices. Applications were contextualized with illustrative examples from forensic medicine education, and comparative tables were developed to contrast Perezhivanie-based pedagogy with traditional and competency-based medical education. The integration of Perezhivanie into forensic teaching fosters a holistic educational environment by harmonizing emotional resilience and cognitive development. It supports personalized learning, enhances student engagement, and prepares learners for emotionally taxing professional roles. However, challenges include subjective assessment, complex implementation, and the need for faculty development in affective pedagogy. Embedding Perezhivanie in forensic medicine pedagogy offers a transformative approach that aligns with contemporary goals of competency, empathy, and resilience. Future empirical studies are warranted to operationalize and evaluate its long-term educational and professional outcomes.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, is a pivotal legal framework in India aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse. Despite its comprehensive scope, the medico-legal implementation of the Act presents several challenges for healthcare providers, law enforcement, and the judiciary, especially in ensuring sensitive yet legally sound handling of child survivors. Objectives were to analyze key medico-legal challenges in the implementation of POCSO, with a focus on forensic examination, evidence collection, consent, mandatory reporting, and the role of medical professionals in legal proceedings. A qualitative review of secondary data was conducted using statutory provisions of the POCSO Act, government-issued medico-legal guidelines, peer-reviewed journals, judicial decisions, and policy reports from organizations such as Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Govt. of India, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and HAQ: Centre for Child Rights during January to June 2024. Thematic analysis was used to identify core issues. Five major themes emerged from the analysis: Training deficiencies–medical professionals often lacked formal training in child-sensitive forensic procedures under POCSO. Consent and confidentiality challenges–ethical dilemmas were frequent regarding assent, parental consent, and mandatory reporting. Documentation and evidence integrity–poor-quality medico-legal documentation compromised evidentiary value in court. Infrastructure gaps–most facilities lacked child-friendly spaces and essential forensic equipment. Legal preparedness–doctors were inadequately oriented for courtroom roles, affecting the quality of expert testimony. Effective implementation of POCSO’s medico-legal provisions requires improved training, intersectoral coordination, standardized protocols, and infrastructure development. Bridging the gap between medical ethics and legal obligations is essential to ensure justice while preserving the dignity and rights of child survivors.

Copyright: © 2026 Parmar and Rathod. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Cancer is an escalating yet neglected health crisis among refugees, migrants, and populations affected by conflict. Despite increasing global focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), oncology remains largely absent from humanitarian health agendas. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed literature, humanitarian agency reports, and case studies from Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine to examine the policy, ethical, and clinical dimensions of oncology care in crisis settings. Findings reveal systemic neglect of cancer services due to disrupted infrastructure, legal barriers, and fragmented policy frameworks. Vulnerable groups - women, children, and the elderly - experience the greatest inequities. Ethical dilemmas in triage, limited palliative care, and inadequate digital connectivity further hinder equitable access. Emerging solutions include bilateral treatment agreements, WHO-led humanitarian oncology corridors, and tele-oncology or mobile unit models that sustain care across borders. Addressing cancer in humanitarian contexts is not merely a technical challenge but a moral imperative. Integrating oncology into emergency response protocols and global health governance is essential to ensure continuity, dignity, and justice in care for displaced and conflict-affected populations.

The rapid expansion of genomic surveillance, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has reshaped global public health, forensic science, and biosecurity governance. While these technologies offer significant benefits for disease control and population health, they also generate complex ethical challenges that are unevenly distributed across societies. Indigenous and tribal communities in the Global South occupy a particularly vulnerable position, where genomic data extraction intersects with historical exploitation, cultural epistemologies, and structural marginalization. This conceptual review critically examines the ethical limitations of dominant Western bioethical frameworks - especially those centered on individual autonomy and informed consent - when applied to genomic surveillance involving indigenous populations. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature and illustrative case studies from India and Southeast Asia, the article highlights how genetic information is often understood as collective, ancestral, and culturally embedded, rendering individualistic consent models ethically insufficient. The analysis advances a Global South bioethical perspective grounded in indigenous data sovereignty, relational ethics, and decolonial scholarship. It argues that ethical genomic surveillance must account for collective risk, community governance, and historical power asymmetries rather than relying solely on procedural compliance. By contrasting Western and indigenous ethical paradigms and translating these insights into actionable policy recommendations, this perspective contributes to ongoing debates on equitable genomic governance. The article concludes that culturally responsive and community-centered ethical frameworks are essential to ensure that the expansion of genomic surveillance does not reproduce past injustices but instead promotes socially legitimate and ethically sustainable scientific practice. Not applicable.

In India, sexual offenses against children are gender neutralized and addressed by the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012. Still, the medical/legal literature, clinical suspicion, and judicial discourse continue to be implicitly gendered, resulting in poor detection rates of sexual offenses against male children and inadequate interpretation thereof. The available evidence base is consistent in indicating that a large proportion of child sexual abuse victims are males. Social stigma, delayed presentation, and lack of physician knowledge complicate underreporting and diagnosis. Male children present late and mostly without any visible physical injury, making it challenging to interpret and legally prove. This short communication proposes a structured and evidence-based classification of sexual offenses against male children, explicitly in line with the current Indian legal system. The classification includes penetrative sexual assaults, nonpenetrative sexual assaults, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse materials, including aggravated and institutional abuses, in relation to the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Through the integration of patterns of abuse common in male victims, which include anal/sexual/penetrative abuse, coercive acts, non-contact crimes, and online abuse, with corresponding legal provisions under the POCSO Act, this classification scheme aims to address the gaps between medical diagnosis and legal determination. In addition, the article provides information on major medico-legal concerns, including the mandatory reporting law, the absence of tangible evidence, and the importance of meticulous medical documentation of the history of the abuse, behavioral symptoms, and evidence from the Internet. Collaboration among experts from various disciplines, such as pediatric medicine, forensic science, law enforcement agencies, and child protection services, is also vital. Male children should be considered vulnerable victims, too. With a POCSOoriented and male-friendly classification scheme, improved awareness and understanding in cases of child sexual abuse in India can be achieved.

Background: The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) governs global medical education through six regional associations, despite being home to the largest number of medical colleges and producing over 125,000 medical graduates annually. India, through its statutory regulator, the National Medical Commission (NMC), lacks direct representation in this structure. Objective: This article advocates for the formal recognition of the National Medical Commission (NMC) as an independent regional entity within the WFME framework, emphasizing that India’s central role in shaping global health systems warrants direct and proportionate representation in global medical education governance. Discussion: The NMC has implemented wide-ranging reforms, including digital accreditation systems and a competency-based curriculum, establishing itself as a model for emerging regulators, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. However, current representation through SEARAME does not provide the regulatory authority or scope needed to engage meaningfully in global decision-making. International precedents exist where WFME has recognized national bodies with substantial influence, justifying similar recognition for the NMC. Conclusion: India’s medical education scale, regulatory sophistication, and global outreach warrant a dedicated platform within WFME. The structural inclusion of India, either through NMC, AHPE, or a federation formed by all medical educators in India, would foster equitable governance, enhance collaboration, and support medical education reform across diverse regions.

Background: Stature is a key biological characteristic for identifying individuals, particularly in forensic investigations. While long bones are traditionally used for stature estimation due to their strong correlation with height, craniofacial structures offer an alternative in cases where only partial remains are available, given their durability and relative preservation. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between craniofacial anthropometric parameters and stature, and to assess their usefulness for stature estimation in the Indian population. Methods: Twelve craniofacial parameters were measured and analyzed using regression analysis, the preferred statistical method for estimating stature from skeletal dimensions. The study focused on assessing the strength of correlation between these craniofacial measurements and actual stature. Results: All twelve craniofacial parameters demonstrated a positive correlation with stature, indicating their potential utility in forensic contexts where only craniofacial remains are present. Although long bones remain the gold standard, these findings provide support for the supplementary use of craniofacial data. Conclusion: Craniofacial anthropometry can serve as a reliable method for estimating stature, especially in scenarios where long bones are unavailable. This study contributes valuable data to the limited literature on this topic in the Indian population and aligns with existing global research supporting the role of craniofacial structures in forensic identification.