•CJI Surya Kant set aside the Supreme Court's 2023 Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes, deeming it 'too Harvard-oriented' and impractical for common citizens and rape survivors.
•The handbook, initiated by then CJI D Y Chandrachud, was criticized for its technical language and forensic meanings of sexual assault, which may not be understood by the public.
•The remarks came during a suo motu case triggered by an Allahabad High Court judgment that controversially stated acts like 'grabbing the breasts' and 'loosening the pyjama string' did not amount to attempted rape.
•The bench directed the National Judicial Academy (NJA), Bhopal, to form a panel of experts to create practical guidelines and submit a report to the apex court.
•The Supreme Court also set aside the Allahabad High Court's March 17, 2025 order, directing the trial court to proceed against the two accused, following widespread outrage over the High Court's insensitivity.
