UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — How does the SC handbook rethink gender sensitivity?
Q1. With reference to the Supreme Court's 2026 report 'Judgments and Gender: Sensitivity and Compassion in Writing Judgments', consider the following:
1. It formally replaced the 'Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes'.
2. Its coverage extends beyond a glossary of terms to courtroom management, victim protection and trauma-informed adjudication.
3. Its initial draft was prepared by the Social Justice Sub-Committee of the e-Committee of the Supreme Court.
4. Its evidence base included a review of 125 trial court judgments drawn from across the country.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It formally replaced the 'Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes'.
- Its coverage extends beyond a glossary of terms to courtroom management, victim protection and trauma-informed adjudication.
- Its initial draft was prepared by the Social Justice Sub-Committee of the e-Committee of the Supreme Court.
- Its evidence base included a review of 125 trial court judgments drawn from across the country.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1 and 3 only
Q2. The initial draft of the Supreme Court's 2023 'Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes' was prepared by which one of the following?
- A. The Social Justice Sub-Committee of the e-Committee of the Supreme Court, assisted by two sitting High Court judges and an academic
- B. The Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee of the Supreme Court, assisted by two sitting High Court judges and an academic
- C. The Legal Services Committee of the Supreme Court functioning under the National Legal Services Authority, assisted by senior advocates
- D. An expert committee of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, assisted by the State Judicial Academies
Q3. The expert committee that authored the Supreme Court's 2026 report on gender sensitivity in judgment writing, chaired by Justice Aniruddha Bose, consisted of how many members in all?
- A. Three
- B. Five
- C. Seven
- D. Nine
Q4. The Supreme Court judgment of February 10, 2026, which set aside an Allahabad High Court ruling in a sexual offence matter, directed which one of the following bodies to frame practical gender-sensitivity guidelines for judges?
- A. The National Judicial Academy, Bhopal
- B. The National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi
- C. The State Judicial Academies, acting collectively
- D. The District Legal Services Authorities, acting collectively
Q5. In the sequence of events leading to the Supreme Court's 2026 report on gender and judgment writing, which one of the following occurred first?
- A. The Supreme Court judgment setting aside an Allahabad High Court ruling in a sexual offence matter
- B. The approval of the report by a Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India
- C. The public release of the report replacing the earlier handbook
- D. The examination of 125 trial court judgments by the expert committee
Q6. The Supreme Court's 2023 'Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes' organised its treatment of stereotypes into defined categories. Consider the following:
1. Stereotypes based on assumed inherent characteristics or traits of women
2. Stereotypes about the gender roles ascribed to men and women
3. Stereotypes applied in the context of sex and sexual violence
4. Stereotypes about the credibility of child witnesses, added as a category by the National Commission for Women
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as categories dealt with in that handbook?
- Stereotypes based on assumed inherent characteristics or traits of women
- Stereotypes about the gender roles ascribed to men and women
- Stereotypes applied in the context of sex and sexual violence
- Stereotypes about the credibility of child witnesses, added as a category by the National Commission for Women
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q7. Consider the following statements comparing the Supreme Court's 2023 handbook on gender stereotypes with its 2026 successor report:
1. The central device of the 2023 handbook was a glossary of gender-unjust terms with suggested alternatives for use in pleadings, orders and judgments, whereas the 2026 report moves towards procedural and behavioural reform.
2. The 2023 handbook made the use of its suggested alternative terms legally binding on every court in the country and prescribed penalties for departure from the glossary.
3. The 2023 handbook was released in August 2023 under Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, while the 2026 report was approved by a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The central device of the 2023 handbook was a glossary of gender-unjust terms with suggested alternatives for use in pleadings, orders and judgments, whereas the 2026 report moves towards procedural and behavioural reform.
- The 2023 handbook made the use of its suggested alternative terms legally binding on every court in the country and prescribed penalties for departure from the glossary.
- The 2023 handbook was released in August 2023 under Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, while the 2026 report was approved by a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. Which one of the following statements about the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, is correct?
- A. It is an independent society fully funded by the Union Government, and is the apex national institution for the training of judges and judicial officers
- B. It is a constitutional body whose concurrence is mandatory for every appointment made to the subordinate judiciary in the States
- C. It is a wing of the Supreme Court registry that alone frames the rules of procedure binding on all the High Courts of the country
- D. It is an institution of the Madhya Pradesh Government that exclusively trains the judicial officers of that State's subordinate judiciary
Q9. The expert committee constituted under the National Judicial Academy for the 2026 report on gender and judgment writing based its findings on an examination of how many trial court judgments?
Q10. Judicial interventions on gender-sensitive adjudication are anchored in Part III of the Constitution. Consider the following pairs of provision and content:
1. Article 14 — equality before the law and the equal protection of the laws
2. Article 15(1) — prohibition of discrimination against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth
3. Article 21 — equality of opportunity in matters of public employment
4. Article 15(3) — power of the State to make special provisions for women and children
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Article 14 — equality before the law and the equal protection of the laws
- Article 15(1) — prohibition of discrimination against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth
- Article 21 — equality of opportunity in matters of public employment
- Article 15(3) — power of the State to make special provisions for women and children
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 1 and 3 only
Q11. On approving the 2026 report on gender sensitivity in judgment writing, the Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India directed that it be followed by which one of the following?
- A. All courts in the country
- B. Only the district and subordinate judiciary, the High Courts being left to adopt it at their discretion
- C. Only the High Courts, which were to issue consequential instructions to the courts subordinate to them
- D. Only courts designated to try offences under the special law on sexual offences against children