The Supreme Court of India has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to save the country’s energy. After the Union Minister and the Chief Ministers of various states, the Supreme Court has taken several important decisions on energy conservation. Starting Friday, the Supreme Court will offer virtual hearings, a carpool system for judges and two days a week for employees to work from home. All this aims to reduce fuel consumption and ensure proper utilization of country’s resources.
A detailed directive issued by Supreme Court Secretary General Bharat Parashar said that the new system was implemented based on a directive issued by the Union Department of Personnel and Training on May 12. The new rule removes any requirement to be physically present in court on Mondays, Fridays and other days which are counted as miscellaneous days. All hearings on that day will be conducted through video conference. Even during summer holidays or partial working days, only virtual hearings will be held. For this purpose, the Registry has been directed to provide timely video conference links and speedy resolution of technical issues.
As part of this drive to conserve energy, the Hon’ble Supreme Court judges have also agreed to carpool from now on. The court said it would significantly reduce fuel wastage and make the use of vehicles for government purposes more efficient. In addition, 50 percent of employees in each branch of the registry will have the opportunity to work from home two days a week.
However, the rest of the employees must be present in the court so that the normal functioning of the court is not disrupted. The registrars have been asked to prepare a weekly roster for the entire process and the workers working from home have been instructed to monitor the work pace. People who work from home can be called into the office whenever needed.
Due to the tensions in the Middle East, there is a risk of energy shortage and price increase in the world market. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged the country to reduce the use of diesel and petrol. He urged the public to use metro trains as much as possible, focus on carpooling and working from home. The Prime Minister even suggested traveling within the country instead of traveling abroad. The Prime Minister himself has set a precedent by reducing the size of his fleet in recent visits. The economy of the country has really started to deteriorate as a result of the Supreme Court’s strict action along with other BJP-ruled states.
