New Delhi: Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to conserve fuel amid the unending West Asia crisis, the Supreme Court has decided to operate in a virtual mode for two days in a week.
Under the new arrangement, the top court will conduct hearings exclusively through video conference on Mondays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, lawyers and litigants will have the option of appearing either physically or virtually, Bar and Bench reported.
As PM Modi had suggested, judges “unani
mously resolved” to encourage car-pooling arrangements among themselves to ensure optimum fuel utilisation.
The apex court also permitted up to 50 per cent staff in each Registry branch or section to work from home for up to two days a week, subject to preparation of weekly rosters and ensuring uninterrupted functioning of the court.
Registry officials could restrict or modify work-from-home arrangements if the nature of work in any particular branch required physical presence.
The Prime Minister, having appealed to Indians to adopt various austerity measures to deal with the situation triggered by the US-Iran war, has halved his Special Protection Group (SPG) convoy.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, as well as CMs of some other states and several Union ministers have downsized their convoys.