The Supreme Court of India will conduct hearings exclusively through video conferencing on Mondays and Fridays following Narendra Modi’s fuel conservation appeal, while functioning in hybrid mode from Tuesday to Thursday amid rising crude oil prices and the West Asia crisis.
The Supreme Court of India has decided to conduct hearings entirely through video conferencing on Mondays and Fridays following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation amid the economic impact of the ongoing West Asia crisis and rising global crude oil prices.
Under the revised arrangement, the Supreme Court will function in a hybrid mode from Tuesday to Thursday every week. During these three days, advocates and litigants may choose to appear either physically or through virtual platforms. However, on Mondays and Fridays, all court proceedings will be held exclusively online.
The Court also stated that judges had “unanimously resolved” to encourage car-pooling among themselves to ensure optimum utilisation of fuel resources. In addition, the Court permitted up to 50 per cent of staff members in each Registry branch or section to work from home for a maximum of two days a week.
The Supreme Court clarified that such work-from-home arrangements would operate subject to preparation of weekly rosters and uninterrupted functioning of the institution. It further stated that Registry officials would retain the authority to modify or restrict remote working wherever physical presence was necessary due to the nature of work in a particular branch.
The decision came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption in view of escalating tensions in West Asia and their effect on international energy markets. Addressing a public gathering in Hyderabad, the Prime Minister encouraged practices such as remote working wherever possible to reduce unnecessary travel and fuel usage.
As the conflict involving Iran entered its third month with no immediate resolution in sight, Modi appealed to people to adopt austerity measures similar to those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic years. He advised citizens to work from home wherever feasible, avoid unnecessary foreign travel, reduce fuel consumption, and limit purchases of gold in order to conserve foreign exchange reserves.
The Prime Minister’s remarks reportedly revived memories of the pandemic period, when mass participation campaigns were used to encourage collective action. This time, the broader focus appeared to be on economic resilience and reducing pressure on India’s fuel import bill amid global instability.
The appeal also triggered discussions across institutions and public offices regarding energy-saving measures. In a related development, Justice Dwarka Dhish Bansal of the Madhya Pradesh High Court was recently seen commuting on a bicycle after the Prime Minister’s call for fuel conservation.
A video shared by Free Press Journal on Instagram showed the judge cycling while speaking about the importance of adopting fuel-saving practices amid the global energy crisis linked to tensions between the United States and Iran.
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