The Supreme Court work from home policy was announced on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for fuel conservation amid rising petrol and diesel prices across the country.
Under the new guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India, staff members in every department will work from home for two days a week, while judges will use carpooling arrangements to travel to court.
A circular issued by Supreme Court Secretary General Bharat Parashar stated that 50 per cent of the registry staff will also work remotely.
Supreme Court work from home guidelines announced
According to the circular, hearings for listed matters on Mondays, Fridays and miscellaneous hearing days will be conducted only through video conferencing. The court also said online hearings would continue on other working days whenever required.
The registry department has been instructed to send video conferencing links on time and ensure technical support remains available throughout court proceedings to avoid disruption.
The decision comes after Prime Minister Modi urged citizens and government institutions to reduce fuel consumption due to increasing global crude oil prices and pressure on energy supplies.
States adopt fuel-saving measures after PM Modi appeal
The impact of the Prime Minister’s appeal is now visible across several states, where governments and political leaders have announced fuel-saving measures.
In Kerala, Chief Minister-designate VD Satheesan decided to limit his convoy to only three vehicles. In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis travelled by motorcycle to the legislative assembly during an MLC oath ceremony.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that government employees would work from home for two days every week. The Delhi government also decided that 50 per cent of official meetings would be conducted online and ministers would avoid foreign visits for one year.
In Tripura, only 50 per cent of Group C and D employees will attend offices daily, while the rest will work remotely. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria directed officials not to use four-wheelers every Wednesday.
In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reduced the number of vehicles in VIP convoys. Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar was also seen travelling on an electric scooter in Bhopal.
Other states including Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar also announced measures such as reducing convoy sizes, promoting virtual meetings and limiting official travel to conserve fuel.
