NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day on Tuesday, praised the Supreme Court for its decision to provide the operative parts of its judgments to the concerned people in their regional language. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, who was seated amongst the audience, returned the PM’s compliments with a gesture of folded hands.
The prime minister spoke for almost 90 minutes, during which he covered a myriad of topics ranging from health, women, Manipur, law and order, farmers, labourers, science and technology, economy, defence, border areas and infrastructure to foreign affairs.
While discussing education, and into one hour of his speech, PM Modi said, “We have laid emphasis on making education accessible to all by recommending imparting education in mother tongues.”
He then talked about the importance of regional languages and went on to laud the efforts of the Supreme Court. “I sincerely appreciate the stance of the Supreme Court of India who will now be making it possible for the people who go to court to hear the judgment and receive the operative part in their respective mother tongues. The importance of mother tongue is growing in today’s times.”
CJI Chandrachud, who was sitting among the audience, immediately responded to the PM’s compliments and acknowledged by folding his hands with a smiling face.
The CJI had recently announced that the Supreme Court would use artificial intelligence to provide judgements, written in English, in regional languages.
Justice Chandrachud had said that English, used for writing judgements, is not comprehensible, “particularly in its legal avatar, to 99.9 per cent of our citizens”.
He said the top court would initially focus on translating judgments into four languages -- Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, and Odia and gradually, the verdicts will be made available in all scheduled languages.
Some of the high courts have also started providing judgements in regional languages apart from English.
Earlier, the top court had decided to provide its judgments in nine regional languages in 2019 and the move was acknowledged and hailed by the then president Ram Nath Kovind.
Meanwhile, CJI Chandrachud exchanged pleasantries with Union home minister Amit Shah by shaking hands and greeting by folding hands, as the two were seated in the same row. The CJI also greeted Shah’s wife.
(With agency inputs)
