Supreme Court Hearing On Suo Motu COVID Case: LIVE UPDATES

SG: You have to have a system which gives slots. Now 45+, there is walk in and no overcrowding.

Justice Chandrachud: Is there a walk in across the country for 45+ ?

SG: Yes.

Sr. Adv. Jaideep Gupta: It was always allowed for 45+.

Justice Chandrachud: What is the policy. As legally trained minds, we are trained to see the document.

SG: For identity cards, there was an issue. It was relaxed. If the government went for offline registration, then there was a possibility that 5000 people would reach.

SG: We have permitted workplace vaccination where registration would be easier. There are details that I will place on record.

Justice Chandrachud: That’s why give us the policy document. We don’t want just an Affidavit. If there’s a policy document, we want to see it.

Justice Chandrachud: If we say there is a problem, we expect you to look into. Digital literacy in India is far from perfect. I am the Chairman of the e-Committee. I have seen the problems which afflict this. You have to be flexible and keep your ears on the ground.

SG also reads out measures to ensure that crowding at centres are avoided. He also states that all policies are established on the basis of infrastructural resources.

 Justice Chandrachud: We are not framing policy. There's an order of 30th April that these are the problems. You will be flexible. You can’t just say that you’re the Centre and you know what’s right. We have a strong arm to come down on this.

SG: This has been relaxed. Now it’s allowed walk-in.

Justice Chandrachud: You’re allowing walk in ?

SG: It is done subject to the availability. These are the facts which go into executive decision making. 

SG reads out the para pertaining to COWIN portal and its mechanisms. He refers to how most of India resides in rural areas and gram panchayats have established common centres at grassroots levels which provide access to internet. 

SG: Please see the affidavit. We have made some relaxations keeping the ground realities in mind and according to the changing situation. Please don’t take this as a final version. There is a change and we will place it.

Bench reads the affidavit.

SG: The Executive whose intentions are not in doubt have taken this.

Justice Chandrachud: We are not changing the policy. We are asking you to please wake up and smell the coffee and see what’s happening across the country. 

Justice Chandrachud: You can certainly have registration, but how will you answer the digital divide ? How do you answer the question about migrant labourers who have to go from one State to another ?

SG: Please take my affidavit.