Governor of Assam Shri Gulab Chand Kataria ji, Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma ji, my colleague Union Law Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju ji, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Shri Pema Khandu ji, Judge of Supreme Court Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Sandeep Mehta ji, other honourable judges, dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen!
I am delighted to be a part of the platinum jubilee celebration of Gauhati High Court today and to be a part of this memorable moment by being amidst you. This journey of 75 years of Gauhati High Court has been completed at a time when the country has also completed 75 years of its independence. It is also a time for us to preserve all our experiences gained so far, and it is also a crucial milestone to hold ourselves accountable for new goals and to bring about the necessary changes. In particular, the Gauhati High Court has had a distinct legacy of its own, or an identity of its own. This High Court's jurisdiction is the largest. Besides Assam, you are also responsible for serving Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland, that is, 3 more states. Till 2013, 7 states of North East used to be under the jurisdiction of Gauhati High Court. Therefore, the history as well as the democratic heritage of the entire Northeast is connected with this 75-years long journey of Gauhati High Court. On this occasion, I convey my best wishes to all the people of Assam and the Northeast, and especially to the experienced legal fraternity here.
Friends,
This day also marks a wonderful coincidence! As everyone mentioned, today is also the birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Baba Saheb has played a major role in the making of our constitution. The values of equality and harmony enshrined in the Constitution are the foundation of modern India. I also pay my homage at the feet of Babasaheb on this auspicious occasion.
Friends,
Last year on Independence Day, I had talked in detail about the Aspirational Society of India and 'Sabka Prayas' from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Today in the 21st century, the dreams and aspirations of every Indian are limitless. The role of our strong and sensitive judiciary as a pillar of democracy is equally important in fulfilling these aspirations. The Indian Constitution also constantly expects from all of us to create a vibrant, strong and modern legal system for the society! Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, all the three organs have this responsibility to fulfil the dreams of Aspirational India. One example of how we are working together is to repeal outdated and redundant laws. Several luminaries from the legal field are here today! You are very well aware that a lot of our legal provisions continue to exist from the British era. There are many such laws which have become completely irrelevant now. We are continuously reviewing those laws at the government level. We have identified and repealed 2000 such central laws which had become obsolete, redundant or had lapsed. We have also eliminated more than 40,000 compliances. We have also decriminalized many minor economic offences. This thinking and approach have also played an important role in reducing the number of cases in the courts of the country.
Friends,
Be it the government or the judiciary, the constitutional responsibility of every institution in its respective roles is related to the ‘Ease of living’ for the common man. Today, technology has emerged as a powerful tool for achieving this goal of ‘Ease of living’. In the government, we are trying to harness the full potential of technology in every possible area. Be it DBT, Aadhaar or Digital India Mission, all these campaigns have become a major medium for the poor to get access to their rights. All of you would probably be familiar with the PM Swamitva Yojana. One of the major challenges that the major countries of the world and even the developed countries are facing is the problem of property rights. Due to lack of clarity over property rights, the development of the country gets hindered and the burden of lawsuits increases on the courts. You will be happy to know that India has taken a major lead in this area through PM Swamitva Yojana. Today, mapping work has been completed in more than one lakh villages of the country through drones; and property cards have also been given to lakhs of people. This campaign will also reduce the disputes related to the land. As a result, the problems faced by the people will be reduced.
Friends,
We feel that there is an infinite scope for using technology in making our justice delivery system state-of-the-art. The e-committee of the Supreme Court is also doing a commendable job in this direction. To take this work forward, e-courts Mission phase - 3 has been announced in this year's budget. For hilly and remote areas like the North East, the use of technology in the justice delivery system becomes even more significant. Today, in order to increase efficiency and make justice accessible, AI or Artificial Intelligence is also being included in legal systems around the world. We should also expand our efforts in terms of 'ease of justice' to make court proceedings simple for the common man through AI.
Friends,
The Alternative Dispute Resolution system plays a massive role in the judicial system. The Northeast has a rich tradition of the local judicial system and a short while back Kiren ji has described it in great detail. I am told that the Law Research Institute of Gauhati High Court has published 6 books on the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee celebration. These books are written on Customary Laws. I believe this is a very commendable step. Such practices should also be taught in law schools.
Friends,
A major part of 'Ease of Justice' also includes citizens having the correct knowledge of every aspect of the law. This increases his confidence in the country and constitutional systems. That's why we have started another process in the government. When a new legal draft is prepared, emphasis is being laid on preparing a simple version of it as well. The effort is to ensure that the law is written in such a language that people can easily understand. A similar approach will prove to be very helpful for the courts of our country as well. You must have seen that we have launched the 'Bhashini' platform, so that every Indian can access the internet and related services in his/her respective language. I also urge you to visit this 'Bashini' web. It is very powerful. This platform can also be availed in various courts.
Friends,
An important issue, which was also mentioned by Hrishikesh ji, is the number of prisoners languishing unnecessarily in our jails. Mehta ji also mentioned the same issue. Some do not have the money for bail; some do not have the money to pay the fine and there are some people who have these things but the family members are not ready to take them back. All these people come from poor and weak classes. Most of them have been in jails for years for petty crimes. It is the duty of both the government and the judiciary to be sensitive towards them. Therefore, in this year's budget, we have made a separate provision for providing financial assistance to such prisoners. The central government will give this fund to the state governments, so that by providing financial assistance to these prisoners, they can be taken out of jail.
Friends,
It is said here - धर्मो-रक्षति-रक्षितः| That means 'Dharma protects those who protect it'. Therefore, as an institution, our dharma, our duty, our work in the interest of the country should be paramount. I am sure, this spirit will take us to our goal of a developed India. I once again congratulate all of you for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and extend my best wishes.
Thank you very much!
