Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said artificial intelligence and emerging technologies could pose new challenges before the judiciary in the future, while underlining that technology and justice must function “in harmony,” reports Bar & Bench.

Speaking at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi during the launch of two books authored by Tushar Mehta, The Bench, the Bar and the Bizarre and The Lawful and the Awful, Amit Shah said one of the books examined the implications of modern technology on courts and the justice delivery system, reports Bar & Bench.

“The Bench, the Bar and the Bizarre appears like the work of an inquisitive mind. In it, an attempt has been made, through concrete examples, to explain the kinds of challenges that artificial intelligence and modern technologies may pose before the judiciary in the future,” Amit Shah said.

“It teaches us that while technology and justice must work in harmony, the warnings associated with it must also be understood,” he added.

Amit Shah also spoke about the relationship between the judiciary and the executive, saying democracy derives strength from “mutual respect” rather than confrontation. He said constitutional proprieties and institutional boundaries have remained intact in India over the past 76 years.

“It is a matter of great satisfaction for all of us that constitutional norms and institutional proprieties have remained intact in our country, and through conventions and traditions, we have continued to strengthen them further,” he said.

The Home Minister further said the balance maintained between the executive and judiciary over decades should continue to be strengthened. “The healthy practice that has evolved over the last 75 years between the executive and the judiciary, maintaining balance between the two, must be strengthened further and carried forward collectively by all of us,” Amit Shah said.

At the outset of his address, Amit Shah struck a lighter note, saying he had been advised that his remarks would be viewed through the prism of ties between the government and the judiciary.

“Since there are many members of the media present here, let me clarify at the outset itself that nobody is going to get anything controversial from me today,” he remarked. Shah also said citizens continue to repose faith in the courts when faced with injustice. “There is a deep sense of trust among the people of this country that if injustice is done to them, the Constitution stands awake in protection,” he said.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant presided over the event, while Attorney General R Venkataramani attended as the guest of honour.

Somnath, May 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday drew parallels to the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, asserting that no power in the world can make India bow or succumb under pressure.

Addressing a gathering here at Somnath Amrut Mahotsav, marking 75 years of the inauguration of the restored temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, he also said that “forces” in the country continue to prioritise appeasement politics over national self-respect. A similar mindset was witnessed during opposition to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the PM noted.

“While India attained Independence in 1947, the Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of Somnath in 1951 served as a proclamation of India’s liberated consciousness,” he said.

Modi stressed that the ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ of Somnath is not merely a commemoration of the past, but it is also a festival of inspiration for India for the next thousand years.

May 11 is a significant date as it not only marks the consecration of the Somnath temple, but also India’s nuclear tests in 1998 under the leadership of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said.

“On May 11, 1998, the nation conducted its nuclear tests. Our scientists demonstrated India’s capabilities and potential to the entire world,” Modi pointed out.

The tests “sent shockwaves across the globe” and triggered angry reactions from several countries, he said.

“Who is India to conduct nuclear tests? The world reacted with anger,” Modi said, referring to the international response following the Pokhran tests.

He said global powers then tried to isolate India through sanctions and economic pressure after the tests.

“Global powers mobilised to suppress India. Various sanctions were imposed, and every passage to avert a potential economic crisis was blocked,” the PM said.

Many countries would have succumbed under such circumstances, but India stood firm, he highlighted.

“Anyone else would have faltered. When the world’s major powers launch such a massive offensive, it becomes difficult to find a path ahead. But, we are built differently,” Modi asserted. India went ahead with two more nuclear tests on May 13, 1998, despite mounting pressure from the international community, he noted.

“On May 11, our scientists had completed their task. However, on May 13, two more nuclear tests were conducted. This demonstrated to the world just how unwavering the political will of India truly is,” Modi said.

He praised the then Vajpayee-led government for refusing to bow to global pressure.

“At that time, India faced immense pressure from the entire world. Yet, under the leadership of Atal ji, the BJP government demonstrated that for us, the nation comes first. No power on earth can make India bow down or succumb to pressure,” he said. Somnath reminds us that no nation can remain strong unless it is connected to its roots, the PM said. On the occasion, Modi also released a special stamp on the completion of 75 years of the inauguration of the restored Somnath temple, located in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district. “Invaders attempted to erase the splendour of the Somnath temple; this temple was demolished time and again, yet it kept being rebuilt,” he said.

Some “forces” in the country continued to prioritise appeasement politics over national self-respect, Modi alleged, adding that a similar mindset was witnessed during the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

He said politics had often been played over issues linked to national pride and identity, citing the reconstruction of the Somnath temple after Independence.

“There are countless examples across the world where foreign invaders destroyed sites linked to a nation’s identity. Whenever people got an opportunity, they restored their heritage and upheld their dignity,” said the PM in his address. “Yet, in our country, politics was played even over issues linked to national self-respect, and the Somnath temple stands as a prime example,” he added.

Modi said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and India’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad made immense efforts to rebuild the temple, but faced opposition from then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The “forces” promoting appeasement politics were still active in the country, he said. “We witnessed this same phenomenon during the construction of the Ram temple and the manner in which it was opposed. We must remain vigilant against such a mindset and leave this kind of parochial politics behind us,” Modi said.

“We must move forward by embracing both development and heritage in tandem. The neglect of our cultural centres has, in fact, served as an impediment to our progress,” he noted.

In India, heritage and modernity are inseparable; both go hand in hand, PM Modi added.

Earlier, PM Modi performed ‘Maha Pooja’ and other rituals at the Somnath temple as part of the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav.

Before the event, he also held a roadshow along the nearly 1.5-km route from the helipad to Veer Hamirji Circle near the temple.

A large number of people lined up to greet him. They waved flags and raised slogans as his convoy passed through the area.

Artists from different parts of the country, including West Bengal, performed traditional dances at designated spots along the route.

Vadodara, May 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his call for reduced fuel consumption, greater use of public transport and electric vehicles by citizens, and urged people to defer gold purchases amid the West Asia crisis which has caused large-scale disruptions.

Addressing a gathering in Vadodara after inaugurating the Sardar Dham Hostel built by the Patidar community, Modi appealed to people to opt for work from home, a pandemic-era practice, wherever possible and reduce foreign travel.

“The West Asia crisis is one of the worst in the decade; just as we overcame the COVID-19 pandemic, we will come out of this also,” the Prime Minister asserted.

Modi noted citizens had always fulfilled their responsibilities whenever the country faced war or any other major crisis.

“Whenever India faced war or any other major crisis, citizens fulfilled their responsibilities upon the government’s appeal; we need to do the same today,” the PM told the gathering.

The prime minister stressed the need for reduced imports — India heavily relies on West Asia for crude oil and LPG — and avoid unnecessary expenditure involving foreign currency.

“We must make every effort to reduce the use of imported products and avoid personal activities that involve spending foreign currency,” Modi maintained.

Calling for fuel conservation measures, he urged people to reduce fuel consumption and shift to public transport or electric vehicles.

He appealed to citizens to defer gold buying in view of the prevailing global situation as a significant amount of foreign exchange goes into importing the precious metal.

Modi had spoken about these austerity measures for the first time in the backdrop of the West Asia crisis while speaking at an event in Telangana on Sunday and reiterated them in Gujarat a day later.