High courts, district courts conducted 25 lakh digital hearings during COVID-19 pandemic: Prasad

India is one of few countries where work did t stop due to coronavirus pandemic, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Pras said on Wednesday, ting that government liberalised ‘work from home’ rms for purpose.

He said 85 per cent of work continued despite pandemic outbreak.

"It was digital ecosystem which kept world toger through internet, mobile phones and or IT enabling platforms," Pras said at a virtual event.

pandemic affected health, life and safety of people around world, but it also gave a lot of opportunities, he said, ding that it created many challenges requiring legal solutions.

high courts and district courts in country conducted about 25 lakh digital hearings during pandemic and Supreme Court h around 10,000 hearings digitally, minister ted.

India has 25 high courts and nearly 19,000 district courts.

Virtual courts have been rolled out in more than seven cities and 25 lakh cases were disposed of, mostly related to traffic violations. A sum of Rs 115 crore was collected as fine in traffic-related cases, Pras said.

Pras, who also holds charge of Information and Techlogy and Telecom ministries, said data is going to drive ecomy.

"We are going to make a very robust data protection law where re is a fine blend between privacy of an individual as regard to control over his data, thing can be transferred without his consent," he said.

On law education in India, Union minister said it is very important that students are taught to think global but remain connected with local.

Local issues and ideas, expectations and people's aspirations are important because y have shaped our evolution of constitutional ethos, he said.

law minister also felt that for a functional democracy, country needs trained lawyers to judicate cases in courts. He said law practice needs patience and hard work.