Aurelia Butler

The third phase of the eCourts Project is set to begin in 2023 and is designed to bring about a regime of maximum ease of justice. It aims to transition towards digital, online, and paperless courts through the digitization of all court records, including legacy records. Additionally, it seeks to implement universal e-filing/e-payments by saturating all court complexes with e-Sewa Kendras.This phase will also introduce intelligent smart systems that will enable data-based decision-making for judges and registries when scheduling or prioritizing cases. The primary objective is to create a unified technology platform for the judiciary that will offer a seamless and paperless interface between the courts, litigants, and other stakeholders.The government has stated that citizens who lack access to technology will be able to avail judicial services from eSewa Kendras, thereby bridging the digital divide. The digitization of court records will also result in more environmentally friendly processes by minimizing paper-based filings and reducing the physical movement of documents.Furthermore, virtual participation in court proceedings could potentially reduce associated costs such as travel expenses for witnesses, judges, and other stakeholders. Court fees, fines, and penalties can be paid from anywhere at any time.The eCourts Project was conceptualized based on the National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary – 2005. The plan was submitted by eCommittee, a body formed by the Government of India to advise the Chief Justice of India on technological communication and management-related changes.The project, which is funded and monitored by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, has been under implementation since 2007. The first phase concluded in 2015, and the second phase, which was sanctioned with a budget of Rs 1,670 crore, wrapped up in 2023.The allocation of Rs 7,000 crore for the third phase was included in the 2023 Union Budget. Speaking about this allocation earlier this year, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had noted that such endeavors will ensure that the court truly reaches out to every citizen of the country.This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C. More

(Reuters) – Futures contracts that settle to the Federal Reserve’s policy rate on Wednesday reflected growing confidence that the U.S. central bank probably will not increase borrowing costs any further, even after the U.S. government reported August inflation accelerated. After the report the contracts pared earlier losses, as traders priced in a receding likelihood that the Fed will raise the policy rate beyond the 5.25%-5.5% range set in July. The prices now imply about a 60% chance the Fed will keep rates to that range through year end, versus a closer-to-even chance before the report. More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. consumer prices increased by the most in more than a year in August amid a surge in the cost of gasoline, but a moderate rise in underlying inflation could encourage the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold next Wednesday.The consumer price index increased by 0.6% last month, the largest gain since June 2022, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. The CPI had risen 0.2% for two straight months. Gasoline prices accelerated in August, peaking at $3.984 per gallon in the third week of the month, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That compared to $3.676 per gallon during the same period in July.In the 12-months through August, the CPI jumped 3.7% after climbing 3.2% in July. While that marked the second straight month of a pick up in annual inflation, year-on-year consumer prices have come down from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022. The Fed has a 2% inflation target.Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI increasing 0.6% last month and advancing 3.6% year-on-year. The report was published a week before the Fed’s rate decision and followed data this month showing an easing in labor market conditions in August. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI increased 0.3% amid declining prices for used cars and trucks. The so-called core CPI had increased 0.2% for two consecutive months. Though rents continued to increase, the trend is cooling and a further slowdown is expected as more apartment buildings come on the market. In the 12 months through August, the so-called core CPI increased 4.3%. That was the smallest year-on-year rise since September 2021 and followed a 4.7% gain in July.Financial markets overwhelmingly expect the Fed to leave its policy rate unchanged next Wednesday, according to CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) FedWatch tool. Since March 2022, the U.S. central bank has raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by 525 basis points to the current 5.25%-5.50% range. But a rate hike in November remains on the table as services inflation, excluding shelter, remains elevated.Some economists believe inflation risks are tilted to the upside, citing rising insurance costs, especially for motor vehicles. Health insurance costs in the CPI report are expected to rise from October through next spring after the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which compiles the report, recently announced changes to its methodology for measuring these costs.A strike in the automobile sector could disrupt supply chains and boost motor vehicle prices if it lasted more than a month, economists said. United Auto Workers members last month voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a work stoppage at General Motors (NYSE:GM), Ford Motor (NYSE:F) and Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), if an agreement over wages and pension plans was not reached before the current four-year contract expires on Sept. 14. (Reporting Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) More

US inflation exceeded forecasts in August after fuel prices rose, but underlying price pressures eased.The headline rate of consumer prices rose 3.7 per cent year on year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, up from 3.2 per cent in July and higher than consensus forecasts of 3.6 per cent. On a monthly basis, prices increased 0.6 per cent.More than half of the monthly increase was driven by a jump in petrol prices.However, the annual rate of core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy costs and is closely followed by central banks, fell to 4.3 per cent from 4.7 per cent in July. The Fed has lifted interest rates 11 times since March 2022 in an attempt to bring inflation back towards its 2 per cent target. More

The government expects gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 3.2% next year, it said in a statement. It targeted a public-debt-to-GDP ratio of 64% by the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The targets were part of a medium-term plan up to 2027. The move comes as the new administration, led by the populist Pheu Thai Party, prepares a raft of new policies to ease the cost of living, suspend debts for farmers, raise minimum wages and provide handouts to all adult Thais via a digital wallets. The budget earlier this year approved by the previous government projected a 5.18% rise in spending to 3.35 trillion baht, including 717 billion baht in investment. It projected a 14.68% drop in the budget deficit to 593 billon baht, or 3% of GDP. ($1 = 35.7700 baht) More