The circular that Supreme Court lawyers with children will really appreciate [Read circular]

Working parents at the Supreme Court of India might have it a little easier, courtesy a new move to reduce the fees charged for utilising the creche facilities within the premises of the Apex Court..The reduction in fees comes after a hearing before Ranjan Gogoi and Prafulla C. Pant, JJ on September 5 this year. Filed by advocate Anindita Pujari, the writ petition in question had not only requested a reduction in fees, but also sought a direction that the facilities were maintained in a hygienic fashion..Senior counsel Indira Jaising, who had been appearing for the petitioner, vociferously urged the Supreme Court to make the creche facility free, and that the high fees were acting as a “deterrent”. She had also raised issues such as the procedure for registering a child for a single day, the need for better ventilation, an open air area for children to play, et al..To be used by children of Supreme Court lawyers, as well as those of registered Supreme Court clerks, the creche facilities were introduced in the apex court in November last year..The Supreme Court’s counsel, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra had decided to take the non-adversarial route, and merely said that the issue would be taken up by the court administration. During the final hearing in the matter, Luthra also informed the Court that a more “spacious crèche” with a front yard and garden would be made available inside a new building under construction..Agreeing to the demands, the court has now directed a substantial reduction in the fees. The circular, published last week, states that the monthly fees have been halved, the security deposit has been waived, and the admission fee to the crèche has been reduced to one-third of the original fees..Meanwhile petitioner Anindita Pujari was ecstatic when contacted..“The order, and the ensuing circular, is all the more special because it sees the Law Commission Report finally being implemented”.The LCI report being referred to was one on “Early Childhood Development and Legal Entitlements” [pdf] prepared in August last year..Pujari further added that,.“Women would now have a different sense of the workplace, considering the security that their children are well taken care of. In that sense, the order is one of the very first initiatives in this direction.”