The Supreme Court on Thursday announced the launch of portal 'SuSwagatam', which would enable advocates, litigants, interns and others to register themselves online and request for e-passes to enter the apex court.

As soon as a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud assembled to hear a batch of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the CJI announced about this online facility.

"'SuSwagatam' is a web based and mobile friendly application that allows users to register themselves online and request for e-passes for various purposes such as attending court hearing, meeting advocates…," the CJI said.

Justice Chandrachud said, "The 'SuSwagatam' portal was tested as a pilot project since July 25, 2023 and has received positive feedback from the users." He said that as on August 9, more than 10,000 e-passes have been issued through the portal on a pilot basis.

"You do not have to wait in the queue in the morning. All passes are generated online. This is a facility made available from this morning," the CJI said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the courtroom, told the bench that there used to be long queue in the morning hours at the apex court's counter to get the entry pass.

Justice Chandrachud said a video tutorial on how to use the application is also available on the website.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the apex court said 'SuSwagatam' allows users to choose different validity periods for their e-passes, depending on their needs and police clearance certificates.

"The portal also provides role-based secure logins for different types of users where they can upload their proof of identity and capture their live photo during the registration process," it said.

The release said users can scan the QR code on their e-passes, delivered through e-mail and the portal, at the entry and exit gates of the court premises, simplifying the whole access control entry/exit process.

"'SuSwagatam' will enable a user to avoid long queues, and have a paperless entry pass (e-pass) for access at the apex court," it said.

"The launch of 'SuSwagatam' is yet another step under the visionary guidance of Chief Justice of India, Dr Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, to promote citizen friendly access to justice delivery systems and to enhance the convenience and efficiency of the court operations and services through the use of latest technology," it said.

The release said the application has been launched to simplify visitor management at the apex court for advocates, litigants, citizens and all stakeholders.

"The access control entry/exit software allow the users, to register themselves online and request e-passes for various purposes, such as attending court hearings, visiting office blocks, litigants' meeting advocates, or visiting the press lounge," it said.

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