Concept:
The e-Courts Project in India has introduced "Virtual Courts" to handle petty cases and traffic violations efficiently. A Virtual Court operates completely online under an automated or semi-automated digital infrastructure. It eliminates the traditional necessity for a physical courtroom infrastructure, thereby minimizing travel requirements, cost barriers, and procedural delays for common citizens.
Step-by-Step Analysis:
Let us systematically evaluate both statements to verify their veracity:
• Statement 1 states: "Virtual Court is a concept aimed at eliminating presence of litigant or lawyer in the court". This is completely accurate. The overarching goal of establishing virtual courts (such as the ones dealing with e-challans or minor traffic infractions) is to ensure that cases can be adjudicated online. Litigants or their representing lawyers do not need to physically stand in a courtroom; they can view the summons, plead guilty or contest, and resolve the matter entirely from a computer or mobile interface. Hence, Statement 1 is True.
• Statement 2 states: "For paying the fine online, the receipt cannot be downloaded". This is conceptually and operationally incorrect. Any digital e-governance framework or payment gateway must generate a digital proof of transaction to ensure transparency and accountability. On the official Virtual Courts portal (vcourts.gov.in), once a violator successfully executes an online transaction via net banking, credit/debit card, or UPI to settle a fine, an official electronic Payment Acknowledgement and receipt is instantly generated and made available for download. Hence, Statement 2 is False.
Since Statement 1 is true and Statement 2 is false, the correct option must be Option (A).