In a lighthearted courtroom moment, Justice PV Sanjay Kumar of the Supreme Court sparked amusement by confusing Amazon's Kindle e-reader with the popular dating app Tinder. The incident occurred during a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition advocating for rural libraries and promoting reading habits among children.
Justice Kumar, alongside Justice Aniruddha Bose, was presiding over a bench hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition advocating for the establishment of rural libraries to promote reading among villagers, particularly children, for comprehensive education and development, Bar and Bench reported.
Earlier this year, on January 3, the Supreme Court had issued notices to all states and union territories regarding the PIL filed by Advocate-on-Record (AoR) Swati Jindal. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Vikramjit Banerjee informed the Court about plans for e-libraries and the digitization of textbooks.
In response, Justice Kumar humorously remarked to ASG Banerjee, expressing skepticism about the joy of reading on digital platforms: "Mr. ASG, the joy and feel of turning over a new page, where is it available on those digital readers - what do you call it? Tinder?" Correcting the judge, Banerjee clarified that the device referred to was a Kindle.
Amid laughter, Justice Kumar acknowledged his error with a smile, noting the convenience of accessing various content digitally. Yes. Tinder is a dating app, he replied, "Nowadays everything is conveniently available in e-form. Be it Economist, etc. The way we consumed traditionally has to change, my lords, he added.
The light-hearted moment in court highlighted the evolving landscape of reading habits and the integration of technology into traditional practices.