The Union Cabinet approved on 4 November 2026 the continuation of the Fast Track Special Courts Scheme for five years from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme will run 850 courts for speedy trial of rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences cases with a total outlay of Rs 3788.04 crore. The expansion from 779 functional courts will extend coverage to more districts with high case pendency.
What Did the Union Cabinet Approve for Fast Track Special Courts?
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive POCSO Courts, for the period from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031. This covers the financial years FY27 to FY31. The decision was taken on 4 November 2026.
The approved scheme carries a total financial outlay of Rs 3788.04 crore. Of this, the Central Share is Rs 2353.15 crore and the State and Union Territory Share is Rs 1434.89 crore. The Central Share will be met from the Nirbhaya Fund.
The main features of the approved scheme are straightforward. The scheme will continue for five years. It will support the operation of 850 FTSCs across participating 29 States and Union Territories. Each court will have a dedicated Judicial Officer, a dedicated Special Public Prosecutor and 6 support staff to speed up trials in rape and POCSO cases. Central assistance will be given to States and Union Territories for operational costs as per the approved funding pattern.
What Is a Fast Track Special Court and Which Cases Does It Handle?
A Fast Track Special Court is a dedicated district level trial court set up only to hear rape cases and cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The term fast track means the court handles a limited type of cases on a day to day basis to deliver a verdict in a time bound manner. A fast track special court does not hear civil disputes, property cases or other criminal cases.
Each FTSC is expected to dispose of at least 165 cases per year, or about 41 to 42 cases per quarter. In practice, the average disposal has been lower because of high pendency, vacancies, delays in forensic reports and complex evidence in sexual offence cases. The new phase retains this target and asks States and High Courts to reduce pendency through better staffing and monitoring.
FTSCs handle two clear case groups. The first group covers rape offences. The second group covers all offences against children under the POCSO Act, which are tried only in exclusive POCSO courts in districts with large pendency. Out of the present 779 functional FTSCs, 399 are exclusive POCSO Courts. These courts focus only on child victims and follow child friendly procedures.
How Fast Track Special Courts Differ From Ordinary Fast Track Courts
Ordinary Fast Track Courts (FTCs) were first set up in 2000 on the recommendation of the Eleventh Finance Commission. The Commission had flagged nearly two crore pending cases in district courts and granted Rs 502.90 crore for 1734 additional courts to clear long pending sessions cases. The central funding for those courts ended in 2011, after which many States ran them from their own funds.
FTSCs differ in purpose, funding and staffing. They were launched separately on 2 October 2019 only for sexual offences against women and children. They receive dedicated central funds under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme linked to the Nirbhaya Fund. They have a fixed staffing norm of one Judicial Officer, one Special Public Prosecutor and six support staff, plus a mandate to create victim friendly spaces. An ordinary FTC can hear many types of long pending criminal or civil cases, while an FTSC cannot move beyond rape and POCSO cases.
What Is the POCSO Act and What Punishments Does It Prescribe?
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, commonly called the POCSO Act, is a special law to protect children below 18 years of age from sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography. The Act came into force on 14 November 2012. It defines a child as any person below 18 years and lays down child friendly rules for reporting, recording of statements, medical examination and trial, including in camera proceedings and protection of identity.
The Act prescribes graded punishments based on the seriousness of the offence. Penetrative sexual assault carries a minimum of 10 years imprisonment extending to life imprisonment with fine under Section 4. If the victim is below 16 years, the minimum punishment is 20 years extending to life imprisonment for the remainder of natural life. Aggravated penetrative sexual assault under Section 6, which covers assault by persons in authority such as police, public servants, armed forces personnel or relatives, assault causing death of the child, or assault during natural calamity, carries rigorous imprisonment of at least 20 years extending to life or death penalty with fine.
The POCSO Amendment Act, 2019, which took effect on 16 August 2019, raised these minimums and added the death penalty for aggravated penetrative assault. It also strengthened punishment for using children for pornographic purposes under Section 14 to at least five years on first conviction and at least seven years on repeat conviction. Storage of child pornography under Section 15 now draws fine starting at Rs 5000, imprisonment up to three years for transmission or distribution, and three to five years on first conviction for commercial use, rising to five to seven years on repeat conviction.
Why Was the FTSC Scheme Launched in 2019?
The FTSC Scheme was launched on 2 October 2019 after the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, which introduced stricter punishment including death penalty for rape of girls below 12 years. In the same period, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the rise in rape and child abuse cases in Suo Motu Writ (Criminal) No. 1 of 2019. On 25 July 2019, the Court directed the Centre to set up exclusive special courts in every district with more than 100 pending POCSO cases.
The Department of Justice under the Ministry of Law and Justice designed the scheme to meet that direction. It was initially planned for 1023 courts, including 389 exclusive POCSO Courts, for one year. The scheme was then extended in phases, with the target revised to 790 courts up to 31 March 2026. As of mid 2026, 779 courts, including 399 exclusive POCSO Courts, were functional in 29 States and Union Territories.
Since inception, these courts have disposed of 402457 cases. Up to 30 June 2026, about 396940 cases had been disposed of while 256097 cases remained pending. During calendar year 2023, about 81471 new cases were instituted and 76319 cases were disposed of, a disposal rate of 93.6 percent. Evaluations by the National Productivity Council in 2021, the Indian Institute of Public Administration in 2023 and NITI Aayog later found the scheme effective in speeding up trials and recommended its continuation with better forensic support and witness facilities.
How Will the Expanded Scheme Be Funded and Run?
The extended scheme follows the Centrally Sponsored Scheme funding model. The Centre and States share costs in the ratio of 60 to 40 for most States, and 90 to 10 for northeastern and Himalayan States and Union Territories with legislature. Funds are reimbursed to States after they submit expenditure statements. Since the start of the scheme, the Department of Justice has released Rs 1259.51 crore to States and Union Territories.
The Central Share of Rs 2353.15 crore for the FY27 to FY31 phase will come from the Nirbhaya Fund. The Nirbhaya Fund is a non lapsable corpus announced in the Union Budget 2013-14 with an initial contribution of Rs 1000 crore after the December 2012 Delhi gang rape case. The fund, named with the pseudonym given to the victim, supports projects for safety of women. It is administered by the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, while the Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal ministry to appraise and recommend proposals through an Empowered Committee chaired by the Secretary.
Implementation rests with the Department of Justice working with State Governments, Union Territory administrations and High Courts. The number of courts will grow from 779 to 850 based on pendency data, so new courts will open in additional districts where rape and POCSO backlogs are highest. Each court will get one Judicial Officer, one Special Public Prosecutor and six support staff to handle day to day trial work and reduce old pending cases.
How Are Fast Track Special Courts Monitored for Speedy Justice?
The Department of Justice tracks every FTSC through an online FTSC Dashboard. High Courts upload monthly data on cases instituted, cases disposed of and cases pending. New columns record how long each court took to decide a case, whether within two months, between two and 12 months, or beyond 12 months, and how long pending cases have waited since the filing of the charge sheet. This lets the Centre, States and High Courts spot slow moving courts and act quickly.
Regular review meetings are held by video conference with States and High Courts. The Minister of Law and Justice has written to Chief Ministers and Chief Justices to ensure strict compliance with time limits under the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Performance of FTSCs is also discussed in Inter-State Zonal Council meetings to improve coordination between governments and the judiciary.
The scheme also pushes for victim friendly infrastructure. FTSCs are encouraged to set up Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres (VWDCs) and child friendly court spaces within existing court complexes. In these centres, a child or woman victim can give testimony through video link or behind a screen without facing the accused, with support to reduce trauma. A Supreme Court committee chaired by Justice Gita Mittal prepared model guidelines for these centres, which most High Courts have adopted, and training has covered more than 10000 participants. Evaluations have further asked States to strengthen forensic labs for timely DNA reports, appoint trained and where possible women prosecutors, and provide child psychologists and audio video recording in courtrooms.
Key Takeaways
- The Union Cabinet approved continuation of the FTSC Scheme for five years from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031 with an outlay of Rs 3788.04 crore.
- The scheme will expand from 779 to 850 courts, including 399 exclusive POCSO Courts, across 29 States and Union Territories.
- The Central Share of Rs 2353.15 crore will be funded from the Nirbhaya Fund, set up in 2013 and administered by the Department of Economic Affairs.
- Each FTSC will have one Judicial Officer, one Special Public Prosecutor and six support staff and will handle only rape and POCSO Act cases.
- The POCSO Act, 2012 protects children below 18 years, and its 2019 amendment raised minimum punishment and added death penalty for aggravated penetrative assault.
