Centre Expands Fast-Track Courts To Expedite Justice Delivery (Img: X)
New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday approved the continuation and strengthening of 850 fast-track special courts across the country to expedite trials in rape and child sexual abuse cases. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision taken in the Cabinet.
The move is intended to speed up trials and clear the backlog of cases involving sexual offences, particularly cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The Centre also cleared several proposals concerning energy storage, critical minerals, database development and the armed forces.
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The Cabinet approved the continuation of the centrally sponsored Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) scheme, including exclusive POCSO courts, for another five years, from April 2026 to March 2031.
Cabinet approves the continuation and expansion of the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) to 850 courts to ensure faster justice in cases of rape and child sexual abuse.
The Government is committed to addressing any social challenges or vulnerabilities that lead to atrocities against women or affect the well-being of our future generations. This includes making new laws wherever necessary and improving their implementation.
-Union Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw
#CabinetDecisions
— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 4, 2026
FTSCs were launched in October 2019 following the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, and a Supreme Court directive. The initiative is intended to ensure time-bound trials and disposal of pending rape and POCSO cases.
The aim is to expand the network from 779 operational courts to 850, with a financial outlay of Rs 3,788.04 crore. The expansion is expected to improve the disposal of pending cases. The coverage of courts will be expanded to those districts where a large number of cases are pending.
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Under the scheme, each fast track court will have eight members, which would include one judicial officer, one special public prosecutor and six support staff members.
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The Centre will also provide financial assistance to states and Union Territories for running these courts. The funding will be provided under the prescribed financial arrangement of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
