Cabinet Extends Fast Track Special Courts Scheme to 850 Courts

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved on 4 November 2026 the continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), exclusive POCSO courts included, for a further five years. The extension runs from 01.04.2026 to 31.03.2031, that is FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.

The money

The scheme has an outlay of Rs 3,788.04 crore. Of this the Central share is Rs 2,353.15 crore and the State and Union Territory share Rs 1,434.89 crore. The Centre's part comes out of the Nirbhaya Fund.

How many courts

The scheme will now provide for 850 Fast Track Special Courts, up from the 779 working at present, of which 399 are exclusive POCSO courts. The additional districts will be picked on the strength of pending rape and POCSO cases. Each court is to have a dedicated judicial officer, a Special Public Prosecutor assigned to it alone and six support staff.

Where the scheme came from

It began on 2 October 2019, following the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 and a Supreme Court direction of 25 July 2019 in a suo motu criminal writ petition. The court had asked for exclusive special courts in every district carrying more than 100 pending cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. Twenty-nine States and Union Territories take part, and the scheme has disposed of 4,02,457 cases since it started. It was first sanctioned for a single year and then extended repeatedly, up to 31.03.2026, before this five-year approval.

What is expected of it

The Department of Justice runs the scheme with State governments and Union Territory administrations, and tracks performance on an FTSC dashboard, through progress reports and expenditure statements. The aim is faster trials for victims of sexual offences, fewer pending cases, child-friendly courtrooms with Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres, and better access to justice for women and children, who are the scheme's primary beneficiaries.