• Incidents of sexual offences and prolonged trials of accused necessitated dedicated court machinery to provide immediate relief to the victims.

• The key motive behind introducing harsh punishment is to create deterrence, but it is only possible if trials are completed within the time frame and justice is delivered expeditiously to the victims. 

• The Supreme Court took up the issue of “completion of timely investigations and consequential trials in the offences under POCSO Act” in suo moto writ petition and issued several directions in this regard on July 25, 2019.

• It highlighted that in each district of the country, if there are more than 100 cases under the POCSO Act, an exclusive/designated special court will be set up which will try no other offence except those under the POCSO Act.

• A Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the establishment of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive POCSO courts for expeditious disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases was introduced in October 2019, following the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 and the order of the Supreme Court.

• The scheme has been extended twice, with the latest extension up to March 31, 2026, targeting the establishment of 790 courts, at an outlay of Rs 1,952.23 crore with Rs 1,207.24 crore as central share to be incurred from Nirbhaya Fund. 

• Setting up and functioning of the FTSCs falls within the domain of state governments in consultation with their respective High Courts which are set up as per their need and resources.

• The amendment Act introduced more stringent punishment including death penalty for committing sexual crimes on children, with a view to deter the perpetrators and prevent such crimes.

Impact of the scheme

• As on January 31, 2025, as many as 745 FTSCs — including 404 exclusive POCSO courts — are functional in 30 states/UTs. These courts have disposed of more than 3,06,000 cases.

• With an impressive disposal rate of 96.28 per cent, FTSCs have significantly expedited justice for survivors of sexual crimes by ensuring swift legal proceedings in cases of rape and offences under the POCSO Act.

• In 2024 alone, as many as 88,902 new cases were instituted, while 85,595 cases were resolved, underscoring the effectiveness of these courts in addressing case backlogs.

• Each FTSC is expected to dispose of 41-42 cases per quarter and at least 165 cases annually to ensure timely justice and case backlog reduction.

• The establishment of FTSCs strengthens government’s initiatives for women security, combating sexual and gender-based violence, reducing the backlog of pending cases related to rape & POCSO Act, and providing enhanced access to justice for survivors of sexual crimes. 

• With professional and experienced judges and support staff specialised in handling sensitive sexual offence cases, these courts ensure consistent and expert-guided legal proceedings offering victims of sexual offences swift resolution in mitigating the trauma and distress and enabling them to move forward. 

• FTSCs have notably adopted the approach of setting up Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres within the courts to facilitate the victims and to make the courts into Child-Friendly Courts for providing crucial support for a compassionate legal system.

Financing of the scheme

• The Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) scheme was initially launched for one year and later extended until March 2023. 

• The Union Cabinet, in its meeting on November 28 2023, further extended the scheme for three more years, from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2026. 

• The total financial outlay for this period is Rs 1,952.23 crore, with Rs 1,207.24 crore as the central share, funded through the Nirbhaya Fund.

• During the financial year 2024-25, a total of Rs 200 crore has been allocated and fully released as the central share of funds for the functioning of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) in states/UTs.

• The financing of FTSCs scheme follows the pattern of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).

i) Cost Sharing: The central government contributes 60 per cent, while state/UT governments contribute 40 per cent. For northeastern states, Sikkim, and the hilly states of J&K (now a Union Territory), Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the ratio is 90:10.

ii) Funding for Union Territories: In UTs with a legislature, the 60:40 ratio applies, whereas in UTs without a legislature, the entire funding is provided by the central government.

iii) Provision of funds is made for meeting expenses related to remuneration to one judicial officer and seven support staff as well as flexi-grants. Flexi-Grant can be utilised for meeting daily operational expenses and making the courts child and women friendly.

iv) Reimbursement Mode: The scheme operates on a reimbursement basis, where funds are released only after the submission of an expenditure statement by the respective state/UT governments. 

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store