Evaluate the performance of Fast Track Special Courts in reducing pendency of rape and POCSO cases.

Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) are a Centrally Sponsored Scheme run by the Department of Justice. The scheme was launched in October 2019 under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, with a target of 1,023 courts for time-bound trials of rape and POCSO cases [2]. FTSCs have made trials faster, but the number of pending cases is still not falling.

Achievements

• Higher productivity: an FTSC disposes of about 9.51 cases a month, against 3.26 in a regular court. That is nearly three times faster [3].
• Scale: by June 2025, 725 FTSCs, including 392 exclusive POCSO courts, had disposed of over 3.34 lakh cases [4].
• Specialisation: exclusive e-POCSO courts in districts with high pendency give children trials suited to their needs [2].
• Assured funding: the Centre's share of the cost comes from the Nirbhaya Fund [4].

Limitations

• Backlog still growing: in 2024, 88,902 new cases came to FTSCs but only 85,595 were disposed of [3].
• Disposal is not justice: the reported 96.28% disposal rate counts acquittals as well as convictions [3]. The conviction rate in rape cases is below 30% [1].
• Shrinking network: the target was cut to 790 courts when the scheme was extended to March 2026 [4]. Working courts fell from 755 in May 2024 [5] to 725 in June 2025 [4].
• Dependence on States: States must create the posts and appoint the judges. The scheme has been extended twice for short periods, so the courts have no permanence [4].
• Forensic bottleneck: trials stall while they wait for DNA reports, however fast the court is. The government's own assessment calls for more forensic staff [6].
• Overall trend: pending rape cases keep increasing, even though the number of cases registered each year has stayed about the same since 2018 [1].

FIR → Investigation → DNA report (delay) → FTSC trial → Verdict (disposal ≠ conviction) Fig: Where delay builds up in rape trials

Verdict and Way Forward

• FTSCs have improved speed but have not reversed pendency, so their success is only partial.
• Each court should publish its conviction rate and trial duration, not just its disposal figures.
• FTSCs should become permanent courts with dedicated judges.
• State Forensic Science Laboratories should be funded together with the courts [6].

FTSCs show that dedicated courts deliver faster trials. However, an incomplete network and forensic delays keep pendency rising. Making the courts permanent, adding forensic capacity alongside them and measuring them by convictions would turn speed into justice. That would fulfil Article 21's promise of a speedy trial and SDG 16's goal of access to justice.