In 2022, as many as 239,188 cases out of 268,038 cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO, 2012), were awaiting trial, a pendency rate of 89.2 percent, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

A lack of infrastructure and judges means that courts especially set up for quick justice are also burdened, leading to delayed justice for stakeholders, especially the victims of crimes such as sexual violence.

Since 2019, when a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme for FTSCs was launched, these courts have disposed of 299,624 cases, while 204,122 are pending, as per a Department of Justice dashboard.

Two government sources provide different data on fast-track courts in India. The Department of Justice Dashboard says there are 747 such courts, including 406 exclusively for cases under POCSO, 2012; the Minister for State for Law and Justice, Arjun Meghwal, had told Parliament in December 2024 that 863 fast-track courts were operational in India as of October 2024.

The 14th Finance Commission recommended setting up 1,800 FTSCs from 2015 to 2020 for speedy trials of specific cases related to women, children, senior citizens, disabled persons, persons infected with terminal ailments etc. and property-related cases pending for more than five years. 

Then the Union government set up a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the Fast Track Special Courts Scheme in 2019, following the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, which among other things, added a death penalty for those convicted of rape. This was also done post a Supreme........

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