Fast Track Special Courts scheme extended to March 2031
The Cabinet approved five more years of support for courts handling rape and POCSO cases, with provision to expand coverage to 850 courts.
The story in brief
The 4 November decision covers 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031, with a total outlay of ₹3,788.04 crore. The Centre’s ₹2,353.15-crore share will come from the Nirbhaya Fund; participating States and Union Territories fund the remainder.1 The scheme provides for expansion from 779 functioning courts to 850, including exclusive POCSO courts. Additional districts will be identified using pending-case data. Each court is to have a dedicated judicial officer, special public prosecutor and six support staff.1 Union Cabinet release: The government expects dedicated staffing and child-friendly witness spaces to support faster trials and reduce pending cases.1
Context: The expansion is a provision under the scheme, not confirmation that all 850 courts are already operating.
Who this matters for: Survivors and their families
Not yet known
New district locations and individual case timelines are not announced.
Sources
- 1Cabinet approves continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 ↗Union Cabinet / PIB · 4 November 2026
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