BT Explainer: What are Fast-Track courts and how fast do they work?

The Delhi High Court on Friday constituted a fast-track court to hear exam paper leak cases, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue on X amid protests in the national capital led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Fast-track courts (FTCs) are created to speed up the disposal of cases that would otherwise remain stuck in India's overburdened judicial system for years.

While these courts are designed to hear cases more quickly than regular courts, their jurisdiction, structure and performance vary depending on the type of court and the scheme under which they operate.

Unlike regular courts, there is no single law governing fast-track courts. Instead, they have evolved through government schemes, Finance Commission recommendations and judicial directions.

What are fast-track courts?

The concept of fast-track courts gained momentum after the Fourteenth Finance Commission (2015–2020) recommended setting up 1,800 such courts to reduce pendency. The recommendation covered serious criminal offences such as murder, kidnapping and extortion, long-pending property disputes, and cases involving vulnerable groups, including women, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and terminally ill individuals.

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Separately, in October 2019, the Centre launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) following the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 and a Supreme Court directive. These courts exclusively handle rape cases and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The scheme, funded partly through the Nirbhaya Fund, has been extended until March 31, 2026.

How many fast-track special courts are operational?

According to the Ministry of Law and Justice, as of June 30, 2025, 725 Fast Track Special Courts, including 392 exclusive POCSO courts, were functional across 29 states and Union Territories.

Since the scheme began, these courts have disposed of 3,34,213 cases. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of operational FTSCs at 218, followed by Madhya Pradesh (67) and Kerala (55).

The Centre has allocated ₹1,952.23 crore for the scheme, with a Central share of ₹1,207.24 crore funded through the Nirbhaya Fund.

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How fast do these courts work?

The government says FTSCs dispose of cases significantly faster than regular trial courts.

According to data submitted by High Courts:

Court Type    Average disposal per court per month
Regular trial courts    3.26 cases
Fast Track Special Courts    9.51 cases

This means FTSCs clear nearly three times as many cases every month as comparable regular courts.

Under the central scheme, each FTSC is expected to dispose of 41–42 cases every quarter, or roughly 165 cases annually.

The Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) also recommends that criminal trials should ideally conclude within two years, while trials for sexual offences should preferably be completed within two months. However, these are guiding timelines rather than legally enforceable deadlines.

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Can a fast-track court be created for a single case?

Not automatically. The Supreme Court has held that special courts cannot be created arbitrarily for individual cases merely to ensure a speedier trial.

In the landmark State of West Bengal vs Anwar Ali Sarkar (1952) judgment, the court ruled that selecting cases solely on the basis of "speedier trial" violates Article 14 unless there is a reasonable and objective classification.

However, courts have approved special courts in exceptional cases. Dedicated courts were constituted for the Satyam accounting scam in 2010 and the 2G spectrum allocation case in 2011 to enable day-to-day hearings.

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Have fast-track courts solved the pendency problem?

Despite faster disposal rates, pendency remains high because new cases continue to outnumber disposals in many jurisdictions.

By January 2026, India had 862 regular fast-track courts across 21 states and UTs, alongside 774 FTSCs, including 398 exclusive POCSO courts, operating in 29 states and UTs. More than 2.4 lakh cases remained pending in FTSCs by the end of 2023.

The government has attributed delays to factors such as inadequate infrastructure, complex investigations, shortage of forensic support, witness availability, legal representation and procedural requirements.

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