Basics & Legal Framework
- FTSC Objective: Expedite trials in rape and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) cases.
- Legal Mandate:
- Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 introduced stricter provisions and faster timelines.
- Supreme Court (July 2019) directive: Any district with 100+ pending POCSO cases must set up an exclusive special court.
- Implementation:
- Central government launched FTSCs in August 2019.
- 725 FTSCs functional in 30 States/UTs, including 392 exclusive POCSO courts.
Relevance : GS 2(Judiciary)
Targets & Performance
- Target disposal rate: 165 cases annually per FTSC.
- Ground reality:
- As of June 30, 2025:
- 1,66,882 rape/POCSO cases instituted.
- Only 2,718 disposed of → extremely low clearance rate.
- Delhi example: 16 FTSCs (11 for POCSO) still face backlog.
- As of June 30, 2025:
Structural Challenges
- Overloaded Dockets:
- Fast-tracking one case often delays others due to resource constraints.
- Insufficient Infrastructure:
- Lack of adequate judges, prosecutors, and trained staff.
- Underutilisation of Provisions:
- Despite legal timelines (2 months for certain cases), delays persist due to procedural bottlenecks.
Criticisms
- Advocate Rebecca John:
- Calls FTSCs a “political gimmick” — no real capacity to handle volume.
- Limited benefit when the judiciary is overburdened as a whole.
- Advocate Shilpi Jain:
- Notes avoidable delays — many cases could conclude quickly due to fewer witnesses.
- Victim Impact:
- Delays prolong trauma and weaken deterrence value of the law.
Policy-Level Concerns
- Justice Delivery Paradox: Speed in select cases may harm balance across the judicial system.
- Need for Systemic Reform:
- Increase overall judicial capacity, not just create parallel fast-track mechanisms.
- Strengthen witness protection, digital evidence handling, and pre-trial processes.
