The Centre has earmarked ₹2,010 crore in the Union Budget 2026 to strengthen judicial infrastructure and accelerate the digitisation of courts across India, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed the Lok Sabha on 26 July. The outlay covers physical court infrastructure, digital transformation under the eCourts initiative, and capacity-building programmes for judicial staff.

How the Funds Are Split

Of the total allocation, ₹810 crore has been set aside under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for the Development of Infrastructure Facilities for District and Subordinate Courts. A separate ₹1,200 crore has been allocated for the eCourts Project Phase-III, which focuses on digitising court processes, training, and building institutional capacity across the judiciary.

According to the minister, budgetary provisions under these schemes are determined by approved outlays and the availability of funds, ensuring alignment with fiscal planning cycles.

What the Government Said

Arjun Ram Meghwal, responding in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question, acknowledged that faster case disposal depends on several variables beyond infrastructure alone. 'The expeditious disposal of cases depends on multiple factors including complexity of case, quality of investigation, availability of relevant evidence and presentation thereof by the Advocates, timely delivery of the court processes, active participation of the parties, judicial procedures, etc,' he said.

The Centre, he added, is working in coordination with state governments and the judiciary to ensure accessible, speedy, and effective justice delivery nationwide.

Fast Track Courts: Status and Extension

Separately, the minister updated the House on the status of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive POCSO (ePOCSO) courts, launched in October 2019 to expedite trials in rape and child sexual offence cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

The scheme, originally designed to establish 790 FTSCs, was extended twice. Its last formal extension ran until 31 March 2026, and has since been temporarily extended to 30 September 2026. As of 30 April, 775 FTSCs — including 398 exclusive ePOCSO courts — were operational across 29 states and Union Territories, according to data provided by High Courts.

Why This Matters

India's judicial system carries a pendency burden running into tens of millions of cases. The eCourts Phase-III investment, in particular, signals a structural push toward paperless proceedings, e-filing, and virtual hearings — reforms that reformers and legal experts have long argued are essential to clearing backlogs. Notably, this is the third phase of the eCourts programme, reflecting the government's sustained commitment to digital court infrastructure since the initiative's earlier rollouts.

With the FTSC scheme now temporarily extended, the focus turns to whether the remaining 15 courts out of the sanctioned 790 can be made operational before the September 2026 deadline, and whether a longer-term renewal will follow.