Justice for survivors of sexual violence just got a five-year guarantee. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 that the Union Cabinet, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) — dedicated benches for rape and POCSO Act cases — for another five years, from FY 2026–27 through FY 2030–31.

What the Cabinet greenlit — and why it matters

Fast Track Special Courts are not ordinary courtrooms. They are purpose-built judicial units designed to slash the pendency that has long plagued sensitive criminal cases involving women and children. The Cabinet's approval ensures that this dedicated infrastructure does not go dark when the previous authorisation cycle lapsed at the end of FY 2025–26. Rijiju framed the decision as a direct expression of the government's commitment to 'speedy justice,' quoting the action under PM Modi's leadership.

The POCSO Act, enacted in 2012 to protect children from sexual offences, routes its most serious cases through these courts precisely because speed is inseparable from justice for young survivors — delayed trials re-traumatise victims and allow accused persons to remain in communities they have already harmed.

From Nirbhaya Fund to a standing national architecture

The scheme's roots trace back to 2019, when the Union Cabinet first cleared a network of 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts using resources from the Nirbhaya Fund — money the government ring-fenced after the outrage that followed the December 2012 Delhi gang-rape case and the sweeping criminal law amendments that followed. What began as a time-bound crisis response has, through successive extensions, hardened into a standing institutional commitment across states.

Each extension cycle has come with performance reviews — case disposal rates, state compliance, judicial vacancies. The latest five-year window signals confidence that the model is working well enough to anchor for the long term, while keeping states accountable for how efficiently the courts actually clear their dockets.

What states and survivors can expect next

The immediate watch-point is state government notifications operationalising the extended funding from April 1, 2027. Periodic case-disposal reports to Parliament will serve as the public scorecard. Crucially, the scheme remains centrally sponsored rather than fully central — states still carry a funding share, meaning administrative and financial bandwidth at the state level will determine how quickly the courts hit full capacity in the new cycle.

For survivors waiting in queue, the extension means the specialised bench that heard their case last year will still be there next year — and the year after that.

Five years, one message: the institutional fight against sexual violence in India's courts is not winding down — it is being locked in.