SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has only four functional Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including two exclusive courts for cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Union government informed Parliament on Friday.
In a written reply to a starred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said 775 FTSCs, including 398 exclusive POCSO courts, were functional across 29 States and Union Territories as of April 30, 2026. The centrally sponsored scheme, launched in October 2019 to ensure the speedy trial of rape and POCSO cases, has been temporarily extended till September 30, 2026.
According to the state-wise data placed before Parliament, Jammu and Kashmir has four functional FTSCs, of which two are dedicated exclusively to POCSO cases.
The Centre also said it released Rs 2.32 crore to Jammu and Kashmir under the FTSC scheme in 2023-24, followed by Rs 1.48 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 1.74 crore in 2025-26, taking the total central assistance over the three-year period to about Rs 5.54 crore.
At the national level, FTSCs registered 81,471 cases in 2023, 88,902 in 2024 and 1,43,936 in 2025. During the same period, the courts disposed of 76,319, 85,595 and 66,500 cases respectively, while pending cases rose from 2,02,175 in 2023 to 2,45,579 by the end of 2025.
The government said it regularly reviews the performance of FTSCs with States, Union Territories and High Courts to improve case disposal and ensure compliance with timelines prescribed under the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. It added that the recruitment of judges and court staff is the responsibility of the respective State governments and High Courts, while judicial infrastructure continues to be supported through a separate centrally sponsored scheme.
