PIB TrackerFaster, digital courts: 775 fast-track courts and eCourts Phase III
In a cluster of Monsoon-Session replies, the Law Ministry set out the machinery for speedier justice — 775 Fast Track Special Courts functional across 29 states/UTs, the ₹7,210-crore eCourts Phase III, and ₹2,010 crore in the 2026 Budget for judicial infrastructure and court digitisation.
What happened
- 775 Fast Track Special Courts — including 398 exclusive POCSO courts — are functional across 29 states/UTs (as on 30 April 2026); the scheme is extended to 30 September 2026.
- eCourts Phase III (2023-27), approved 13 Sept 2023 with a ₹7,210-crore outlay, is moving courts to digital, paperless working.
- It deploys digitisation, virtual hearings, interoperability, AI, analytics and OCR; 2,977 court complexes now have bandwidth.
- Union Budget 2026 allocates ₹2,010 crore — ₹810 cr for court infrastructure and ₹1,200 cr for eCourts III.
- DISHA 2.0 (₹255 cr, 2026-31) expands legal aid via Tele-Law (14454), Nyaya Bandhu, legal literacy and VIDHI-Sanjeevani.
For Prelims
- Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs): A Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Oct 2019) for speedy trial of rape and POCSO cases; 775 functional (398 exclusive POCSO), extended to Sept 2026.
- POCSO Act, 2012: The law against child sexual offences that these exclusive courts serve.
- eCourts Phase III: 2023-27, outlay ₹7,210 cr (approved 13 Sept 2023) — digital, paperless courts using AI, OCR, virtual hearings and interoperability.
- Budget 2026 for justice: ₹2,010 cr = ₹810 cr (district/subordinate court infrastructure, CSS) + ₹1,200 cr (eCourts III).
- DISHA 2.0: A Central Sector Scheme (₹255 cr, 2026-31) for tech-driven legal aid — Tele-Law (14454), Nyaya Bandhu, legal literacy, VIDHI-Sanjeevani.
- Division of roles: Case disposal is the judiciary's domain; the executive builds the enabling infrastructure and technology.
For UPSC: A governance-and-judiciary staple. Use it for judicial pendency and access to justice, the eCourts Mission Mode Project, Fast Track/POCSO courts, legal aid (Article 39A, NALSA, Tele-Law), and the executive-judiciary division of labour in reforming the justice system.
What it is NOT: These are enabling schemes and infrastructure — not a means for the executive to decide or dispose of cases, which remains squarely within the judiciary's domain.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS2.6 · GS2.15 · Linkage L2
Anchor
Justice delayed is justice denied — the state is wiring courts for speed and reach.
Substantiation (data)
775 FTSCs (398 POCSO) in 29 states/UTs; eCourts Phase III at ₹7,210 cr; ₹2,010 cr in Budget 2026; DISHA 2.0 legal aid at ₹255 cr.
Exemplification
Virtual hearings, digitised records and AI/OCR under eCourts; Tele-Law's toll-free 14454 taking legal advice to panchayat-level Common Service Centres.
Problematisation
Vacancies, uneven state uptake, the digital divide and data security temper the gains from technology and new courts.
Way-forward
Fill judicial vacancies, standardise digitisation, protect court data, and pair fast-track courts with better investigation and prosecution.
Position
Technology and infrastructure can widen access, but only alongside judicial capacity and due process.
Deploys into: Judiciary + governance (GS2.6, GS2.15) · judicial pendency and access to justice, the eCourts project, Fast Track/POCSO courts, and legal aid under Article 39A/NALSA.
Ministry of Law and Justice · 2026-07-25 · PRID 2289464 · PIB source ↗