Lok Sabha Question No. 3412 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Children-Friendly Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Jagdambika Pal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW& JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3412

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY THE 5 th  AUGUST, 2022

## Children-Friendly Courts

## 3412. SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL :

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  established  any  children-friendly  special  courts under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO);
- (b) if so, the number of children-friendly special courts under POCSO which have been established till date, State-wise;
- (c) if not, the reason behind the same;
- (d) the number of cases pending under POCSO as on date, and
- (e)  the  steps  taken/proposed  by  the  Government  to  resolve  the  issues  pending under POCSO?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a)  to  (d):  Setting  up  of  subordinate  courts  including  children-friendly  special courts  under  Protection  of  Children  from  Sexual  Offences  Act  (POCSO)  comes within the domain of the State Governments which they set up as per their need and resources in consultation with their respective High Courts.

Union of India,  in  pursuance  to  the  Criminal  Law  (Amendment)  Act,  2018,  has started  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  setting  up  1023  Fast  Track  Special Courts (FTSCs) including 389 exclusive  POCSO Courts (e-POCSO) for expeditious trial and disposal of cases related to rape and POCSO Actin October 2019. The scheme was embarked to be implemented in 31 States/UTs. As per data received from High Courts,  728FTSCsincluding  408 e-POCSO  Courts  are functional in 28 States/UTswhich have disposed more than 1,02,000 cases and a total of 1,89,000 cases were pending in these FTSCs including e-POCSO Courtsas on 30 th June, 2022. The State-wise details of functional FTSCs including e-POCSO Courts are given at Annexure .

(e):  For  smooth  functioning of FTSCs including e-POCSO courts and to resolve the  issues  pending  therein,  regular  review  meetings  are  being  conducted  by  the Department of Justice with Registrar Generals of High Courts and State Government functionaries.  The  last  review  meeting  was  conducted  between  25 th July, 2022 to 29 th July, 2022 with all the States/UTs and High Courts. In addition, letters  have  been  written  by  Minister  Law  and  Justice  to  Chief  Ministers  of States/UTs and Chief Justices of High Courts Secretary for early operationalization of the remaining FTSCs.

## State-wise details of Functional FTSCs including exclusive POCSO Courts

(As on 30 th

Annexure June, 2022)

| S.No.   | State/UT         | Functional FTSCs                | Functional FTSCs   |
|---------|------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------|
|         |                  | FTSCs including exclusive POCSO | exclusive POCSO    |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh   | 12                              | 12                 |
| 2       | Assam            | 17                              | 17                 |
| 3       | Bihar            | 45                              | 45                 |
| 4       | Chandigarh       | 1                               | 0                  |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh     | 15                              | 11                 |
| 6       | Delhi            | 16                              | 11                 |
| 7       | Goa              | 1                               | 1                  |
| 8       | Gujrat           | 35                              | 24                 |
| 9       | Haryana          | 16                              | 12                 |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh | 6                               | 3                  |
| 11      | Jammu &Kashmir   | 4                               | 2                  |
| 12      | Jharkhand        | 22                              | 16                 |
| 13      | Karnataka        | 22                              | 16                 |
| 14      | Kerala           | 28                              | 14                 |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh   | 67                              | 57                 |
| 16      | Maharashtra      | 39                              | 21                 |
| 17      | Manipur          | 2                               | 0                  |
| 18      | Meghalaya        | 5                               | 5                  |
| 19      | Mizoram          | 3                               | 1                  |
| 20      | Nagaland         | 1                               | 1                  |
| 21      | Odisha           | 36                              | 15                 |
| 22      | Punjab           | 12                              | 3                  |
| 23      | Rajasthan        | 45                              | 30                 |
| 24      | Tamil Nadu       | 14                              | 14                 |
| 25      | Telangana        | 36                              | 2                  |
| 26      | Tripura          | 3                               | 1                  |
| 27      | Uttar Pradesh    | 218                             | 74                 |
| 28      | Uttarakhand      | 4                               | 0                  |
|         | TOTAL            | 728                             | 408                |