Lok Sabha Question No. 88 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-02
Subject: Setting up of Women Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Arun Kumar Sagar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†88 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 2 ND  FEBRUARY, 2024

## SETTING UP OF WOMEN COURTS

†88. SHRI ARUN KUMAR SAGAR

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

- (a)  the  number of women courts set up to dispose the cases related with atrocities on women till date in the country, State-wise/location-wise;
- (b) whether there is any proposal to establish women courts in some more States; and (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a): The  Central  Government  has  set  up  special  courts  for  dealing  with  crimes committed  against  women  and  atrocities  on  women.  The  details  of  such  courts  for women are as follows:
- i. Under  the  aegis  of  the  Fourteenth  Finance  Commission,  the  government  has established  Fast  Track  Courts  (FTCs)  for  dealing  with  cases  of  heinous  crimes, cases involving senior citizens, women, children etc. As of 31.12.2023, 851 Fast Track  Courts  are  functional  for  heinous  crimes,  crimes  against  women,  and children etc. The detailed, State/location-wise list of FTCs are at Annexure-I .
- ii. Further,  to  provide  for  stringent  provisions  and  expeditious  trial  and  disposal  of

cases  involving  incidents  of  rape  and  gang  rape  of  minor  girls  and  women,  the Central Government enacted 'The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018'  that led  to  the  setting  up  of  the  Fast  Track  Special  Courts  (FTSCs).  The  Central Government approved a scheme for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across  the  country  for  the  expeditious  disposal  of  pending  cases  of  Rape  under erstwhile Indian Penal Code (present Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023) and crimes under  Protection  of  Children  from  Sexual  Offenses  (POCSO)  Act,  2012.  As  of 30.11.2023,  a  total  of  757  FTSCs  including  411  exclusive  POCSO  (e-POCSO) Courts are functional in 30 States/UTs across the country which have disposed of more than 2,14,000 cases. The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 28.11.2023 has further extended this Scheme for another three years i.e. from 01.04.2023 to 31.03.2026  at  a  total  financial  outlay  of  Rs.1952.23  Cr.  with  Rs.1207.24  Cr.  as Central Share to be incurred from Nirbhaya Fund. The detailed, State/location-wise list of FTSCs are at Annexure-II .

- iii. Further, as per information provided by Ministry of Women  and Child Development,  the  Government  has  launched  ' Mission  Shakti' ,  an  integrated woman empowerment programme which is carefully designed to touch upon and address  all  concerns  and  issues  of  women.  One  of  the  components  included  in Mission Shakti is Nari Adalat which aims for providing women with an alternate Grievance Redressal Mechanism for resolving cases of petty nature (harassment, subversion, curtailment of rights or entitlements) faced by them at Gram panchayat level. The component of Nari Adalat is being implemented in a phased manner.

Assam  and  Jammu  and  Kashmir  have  been  selected  by  the  Ministry  to implement  the  new  component  of  Nari  Adalat  on  a  pilot  basis.   Jammu  and Kashmir has chosen 2 districts, viz., Kupwara and Baramulla covering 50 villages with 9 members in each panchayat in the initial phase during the year 2023-24.

The State Government of Assam has selected 7 districts and 7 blocks covering 50 village panchayats with 7 members in each panchayat in the initial phase during the  year  2023-24.  The  details  of  7  districts  and  blocks  chosen  by  Assam  are  as under:-

## Districts and Blocks in the state of Assam

|   Sl.No. | District                | Blocks        |
|----------|-------------------------|---------------|
|        1 | Barpeta                 | Mandia        |
|        2 | Baksa                   | Tamulpur      |
|        3 | Goalpara                | Lakhipur      |
|        4 | South Salmara-Mankachar | Fekamari      |
|        5 | Udalguri                | Bhergaon      |
|        6 | Darrang                 | Pub Mangaldoi |
|        7 | Morigaon                | Kapili        |

In respect of Jammu and Kashmir, funds to the tune of Rs. 21.60 Lakhs and for Assam funds to the tune of Rs.20.80  Lakhs  have  been  released  during  the  current financial year 2023-24.

(b) & (c): At  present,  there  are  no  proposals  pending  with  Union  of  India  to establish women courts in other States.

*******

## Annexure-I

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART(A) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 88 FOR ANSWER ON 02.02.2024 REGARDING 'SETTING UP OF WOMEN COURTS'.

## STATUS OF STATE/UT-WISE FAST TRACK COURTS (AS ON 31.12.2023)

| Sl. No.   | Name of the States/UTs   |   Number of Functional Court in December -2023 |
|-----------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh           |                                             22 |
| 2         | Andaman &Nicobar island  |                                              0 |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh        |                                              0 |
| 4         | Assam                    |                                             15 |
| 5         | Bihar                    |                                              0 |
| 6         | Chandigarh               |                                              0 |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh             |                                             23 |
| 8         | Dadra &Nagar Haveli      |                                              0 |
| 9         | Delhi                    |                                             27 |
| 10        | Diu &Daman               |                                              0 |
| 11        | Goa                      |                                              6 |
| 12        | Gujarat                  |                                             54 |
| 13        | Haryana                  |                                              6 |
| 14        | Himachal Pradesh         |                                              3 |
| 15        | Jammu &Kashmir           |                                              8 |
| 16        | Jharkhand                |                                             36 |
| 17        | Karnataka                |                                              0 |
| 18        | Kerala                   |                                              0 |
| 19        | Ladakh                   |                                              0 |
| 20        | Lakshadweep              |                                              0 |
| 21        | Madhya Pradesh           |                                              0 |
| 22        | Maharashtra              |                                             95 |
| 23        | Manipur*                 |                                              6 |
| 24        | Meghalaya                |                                              0 |
| 25        | Mizoram                  |                                              2 |
| 26        | Nagaland                 |                                              0 |
| 27        | Odisha                   |                                              0 |
| 28        | Puducherry               |                                              0 |
| 29        | Punjab                   |                                              7 |
| 30        | Rajasthan                |                                              0 |
| 31        | Sikkim                   |                                              2 |
| 32        | Tamil Nadu               |                                             72 |
| 33        | Telangana                |                                              0 |
| 34        | Tripura                  |                                              3 |
| 35        | Uttar Pradesh            |                                            372 |
| 36        | Uttarakhand              |                                              4 |
| 37        | West Bengal              |                                             88 |
|           | Total                    |                                            851 |

* Data upto 30.11.2023

## Annexure-II

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART(A) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 88 FOR ANSWER ON 02.02.2024 REGARDING 'SETTING UP OF WOMEN COURTS'.

## STATE/UT-WISE STATUS OF FAST TRACK SPECIAL COURTS(AS ON 31.12.2023)

*The UT of Puducherry specially requested to join the Scheme and has since operationalized one exclusive POCSO Court in May, 2023.

| Sl. No.   | State/UT          | Functional Courts      | Functional Courts   |
|-----------|-------------------|------------------------|---------------------|
| Sl. No.   | State/UT          | FTSCs including ePOCSO | ePOCSO              |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 16                     | 16                  |
| 2         | Assam             | 17                     | 17                  |
| 3         | Bihar             | 46                     | 46                  |
| 4         | Chandigarh        | 1                      | 0                   |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      | 15                     | 11                  |
| 6         | Delhi             | 16                     | 11                  |
| 7         | Goa               | 1                      | 0                   |
| 8         | Gujarat           | 35                     | 24                  |
| 9         | Haryana           | 16                     | 12                  |
| 10        | Himachal Pradesh  | 6                      | 3                   |
| 11        | J&K               | 4                      | 2                   |
| 12        | Jharkhand         | 22                     | 16                  |
| 13        | Karnataka         | 31                     | 17                  |
| 14        | Kerala            | 54                     | 14                  |
| 15        | Madhya Pradesh    | 67                     | 57                  |
| 16        | Maharashtra       | 19                     | 10                  |
| 17        | Manipur           | 2                      | 0                   |
| 18        | Meghalaya         | 5                      | 5                   |
| 19        | Mizoram           | 3                      | 1                   |
| 20        | Nagaland          | 1                      | 0                   |
| 21        | Odisha            | 44                     | 23                  |
| 22        | Puducherry*       | 1                      | 1                   |
| 23        | Punjab            | 12                     | 3                   |
| 24        | Rajasthan         | 45                     | 30                  |
| 25        | Tamilnadu         | 14                     | 14                  |
| 26        | Telangana         | 36                     | 0                   |
| 27        | Tripura           | 3                      | 1                   |
| 28        | Uttarakhand       | 4                      | 0                   |
| 29        | Uttar Pradesh     | 218                    | 74                  |
| 30        | West Bengal       | 3                      | 3                   |
| 31        | A&N Islands       | 0                      | 0                   |
| 32        | Arunachal Pradesh | 0                      | 0                   |
|           | TOTAL             | 757                    | 411                 |