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Consider the following statements 1. Fast Track Courts are being set up on the recommendation of the 11th Finance Commission. 2. Fast Track Courts take up Sessions cases pending for two years or more and the cases of undertrials in jails. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Explanation
Fast Track Courts (FTCs) were established in India based on the recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission in 2000 [2]. The commission recommended the creation of 1,734 such courts to address the massive backlog of cases in the lower judiciary [2]. Statement 1 is correct as the scheme was initially funded as a one-time measure for five years (2000–2005) following the commission's report [4]. Statement 2 is also correct; the primary mandate of these courts is to dispose of long-pending sessions cases, specifically those pending for two years or more, and to prioritize cases involving undertrials in jails to reduce prison overcrowding [5]. Although central funding for the original scheme ended in 2011, many states continued these courts, and new variations like Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for sexual offences have since been introduced.
Sources
- [1] https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=14672
- [2] https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=74731
- [4] https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-09/OvercrowdingPrison09052011%5B1%5D_0.pdf
- [3] https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/rti-J-08.pdf
- [5] https://doj.gov.in/fast-track-special-court-ftscs/