Establishment of Fast-Track Courts : NEET Protest
The Prime Minister of India announced the establishment of Fast-Track Courts (FTCs) to ensure swift and stringent punishment for individuals and syndicates involved in public examination paper leaks.
- This policy directive comes in response to the massive nationwide protests over irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination.
- Subsequently, the Delhi High Court constituted a Special Fast-Track Court to exclusively try offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, with all pending cases under the Act transferred to the new court for speedy disposal.
- The Prime Minister of India announced the establishment of Fast-Track Courts (FTCs) to ensure swift investigation and speedy trials in public examination paper leak cases, aiming to strengthen deterrence and restore public confidence in the integrity of competitive examinations.
- While FTCs provide timely judicial remedies, preventing paper leaks requires broader institutional reforms, including strengthening the National Testing Agency (NTA), implementing the Dr. K. Radhakrishnan Committee (2024) recommendations, adopting secure digital technologies, and enhancing accountability.
- Fast-Track Courts (FTCs) are specialized judicial mechanisms established to expedite the trial and disposal of specific, high-priority, or long-pending cases, thereby reducing the immense backlog burdening India’s regular subordinate judiciary.
- The Supreme Court has repeatedly read the right to a speedy trial into Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) (e.g., Hussainara Khatoon v. Home Secretary, State of Bihar, 1979).
- Unlike regular courts governed strictly by uniform codes of criminal procedure, there is no single central legislation that universally establishes or governs all fast-track courts.
- Instead, they are created through periodic finance commission recommendations, specific central schemes, or high court notifications.
