There are over 17.5 lakh pending cases in fast-track courts across the country, Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal said in a written reply to a question by senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik. Mr. Wasnik said the figures were “eye-opening” and showed that fast-track courts could not be the solution to paper leaks and other examination-related irregularities, as projected by the government in the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which was passed by Parliament during the current session.

There are 884 fast-track courts functional across 21 States and Union Territories, with a combined pendency of 17,54,675 cases. The courts have also reported low conviction rates. The government informed the Rajya Sabha that Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir recorded the lowest conviction rates among fast-track special courts for three consecutive years, from 2023 to 2025.

Andhra Pradesh’s conviction rate stood at 3.97% in 2023, 5.19% in 2024 and 5.55% in 2025. Jammu and Kashmir recorded rates of 6%, 4.50% and 4.44% during the same period. West Bengal also posted low conviction rates in 2023 and 2024, at 1% and 2%, before rising to 11% in 2025.

Citing these figures, Mr. Wasnik said the low conviction rates illustrated a failure of prosecution. “It also shows that the concerned governments have not paid heed to the problem or taken steps to ensure that the prosecution does its job effectively,” he said.

“Lessons from the existing pendency and conviction rates in fast-track courts should be an eye-opener for the government while presenting such courts as a solution to deal with paper leaks and other examination-related irregularities,” Mr. Wasnik, who also heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, told The Hindu.

Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram posted the strongest conviction rates during the three-year period. Meghalaya recorded conviction rates of 58.49%, 45% and 52.78%, respectively. Nagaland’s rate rose from 24% in 2023 to 80% in 2025. Mizoram’s conviction rate increased from 14.14% to 58.50% over the same period. Tamil Nadu maintained a steady conviction rate of over 25% each year.

Published - August 13, 2026 09:37 pm IST