The Union government has passed a law to tackle question paper leaks in government competitive examinations, enabling states to set up special fast-track courts to complete cases within a fixed timeframe. The move comes amid growing public scrutiny following the NEET-related paper leak controversy.
Under the legislation, those involved in leaking question papers can face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to Rs 10 crore. The law also sets deadlines: trials are to be completed within two months from the filing of the charge sheet, and court procedures are to be wrapped up within three months.
However, opposition parties and legal experts have questioned whether deadlines on paper can translate into speedy justice without adequate staffing and facilities. In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cited government data to argue that fast-track courts already face heavy backlogs, with 1.44 lakh new cases registered in 2025 but only 66,500 disposed of, leaving about 2.46 lakh cases pending in fast-track courts.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also pointed to a recent hearing in the NEET paper leak case, where bail pleas of two accused were adjourned after no one appeared for the CBI. He argued that without stronger prosecution and support systems, merely creating fast-track courts may not deliver results.
Across the country, around 4.8 crore cases are pending in subordinate courts, with criminal matters forming a large share. Critics warn that shifting existing judges to special courts without appointing more judges—and without improving infrastructure, prosecutors and forensic support—could worsen delays in regular courts while failing to meet fast-track targets.
