News In Brief 05-11-2026

Extension to Fast-track Special Courts Scheme 

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

In News

• The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive POCSO Courts, for a further period of five years. 

Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts

• The Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts was launched in 2019 in pursuance of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, and in compliance with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
•  The Supreme Court had directed the establishment of exclusive Special Courts in districts having more than 100 pending cases under the POCSO Act, 2012.
• The Scheme was initially launched for a period of one year and was subsequently extended up to 31.03.2026.
  •  The present approval ensures continuation of the Scheme for a further period of five years, i.e. up to 31.03.2031.

Major features of the approved Scheme 

• The Scheme shall be implemented by the Department of Justice in coordination with the respective State Governments and UT Administrations. 
• The Scheme has provision for the operationalisation of 850 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive POCSO Courts, across various participating States/Union Territories.
• Provision of a dedicated Judicial Officer, Special Public Prosecutor, and 6 support staff to facilitate expeditious disposal of pending cases relating to rape and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
• Provision of financial assistance to participating States/UTs for meeting the operational expenditure of FTSCs, in accordance with the CSS funding pattern.

Impacts

• Providing Speedy Justice: Ensuring faster trials and timely justice for victims of sexual offences.
• Reducing Pending Cases: Reducing the number of pending cases of Rape and POCSO Act cases.
• Child-Friendly and Victim-Centric Environment: The Scheme encourages establishment of Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres (VWDCs) and child-friendly court spaces to facilitate victim testimonies without causing further distress.
• Reduced inequality: By prioritizing cases involving vulnerable groups (women and children), the scheme intends to reduce inequalities in access to justice.

Source: PIB

Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Union Govt. has extended the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II until March 2028.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)

• It was launched in 2014 to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status nationwide by 2019, and all districts were declared ODF by 2019–20. 
  • As of December 31, 2025, over 96% of villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission have attained ODF Plus status. 
  • An ODF Plus village is defined as one that sustains its ODF Status, ensures solid and liquid waste management, and remains visually clean. 
• SBM(G) Phase-II was being implemented from 2020-21 to 2025-26 in a mission mode.
• The key objective of SBM(G) Phase II is to sustain the ODF status of villages and to improve the levels of cleanliness in rural areas through solid and liquid waste management activities, making villages ODF Plus. This includes:
  • ODF-Sustainability; 
  • Solid Waste Management;
  • Liquid Waste Management;
  • Visual cleanliness.
• The Centre and states share the cost of all components in the following ratios: 90:10 for northeastern and Himalayan states, including Jammu and Kashmir; 60:40 for other states; and 100:0 for Union Territories.

Source: IE

QS Asia Rankings 2027

Syllabus: GS2/Education; Miscellaneous

Context

• The QS Asia University Rankings 2027 showed a decline in rankings for around 71% of Indian universities.

About the Rankings

• Released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, an international higher education analytics organisation, the rankings assess universities across Asia.
• The 2027 edition features 1,722 universities from 26 higher education systems.
• The rankings assess universities across 11 indicators, including academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per paper, papers per faculty, staff with PhDs, international research network, international faculty and student mobility. Academic reputation carries the highest weight at 30%, followed by employer reputation at 20%.

Key Highlights: Global

• The University of Hong Kong retained the first position, followed by Peking University.
• Tsinghua University climbed six places to secure the third position.
• Hong Kong had five universities in the top 10, mainland China had three, and Singapore had two.

Key Highlights: India 

• India’s representation rose to 325 institutions from 294 last year, making it the second most represented higher education system in the region, after mainland China, which increased its tally to 448 from 395.
  • Since 2016, India’s representation has increased more than thirteenfold, from 24 to 325 institutions.
• Only six Indian institutions feature in the top 100. All six have declined in the latest edition.
• IIT Delhi, the country’s highest-ranked institution, fell seven places to 66 from 59 in the previous edition. 

Source: IE

Sharjah Award for Best International Non-Fiction Book

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• Nirmala Lakshman has won the Sharjah Award for Best International Non-Fiction Book for her book ‘The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community’.

About the Book

• Drawing on historical research and personal observations, the book explores the history, society and culture of the Tamil people, tracing the community’s evolution across centuries and its influence beyond geographical boundaries.
• Going beyond familiar symbols of Tamil culture, such as the Chola dynasty, temples, Carnatic music and classical literature, it also uncovers little-known facets of Tamil heritage.

Sharjah Award for the Best International Book

• This award honors outstanding and distinguished international books by granting two prizes:
  • A prize of AED 50,000 for the Best International Fiction Book.
  • A prize of AED 50,000 for the Best International Non-Fiction Book.

Source: TH