NationalSaturday, 22 August 2026·Hindu Tamil Thisai
POCSO courts in 17 districts, new special courts and prison upgrades announced in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu announced POCSO courts in 17 districts, special NDPS courts, and prison and law college infrastructure upgrades in August 2026.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In August 2026, Tamil Nadu Law Minister C. T. R. Nirmalkumar announced POCSO courts in 17 districts, new special courts for NDPS cases, and prison and law college infrastructure upgrades.
Key specifics
- POCSO courts will be set up in 17 districts, including Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Salem, Tirunelveli, Ariyalur and Pudukkottai.
- 3 special courts will be created in Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Vellore for NDPS cases, plus 1 additional special court in Chennai.
- A new district prison complex for 500 inmates will be built in Tiruvallur at a cost of ₹48.76 crore.
- LLM courses will start in 2026-27 in 4 government law colleges: Salem, Namakkal, Theni and Karaikudi.
- Monthly honorarium for prison mental health counsellors will rise from ₹25,000 to ₹30,000.
Exam lens
TNPSC can ask a judiciary-and-prisons question set on POCSO, NDPS, prison reforms and legal education; remember 17 districts, 3+1 special courts, ₹48.76 crore, 500 inmates, and the ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 hike.