I&B Ministry
Fifth National Community Radio Sammelan to commence in capital, Jaitley to inaugurate
NEW DELHI: The fifth National Sammelan for Community Radio Stations will be inaugurated in Delhi on 16 March by Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitely.
Minister of State for I&B Rajyavardhan Rathore will also be present on the occasion.
The Sammelan will bring together Community Radio Operators, policy makers, Ministries/Departments, the UN and other International bodies like UNICEF and UNESCO and other stakeholders for exchange of ideas and cross learning.
The sessions will highlight the vision of the Community Radio movement in India and its role in setting the agenda on the development discourse at the local level.
The three-day workshop will discuss several important issues such as the role of community radios in good governance, sustainability, content sharing and programming for development. It will delve into the role that Community Radio can play in community learning, promoting livelihoods and agriculture, promoting water conservation and sanitation, strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions, financial inclusion, legal literacy and facilitating access to justice for marginalized communities.
A compendium containing inspiring stories of community radios from all over the country will be released.
The National Community Radio Awards would also be presented to promote better programming on CR stations and motivate CR operators to achieve goals of community empowerment.
The Ministry has been organising the National Community Radio Sammelan every year since 2011. The Ministry has also been organising intensive Awareness Workshops in various parts of the country to increase awareness about Community Radio. Sixty three Workshops have been organized so far. These workshops have proved to be useful not only to operate Community Radio Stations in an effective way.
The Ministry has so far issued 409 permissions to set up community radio stations in the country. Out of this, 179 stations have become operational while others are in the pipeline.
The Ministry has also streamlined the approval process for setting up of Community Radio Stations. The applicants can now apply online and track the status of their pending application through a Comprehensive Community Radio Management Information System. A Facilitation Centre has also been set up, with a Toll Free number (1800-11-6346) for providing information. Efforts have also been taken by the Ministry to enable Community Radio Stations to sustain themselves. The Ministry has also introduced a Plan Scheme to provide financial assistance to existing and new community radio stations for infrastructure/equipment/training/capacity building etc.
The Ministry has also been advocating with various stakeholder Ministries like Health, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Science and Technology and Tribal Affairs to use the medium of CR to reach out to the masses.
I&B Ministry
CBFC speeds up film certification; average approval time cut to 22 days
Over 71,900 films cleared in five years as digital system shortens approval timelines
MUMBAI:Â The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has significantly reduced the time taken to certify films, with the average approval timeline now down to 22 working days for feature films and just three days for short films.
Operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the statutory body certifies films for public exhibition in line with the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. The rules prescribe a maximum certification period of 48 working days, though the adoption of the Online Certification System has sharply accelerated the process.
Over the past five years, from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the board certified a total of 71,963 films across formats. Of these, the majority fell under the U category with 41,817 titles, followed by UA with 28,268 films and A with 1,878 films. No films were certified under the S category during the period.
Film approvals have also steadily risen in recent years. The CBFC cleared 8,299 films in 2020-21, a figure that peaked at 18,070 in 2022-23 before settling at 15,444 films in 2024-25. During the same period, 11,064 films were certified with cuts or modifications.
Despite the high volume of certifications, outright refusals remain rare. Only three films were denied certification over the last five years, with one refusal recorded in 2022-23 and two in 2024-25.
The board may recommend cuts or modifications if a film violates statutory parameters relating to the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, defamation, contempt of court or incitement to an offence.
Filmmakers can challenge CBFC decisions in court. Data shows that such disputes remain limited but have seen some fluctuation. Between 2021 and 2025, a total of 21 certification decisions were challenged before High Courts, with the number rising to 10 cases in 2025.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan shared the data. The question was raised by Mallikarjun Kharge.
With faster timelines and a largely digital workflow, the certification process appears to be moving at a far brisker pace, signalling a shift towards quicker clearances for India’s growing film output.
