I&B Ministry
Pakistan Government should lift ban on Indian TV: I&B minister at BES Expo inaugural
NEW DELHI: India’s information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today hinted to the Pakistani government that it should lift the ban on Indian TV channels and help in the free flow of information. This act would further the confidence building process between the two countries.
”Pakistan should follow the Indian model and be as liberal in transmission of Indian contents as we are. It will strengthen people-to-people contact,” said Prasad, while delivering the inaugural speech at the 10th international conference of the Broadcast Engineering Society (BES) in the capital today.
”Realising well the importance of free to air transmission, which caters to a majority of the population, and, in turn, meets the larger social objective, the government is committed to extend fullest support to the public broadcasters (Doordarshan and All India Radio) ,” said Prasad.
The statement, in a way, seems like a justification for the huge loan that the I&B ministry would be extending to DD and AIR’s parent organization, Prasar Bharati, during 2004-05, as part of the budgetary proposals announced yesterday by the finance minister.
Dwelling on his pet subject, the dissemination of development-related information on TV channels, Prasad exhorted the private sector to have a proper balance between technological advancement and content in order to realise the larger social goals.
The minister also said that his ministry has asked broadcast regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( TRAI), for inputs on revenue sharing and spectrum management for FM radio even as it is still considering the Dr Amit Mitra task force report on the second round of licensing in this sector.
“We have received the taskforce report and are considering it. Meanwhile, I have asked the new regulator TRAI for inputs on revenue sharing and spectrum management in FM radio,” Prasad said.
Earlier, Prasad conferred the BSE’s honorary fellowship to Asia Broadcasting Union (ABU) general-secretary David Ashley and a Canada-based organisation CRC’s vice-president (marketing and business development) Dr Veena Rawat.
Also speaking on the occasion, Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma said the KU-band direct-to home (DTH) transmission would formally start from April this year. Others who spoke at the inauguration function included I&B ministry secretary Pawan Chopra.
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.
