I&B Ministry
I&B min requests ministries to clear dues to media
MUMBAI: The media industry has been in doldrums in India due to a massive drop in ad volumes. While the industry already experienced a slowdown in FY19, the countrywide lockdown has worsened the crisis. Post COVID-19 period, many of the media houses are sacking employees, cutting salaries, shutting down divisions and furloughing workforce, making a huge number of journalists and employees vulnerable. In this dire situation, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has asked other ministries to clear dues to the private media sector and the Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) in order to sustain the cashflow.
Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment
As MIB is in urgency to have their funds released, it has, in a letter to the ministry of communications, ministry of electronics and IT, and department of posts, requested to make the payments to BOC at earliest. The payments are due for various communication and advertisement works undertaken in previous years. MIB has mentioned that it would enable BOC to release it for respective media houses.
The letter has also mentioned that if all payments due to the private media sector are made to them, it could prevent layoffs and pay cuts keeping the businesses afloat. It also noted that these media houses are supporting the government’s efforts to communicate with its citizens during the COVID-19 crisis.
So how much money do various ministries owe to the media sector?
According to a document sourced by Indiantelevision.com, total pending outstanding due to the media sector by several ministries stands at total Rs 230.82 crore, which include a due of Rs 68.77 crore to the television segment and Rs 99.14 to the print media.
Ministry of agriculture owes RS 6.14 crore
Ministry of communications and IT owes Rs 16.05 crore
Ministry of corporate affairs owers Rs 1.62 crore
Ministry of finance owes Rs 30.86 crore
Ministry of environment and forest owes Rs 2.33 crore
Ministry of health and family welfare owes Rs 55.81 core
Ministry of home affairs owes Rs 6.44 core
Ministry of human resources and development owers Rs 18.99 crore
Ministry of labour and employment owes Rs 19.96 crore
Niti Aayog owes Rs 13.05 crore
Ministry of rural development owes Rs 24.47 crore
Ministry of shipping, road transport and highways owes Rs 14.38 crore
Ministry of social justice and empowerment owes Rs 1.84 crore
Ministry of textile owes Rs 5.14 crore
Ministry of tourism owes Rs 4.83 crore,
Ministry of women and child development owes Rs 8.91 crore
MIB has also stated how the newspaper industry and FM Radio sector are under stress due to heavy input costs, import duty on newsprint and low advertisement and stoppage of transport respectively.
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.
