I&B Ministry
Dasmunshi to open Cwealth Broadcast Asscn meet
NEW DELHI: Whats common between I&B minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, Prannoy Roy, old BBC hand Mark Tully, ABC chairman Donald McDonald and BBC Worlds Richard Sambrook?
Well, all these TV and media personalities and many more will be sharing their views on broadcasting and latest trends in Delhi as part of the 26th general conference of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA).
The conference, which is being co-hosted by Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati, will be held from February 15-18 where the theme is `Making A Difference in the Multi-Platform World.
The conference, to be inaugurated by Dasmunshi, is likely to be attended by more than 250 delegates from over 100 Commonwealth nations.
While Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma will deliver the welcome address, I&B secretary SK Arora will give the keynote address.
Though the list of speakers almost looks like a media list of whos who of the Commonwealth nations, the attractions include the media-shy NDTV president Roy who is speaking on the first day on `Making a Difference:
Income and Impact.
On the second day, Prasar Bharatis Sarma and Zee Telefilms director Punit Goenka are slated to speak on `New Content, New platforms.
Doordarshan DG Navin Kumar, BBC World Service and Global News director Richard Sambrook and South African Broadcasting Corporation group CEO Dali Mpofu will share their thoughts on `Survival Strategies for Public Broadcasters.
Other key speakers include the Commonwealth secretary-general Rt Hon Don McKinnon, Irene Khan, secretary-general of Amnesty International, AIRs director-general B. Singh and UNESCO additional director-general (communication & information) Abdul Waheed Khan.
Apart from live demonstrations on the emerging medium of podcasting, a 30-minute compilation of items about the Commonwealth and about Commonwealth countries and peoples, titled `Pick of the Commonwealth will be made available as a podcast.
This means that anyone can subscribe (free) to the programme, and receive automatic downloads. Full instructions and how to make use of this new service are on www.cba.org.uk/pick. It is presented by Robin White, formerly with the BBC World Service. The programme has a shelf-life of a month and is downloadable in broadcast quality.
The CBA Awards will be presented on the evening of 16 February at a dinner at which Sir Mark Tully will be the master of ceremonies.
NDTV, ABC, Bharat Sanchar Nigam, BBC World Service, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), ONGC and the British Council in India are some of the major sponsors. Exhibitors include SHAF Broadcast, BBC World Service Trust, ABC Asia Pacific, VT Communications, Inscriber, Red Bee, Teko Telecom and Prasar Bharati.
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.
