I&B Ministry
EC to confer awards to media for creating electoral awareness
NEW DELHI: National Media Awards will be presented to media houses for conducting campaigns to educate and make voters aware of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Announcing this, the Election Commission of India asked for entries by 15 November and said the awards will be presented on 25 January, the National Voters Day.
Awards will be given separately to print and electronic media. The Commission has directed Chief Electoral Officers of all states to send nominations of two media houses, which worked to create awareness during elections.
The Commission has directed its award related circular to be uploaded to the Chief Electoral Officer’s website. Media houses may also send their nominations directly to the Election Commission, it said.
A jury constituted by the Election Commission will consider nominations, which should reach it along with the states CEOs’ recommendation by 30 October.
The Election Commission will also award civil society organisations for outstanding campaigning to create voter awareness. Civil societies extending maximum co-operation to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office may be nominated for this award.
Written recommendation of Chief Electoral Officer or District Election Officer should accompany every nomination, it said. Self-nomination would not be considered.
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.
