I&B Ministry
Govt. considering ways to check hoax calls and their sensationalization on electronic media: Rathore
New Delhi, 20 March: The Government is examining ways to ensure that hoax calls about planting of bombs etc and sensationalizing of such news by the electronic media can be checked.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha recently that the matter was ‘under consideration’.
The question also related to the I and B Ministry planning concrete steps in consultation with the Home Ministry in this regard.
In response to a similar question relating to anti-India messages on television channels asked in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said action is taken whenever any report is received by the Ministry about any anti-India messages.
He stressed that programmes and advertisements telecast on private satellite TV channels are governed by the Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995 and the rules framed thereunder.
The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of the programmes and advertisements aired on these channels. However, all these channels are required to adhere to the Programme and Advertisement codes which provide for a whole range of parameters to be adhered to for programmes on TV channels.
Rule 6(1) of the Proqramme Code is clear that no programme should be transmitted/retransmitted on any cable service if it contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes.
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.
