I&B Ministry
Govt. planning a law on downlinking
NEW DELHI: The Indian government is planning to bring in a legislation that would make it mandatory for all channels, foreign or domestic, being downlinked in the country to get registered in the country.
“There is no downlinking law in India at the moment.This is something that we have to think about,” a senior government official today said, pointing out that work in this regard is in progress in the information and broadcasting ministry.Pointing out that most Western countries, where TV broadcasting has evolved over several decades, have downlinking laws too, the official said in India the focus had been on uplinking, which needs to be rectified and balanced out.
Though the government is insisting that work on this piece of legislation has been in progress for quite sometime, it seems that a sense of urgency has been brought about with a telecast row erupting between Ten Sports and Indias pubcaster Doordarshan.
DD has been demanding that Ten share the signals of cricket matches between Pakistan and India, at present being played in Pakistan, be made available to it terrestrially — a move that has been resisted by Ten, which has also gone to the courts over this.
“Such issues could be addressed more effectively if we have a law pertaining to downlinking in place,” the official said.
A law on donwlinking of channels is being proposed as it is felt that in the coming days, cases similar to the present Ten-DD imbroglio may keep erupting leading to time consuming legal process.
The government official pointed out that even DD, which proposes to use various pay and other distribution platforms in places like the UK and the US, has to complete formalities relating to downlinking, which gives a handle to the country in which channels are being downlinked to regulate broadcasting.
However, no time frame has been given by the government to bring in the downlinking law for TV channels. At least for the next three months, it may not come through as it would have to wait till a new government is installed after the general election.
“There is no downlinking law in India at the moment.This is something that we have to think about,” a senior government official today said, pointing out that work in this regard is in progress in the information and broadcasting ministry.Pointing out that most Western countries, where TV broadcasting has evolved over several decades, have downlinking laws too, the official said in India the focus had been on uplinking, which needs to be rectified and balanced out.
Though the government is insisting that work on this piece of legislation has been in progress for quite sometime, it seems that a sense of urgency has been brought about with a telecast row erupting between Ten Sports and Indias pubcaster Doordarshan.
DD has been demanding that Ten share the signals of cricket matches between Pakistan and India, at present being played in Pakistan, be made available to it terrestrially — a move that has been resisted by Ten, which has also gone to the courts over this.
“Such issues could be addressed more effectively if we have a law pertaining to downlinking in place,” the official said.
A law on donwlinking of channels is being proposed as it is felt that in the coming days, cases similar to the present Ten-DD imbroglio may keep erupting leading to time consuming legal process.
The government official pointed out that even DD, which proposes to use various pay and other distribution platforms in places like the UK and the US, has to complete formalities relating to downlinking, which gives a handle to the country in which channels are being downlinked to regulate broadcasting.
However, no time frame has been given by the government to bring in the downlinking law for TV channels. At least for the next three months, it may not come through as it would have to wait till a new government is installed after the general election.
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.
