I&B Ministry
Ideologically I&B Ministry should be abolished: Javadekar
NEW DELHI: Virtually echoing the views of former Minister Manish Tewari, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that he ‘philosophically’ and ‘ideologically’ favoured abolishing his Ministry.
However, he justified this by noting that it was in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis of ‘less government, more governance’.
“Philosphically or ideologically, I’ll be willing to do that,” he said, when asked if India needed an I&B Ministry when many major democracies do not have such a profile.
Asked whether Modi was also “philosophically and ideologically” in agreement with his line of thinking, Javadekar said: “Absolutely”, during an interview by Karan Thapar on Headline Today’s programme “Nothing but the Truth.”
The Minister agreed with the suggestion for hiring professional editors for Doordarshan and All India Radio.
He was also open to discussion with stakeholders on more FDI in media.
“I think you are giving a good line for us. But ultimately, when our Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that more governance and less government, so you are actually contributing to the idea of less government and more governance. That’s our focus, but to achieve that end we have to follow a process,” he said.
The Minister said that as far as the public broadcaster is concerned, there are various models like the BBC and others available which would be studied. Javadekar said he was not in favour of a model where the public broadcaster is accountable to the minister “only”.
Javadekar said in the years ahead, words like “government-run”, “government-controlled” or “government intervention” will be less heard of.
“But I would like that government becomes less and less and freedom and market forces and at the same time social justice is achieved,” Javadekar concluded.
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: 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.
