I&B Ministry
Inquiry ordered into crash of AIR FM tower servicing five private FM operators in Delhi
NEW DELHI: The government has ordered an inquiry into the reported crash during a storm on 30 May of the 149-meter high power FM transmitter of All India Radio in Kingsway Camp in north Delhi.
The services of five private FM operators who were using this transmitter were ‘severely’ disrupted following the crash as the antennae and feeder cable were damaged.
The tower was built by the Broadcast Engineering Consultants (India) out of funds provided by the government.
The inquiry to be completed within 15 days and submitted to Information and Broadcasting Ministry secretary Bimal Julka will be conducted by former AIR chief engineer Mukul Tyagi, former TSL (Allahabad) chief manager A K M Tripathy, Prasar Bharati director (E) P Das, and Telecom Engineering Centre director (Radio) Bal Kishan.
The Committee will go into the circumstances of the crash, and construction of the tower including site selection and awarding of tenders etc. Any expenditure involved in testing samples of the tower will be borne by the government.
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.
