I&B Ministry
July: 2 Viacom & 3 south channels among 9 permitted, far short of MIB’s March target
NEW DELHI: With nine more television channels getting clearance, the total number of permitted private television channels has risen to 890 by the end of July 2017, still far short of the claim made last year that the country will have 1500 channels by the end of March this year.
The master list issued by the government of 883 includes nine channels the permission of which was “cancelled by the ministry of information and broadcasting due to security denial by the home ministry. However, a stay order (has been granted) by (the) court.”
The number of total channels had grown from 869 in February-end 2016 to 892 in February-end this year but had fallen by 10 since then. In fact, the number had risen to 899 by the end of December 2016 when the total cancellations were 155. By January-end this year, the number had fallen to 889 of which 12 banned channels had received stay orders from courts.
Channels permitted in July include two news channels: Cauvery News in Tamil owned by Cauvery Power Trading Chennai Pvt. Ltd and TVS Kannada owned by Shreya Broadcasting Pvt. Ltd.
Other channels permitted in July this year are: ATR owned by Lex Sportel Vision Pvt. Ltd; V6 ENT in Telugu owned by VIL Media Pvt. Ltd, Travelxp owned by Media Worldwide Limited; My Cam and The Office, both owned by Viacom 18 Media Private Limited; Pitaara owned by Paul E-Commerce Private Limited; and Shop 5 owned by Shopping Zone India TV Pvt. Ltd.
The list of the channels permitted as on 30 July 2017 along with their area and language of operation and the names of owning companies has been placed on the MIB site.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology which goes into issues relating to information and broadcasting had last year noted that the State Finance Commission, while drafting its proposals for the 12th Plan (2012-17), had assumed that the number of permitted TV channels would rise to 1500.
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.
