I&B Ministry
Justice BN Srikrishna Committee submits data protection report
MUMBAI: The much-awaited report on the data protection law was submitted by the Justice BN Srikrishna committee to Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday. The committee was constituted on 31 July last year.
Prasad said government will go through the draft before finalising the legislation and will take stakeholders’ comments along with taking cabinet approval. “It is a monumental law and we would be like to have widest parliamentary consultation… We want Indian data protection law to become a model globally, blending security, privacy, safety and innovation,” he said as per a report by Indian Express.
Justice Srikrishna mentioned three aspects of the report. While the citizen’s rights have to be protected and the responsibilities of the states have to be defined, data protection can’t be at the cost of trade and industry. He further added the draft bill has been prepared through an open process where the members of the committee consulted all stakeholders.
Excerpts from the bill:
Processing (collection, recording, analysis, disclosure, etc) of personal data should be done only for “clear, specific and lawful” purposes and only necessary data for such processing can be collected. Personal data collected, used, shared, disclosed or otherwise processed by companies incorporated under Indian law will be covered, irrespective of where it is actually processed in India.
The law will have jurisdiction over the processing of personal data if such data has been used, shared, disclosed, collected or otherwise processed in India. However, in respect of processing by fiduciaries that are not present in India, the law shall apply to those carrying on business in India or other activities such as profiling which could cause privacy harms to data principals in India.
Data related to these categories have been termed as sensitive personal data-passwords, financial data, health data , official identifiers which would include government issued identity cards; sex life and sexual orientation; biometric and genetic data, transgender status or intersex status, caste or tribe and religious or political beliefs or affiliations.
Violation of data protection law many cause penalty. The amount would be up to the fixed upper limit or a percentage of the total worldwide turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher.
The data principal shall have the right to restrict or prevent continuing disclosure of personal data by a data fiduciary related to the data principal where such disclosure— a) has served the purpose for which it was made or is no longer necessary; b) was made on the basis of consent under section 12 and such consent has since been withdrawn; or c) was made contrary to the provisions of this act or any other law made by parliament or any state legislature.
The central government shall establish for the purposes of this act, the Data Protection Authority of India which shall consist of a chairperson and six whole-time members. It shall be the duty of the authority to protect the interests of data principals, prevent any misuse of personal data, ensure compliance with the provisions of this act, and promote awareness of data protection.
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.
