I&B Ministry
Major reshuffle of IIS officers by I&B Ministry
NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is all set for a major reshuffle of Indian Information Service (IIS) officers posted all over the country.
Senior IIS officer S. R. Kar has been posted as director (Media and Communications) in the Press Information Bureau following his promotion to the selection grade. Kar will continue to look after the work of DPR (Defence) as well.
K Muthukumar, who was until now posted in the Prime Minister’s Office, has been transferred to Doordarshan News as additional director general.
Jane Namchu who was special correspondent for Prasar Bharati in Kathmandu has been posted in the Directorate of Field Publicity in Siliguri. He succeeds Akash Luxman who has been posted as director (lEC) in the Rural Development Ministry.
D M Kakadia has been moved from the Rural Development Ministry as director (News) in DD News.
R K Jain has on repatriation from Directorate of Film Festivals been posted as director (News) in the News Services Division in All India Radio.
Manisha Verma who was until now director (M&C) in PIB, New Delhi has been moved as chief media in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry and will also look after the publicity work of the Ministry, which has currently been under the charge of PIB officers.
Raj Kumar moves from the Central Board of Film Certification’s Delhi office to become Director (M&C), PIB.
K Satish Nambudiripad will become a director (M&C), PIB on repatriation from the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry.
A K Mishra moves from CBFC Cuttack to become director in the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity. He replaces R K Jain who has been moved to Bhopal as director in DFP with additional charge of RNU, DD Kendra in Bhopal.
Prabhavati Akashi who was director (M&C) in PIB, New Delhi is being moved as director of DFP in Pune. She is replaced as Director (M&C), PIB, New Delhi by Maushami Chakravarty on repatriation from Heavy Industries Ministry.
S K Mohapatra who was Deputy Director (M&C), PIB, New Delhi is now being moved as deputy director (M&C), PIB in Kolkata.
J Kamraj, deputy director (News), DD News, New Delhi is to be the new deputy director (News), DD Kendra in Chennai.
Neetu Sona M., until now assistant director (News), in NSD: AIR, New Delhi is moving as assistant director to the Publications Division in Thiruvananthapuram.
Sukhendu Das, until now assistant director (News), DD Kendra in Imphal is to join as assistant director (News), DD Kendra in Kolkata. He replaces R L Borathakur who is being moved as assistant director (News), DD Kendra in Guwahati.
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.
