I&B Ministry
MIB cancels licences of 4 STV Enterprise channels
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) recently cancelled the licences of STV Enterprises’ four channels Punjab Today, STV Haryana News, STV Jammu-Kashmir News and STV UP News (STV-Rajasthan) that were mentioned under the news category.
A while ago, it had also cancelled the licence of V6 ENT channel from VIL Media that was earlier called Nikit Investment Pvt Ltd and was mentioned under the news category.
During the month of January 2019, cancellation of licences to two MSOs Digi Cable Network and SCOD 18 Networking was upheld by the Supreme Court on security grounds. Before moving the apex court, the petitioners had approached the Bombay High Court where their pleas challenging the cancellation order by the MIB were dismissed.
Earlier, the licences issued to these cable TV service providers were cancelled by the MIB on the ground that the Ministry of Home Affairs denied issuance of "security clearance" to them. The apex court bench comprising Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre and Justice Indu Malhotra security agreed that security clearance is a mandatory requirement as per Cable Television Network (Amendment) Rules.
Up until August 2018, MIB was strict in giving channel licences, even cancelling some. 14 channels, whose licences were cancelled by the MIB due to security denial by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), challenged the decision and had got a stay order from the High Court.
Out of these fourteen channels, twelve channels were news channels and two were non-news channels. Mahua Media Private Ltd, Mavis Satcom Ltd, STV Enterprises Ltd and Alliance Broadcasting Private Ltd were the concerned parties.
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.
