I&B Ministry
MIB’s Rathore admits to online media norms panel’s new avatar
NEW DELHI: We had told you earlier, but now it’s official coming straight from the horse’s mouth. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, led by an Olympics medal winning Rajyavardhan Rathore, has passed the baton to another government set-up to finish exploring regulations for the online media and content.
“The Ministry of I&B had constituted a committee on 4 April 2018 for framing regulations for online media/news portals and online content, including digital broadcasting, which encompasses entertainment/infotainment and news/media aggregators,” MIB Minister Rathore said today in Parliament.
He added: “However, since government had constituted an inter-ministerial committee on ‘Investment in Critical National Infrastructure, Digital Broadcasting and related issues’, which in its first meeting held on 10 May 2018 observed that some of the Terms of References (ToRs) and issues of the two committees are common, a decision was taken to dovetail the ToR of the committee constituted by this Ministry with that of the committee on ‘Investment in Critical National Infrastructure, Digital Broadcasting and related issues’.”
The minister was replying to queries raised on proposed online media regulations by a fellow parliamentarian.
The MIB panel, when constituted under the stewardship of Minister Smriti Irani, had drawn flak on many counts. One of many criticisms was that it was beyond MIB’s remit to deal with things that are internet-based as they fall within the purview of Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity). Another drawback to the formation of this panel was that it had representatives from various government organisations, but no representation from India’s thriving and blooming online media that the committee was supposed to look into.
The very fact that another government committee is supposed to look into matters relating to online media should continue keeping online players on their toes.
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.
