I&B Ministry
No policy announcements, it’s simply ‘Mann ki Baat’
NEW DELHI: The Government has made it clear that the prime minister Narendra Modi’s monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast does not cover any public policy or announcements.
The minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said in the Parliament that “Mann Ki Baat is a unique initiative of the prime minister to reach across to the masses through the Radio and connect with the common man on regular basis, inform them about the initiatives of the Government and seek their support in nation building and governance”.
He added that through this programme the Prime Minister has directly shared his concerns on issues affecting citizens of the country like cleanliness, saving the girl child, welfare of Divyangs, uprooting the menace of drugs and road rage etc. It also provides the listener an opportunity to suggest topics and issues faced by the common man and thus become a part of participative governance.
The prime minister has now made the broadcast for 26 months.
All India Radio has commenced the regional language broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ immediately after the Hindi broadcast is over.
AIR Director General Fayyaz Sheheryar told Indiantelevision.com’s sister concern Radioandmusic.com that this will be in addition to the broadcast on regional kendras that comes at 8.00 pm on the last Sunday of the month when the Prime Minister makes his broadcast. He said that AIR had advertised before this broadcast that listeners can catch the broadcast on the entire AIR network including medium wave and FM Gold and FM Rainbow.
In addition, the broadcast is carried live on Doordarshan National, DD News, DD Bharati, DD India and DD Kisan.
The broadcast can also be heard on the AIR Mobile App ‘All India Radio Live’ on Android, IOS and Windows and also give a missed call on 1922 to listen to the broadcast.
It is streamed live by pmonradio.nic.in, allindiaradio.gov.in, newsonair.nic.in, and youtube/user/akashvaniair.
It is also available free to all private television channels and FM channels. Letters can be sent on MyGov.in, and NarendraModi App.
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PM’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’: AIR starts regional translation after Hindi
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.
