I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati lacks content & marketing; open to tie-ups: MIB Minister
NEW DELHI: Conceding that Prasar Bharati is lagging in both content and marketing, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting (MIB) Rajyavardhan Rathore on Wednesday said there was a need to bring in outside experts for improving these aspects.
At the same time, not willing to throw out the baby with the bath-water, the Minister clarified that for India’s pubcaster it wasn’t an easy task as it had to telecast in 23 languages. He said that Prasar Bharati was open to partnering with other broadcasters.
Speaking at the CII Big Picture Summit 2016 here, Rathore admitted that with technological changes and innovations, a content platform is undergoing constant change with respect to creation, access and distribution. As a consequence, revenue and business models were being fragmented along with changes in market distribution and talent pool identification, he added.
Pointing out that a series of measures have been undertaken to facilitate the growth and innovation within the media and entertainment (M&E) sector, the Minister said those initiatives included streamlining of processes and procedures for broadcasting sector in the context of licensing TV channels and measures to promote the branding of India’s soft power at international films festivals.
Referring to the animation sector, the Minister said the government would be fast tracking the setting up of the National Centre for Excellence in partnership with the industry in an effort to optimise the returns in the sector.
Later answering questions from participants, he regretted that news on online channels was going overseas unregulated and MIB would be taking up the issue with the Ministry of Information Technology. However, he said streaming of a film could not be done without a certification by the Central Board of Film Certification.
On a question about spectrum and its scarcity, Rathore said as the whole process involved different ministries the logistics got delayed, but also pointed out that the IT Ministry had recently obtained a large chunk of spectrum from the Ministry of Defence for use in the telecoms and broadcast sectors.
Asked about the cumbersome and time consuming process to get security clearances for television channels and multi-system operators, Rathore explained that delays were caused as several government organisations, apart from MIB, were involved in giving clearances. Still, a total of 881 TV channels had been licensed, including 349 news channels, he added, hinting that such procedural delays hadn’t slowed down the hunger for licences.
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.
