I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati to get budgetary support of over 10 billion
NEW DELHI: Contrary to expectations, the government has marginally increased its financial support to Prasar Bharati (translated in English as the Broadcasting Corporation of India), which is an indication that such support would continue for some time to come.
In the budgetary proposal for financial year 2005-06, the government grants-in-aid to Prasar Bharati stands at Rs 10.0961 billion, while last year the revised estimates for the same was Rs 10 billion.
The loan component, which is given to finance Prasar Bharati’s capital expenditure, has been raised quite sharply to Rs 1.75 billion in contrast to Rs 9.1 million last year.
The grants-in-aid to Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio, is given by the government to cover the gap in resources of the organisation in meeting its revenue expenditure.
Meanwhile, the annual budgetary allocation for the information and broadcasting ministry has gone up marginally from Rs 15.14 million to Rs 16.03 million.
In the run-up to the making of the Budget, it had been reported that the government was proposing slashing the grants-in-aid to Prasar Bharati as it wants the organisation to generate revenue to try and bridge the gap between expenditure and earnings.
After taking over in May last, I&B minister Jaipal Reddy has been saying that Prasar Bharati should explore other avenues of raising revenue. The minister had also let loose a proposal to levy a one time cess of TV and radio sets in the country to fund Prasar Bharati. This idea has not gone down too well with some political parties as well as TV set manufacturers.
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.
