I&B Ministry
TV channels’ failure to start in a yr: 18% permits cancelled
NEW DELHI: Action is taken whenever a channel which has been given permission to uplink fails to do so within a year, the Parliament has been told.
Under the roll-out obligations for operationalisation of private satellite TV channels furnished under the clauses 2.5.1 and 3.5.1 of uplinking policy Guidelines 2011 and 5.9 of downlinking policy guidelines 2011, the applicant companies are required to operationalise the permitted TV channels within a year from the date the permission is granted by the MIB.
Minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore has said that whenever an instance comes to the notice of the ministry where the company fails to fulfil the roll-out obligation, action is taken against the company under the clauses 2.5.2 and 3.5.2 of uplinking guidelines and clause 5.9 of downlinking Guidelines which entails the forfeiture of PBG and cancellation of permissions.
After the permission for uplinking of a channel is issued by the ministry, the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing, Department of Telecom, assigns frequency spectrum (bandwidth) to the teleport operators to enable them to uplink such TV channels, Rathore said.
The minister said a total number of 1078 permissions had been issued for uplinking and downlinking of private satellite TV channels as on 30 June last, out of which 195 permissions (18 per cent approximately) have been cancelled so far.
Rathore said the typical value of bandwidth/data rate required to transmit (uplink/downlink) TV channels are calculated in two categories of transmission are:
TV Broadcasting with platform bit rates per channel (in Mbps)
Typical
SDTV with MPEG-2 3
SDTV with MPEG-4 1.5
HDTV with MPEG-2 16
HDTV with MPEG-4 8
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.
