I&B Ministry
Use the power of cinema and other modern tools to spread knowledge and learning, says Jaitley
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said today that filmmakers and creative people should use modern tools like cinema to spread knowledge and learning.
Referring to the Bal Swaccha Abhiyaan launched today on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, he said ‘Swachhta’ should be instilled as one of the core moral values in childhood so that children practice the habit of cleanliness as part of their childhood and personality.
Inaugurating the first Rashtriya Bal Film Mela which coincided with Children’s Day, he stressed that celluloid media had become a powerful source of knowledge in the Information age and cinema had been emerged as a powerful tool for education in addition to its manifest function of entertainment.
The Rashtriya Bal Film Mela would help in instilling values of cleanliness practiced and propagated by Mahatma Gandhi, the Minister added.
Jaitley called upon the young children to watch the films made by veteran film director Shyam Benegal, who was present, including ‘The Making of Mahatma’ and ‘The Discovery of India’.
I&B secretary Bimal Julka said around three million watch films made by the Children’s Film Society, India, which has organised this three-day Festival.
He pointed out that this will be held every second year, alternating with the International Children’s Film Festival (Golden Elephant) held in Hyderabad every alternate year by the CFSI which was set up at the initiative of Nehru as a soft power to unite children.
He said the Ministry was carrying forward the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Swachh Bharat through this festival on the theme of ‘Swachhta.’
Eminent sportsperson Sania Mirza, who recalled that she had always looked forward to the Gold Elephant as a child in Hyderabad, asked the children present to take a pledge with her to keep the country clean.
Actresses Dia Mirza and Sakshi Tanwar also demonstrated how it was easy to keep the environment clean by regularly cleaning their own neighbourhoods. Kunal Roy Kapur and Divya Dutta have anchored the show.
The three day festival would provide an opportunity for children to appreciate high-quality film content, experience value-based entertainment, and to trigger their imagination about environment conservation and cleanliness.
The festival would showcase a bunch of internationally acclaimed children’s films on the theme of cleanliness. CFSI’s latest production, Pappu Ki Pugdandi was the inaugural film in the festival.
Other films that would be screened in the festival include Kaphal which won the National Award for Best Children’s Film, Shortcut Safari which will be premiered for the first time, The Goal, Ek Ajooba (CFSI productions), Karamati Coat, Summer with the Ghost, Sunshine Berry & Disco Worms, Yeh Hai Chakkad Bakkad Bumbe Bo, The Boot Cake, Hawa Hawaii, Krish Trish Baltiboy- 3, and Goopi Gawaiiya Bhaga Bajaiiya.
The festival would feature interactive workshops on film making with experts from the Film and Television Institute of India and the Satyajit Ray FTI in Kolkata, film appreciation, animation, Charlie Chaplin’s Mimes, and storytelling. Live dance performances, magic act, sand act, and puppetry along with various competitions such as painting on the theme, ‘Swachhta’, and digital collage on the theme ‘Clean India’ and the craft of making utility items from waste materials, were being organised on the sidelines of the festival.
The inauguration was followed by a cultural programme with school children, the Prince Dance Troupe, Shiamak Davar’s Junior Group which included some disabled children, and the renowned artist Vilas Nayak giving performances.
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.
