Online system cuts film certification time to 18 days: Govt tells LS

Minister L Murugan stated in Parliament that the average film certification time is now 18 days for feature films, a significant reduction from the 48-day limit, due to the implementation of an online system by the CBFC.

Film Certification Time Reduced to 18 Days

The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, L Murugan, told the Parliament on Thursday that the "present average time" taken for certification of a film is 18 days against the prescribed time limit of 48 working days. Murugan was replying to a question raised by the Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Lok Sabha. After the implementation of the "online Certification System, the present average time taken for certification is 18 working days for feature films and three working days for short films," he said as quoted in a press release by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB).

"The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) functions in accordance with the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. Under Rule 37 of the said Rules, the prescribed time limit for certification of films is 48 working days. With the implementation of the Online Certification System, the present average time taken for certification is 18 working days for feature films and 3 working days for short films," read the press note by MIB.

As per the year-wise details of films certified for theatre release by the CBFC, in 2025-2026, a total of 2248 films were certified, with 55 challenged before the Revising Committees and 10 before the High Court since the abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in 2021. The time taken for disposal of films in the Revising Committee is within the timeframe prescribed under Rule 37(7) of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, as per the press note.

'Jana Nayagan' Legal Battle

The response came amid the ongoing legal battle between the makers of Thalapathy Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' and CBFC over the delay of the certification of the film. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had earlier filed a caveat application seeking to be heard before the Supreme Court passes any order on the ongoing matter regarding the release and certification of the film Jana Nayagan.

The filmmaker KVN Productions moved the apex court on January 15, challenging the High Court's decision that had impeded the release of its film, scheduled for release on January 9. However, the top court declined to entertain the plea. A bench of Justices Deepankar Datta and A G Masih heard the matter and asked the Madras High Court to decide the case. The Madras High Court on January 27 set aside an earlier order passed by a single-judge bench (of the High Court) which directed the CBFC to grant Jana Nayagan the U/A certification. (ANI)

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