CBFC Ensures 50% Women’s Participation in every Examining and Revising Committee formed for Film Certification: Govt

To ensure gender equality at decision making level, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) today said that it has ensured 50% representation of women in every Examining Committee and Revising Committee constituted for the examination of films, as provided under the Rules.

The Central Board of Film Certification is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with “regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952.” The Cinematograph Act 1952 outlines a strict certification process for commercial films shown in public venues. Films screened in cinemas and on television may only be publicly exhibited in India after certification by the board and edited.

“Due representation of women is ensured in accordance with the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, which mandates one-third women members on the Board and Advisory Panels, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan in the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question.

The Minister informed that the tenure of Board members is governed by the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the rules made thereunder. Under Rule 3 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, every member shall hold office during the pleasure of the Central Government for a period not exceeding three years, provided that the term of the members shall continue until new members are appointed in their place.

The Board consists of non-official members and a Chairman (all of whom are appointed by Central Government) and functions with headquarters at Mumbai. It has nine Regional offices, one each at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The Regional Offices are assisted in the examination of films by Advisory Panels. The members of the panels are nominated by the Central Government by drawing people from different walks of life for a period of 2 years. Prasoon Joshi chairs the board at present. Joshi became its chairperson on 11 August 2017.

The board has been associated with a number of controversies in the past including cases of bribes. Film producers reportedly bribe the CBFC to obtain a U/A certificate, which entitles them to a 30-percent reduction in entertainment tax, according to information.

CBFC conducts its meetings with Board Members online. Since 2017, the certification workflow has been made predominantly digital through the e-Cinepramaan online certification platform, through which submission of applications, processing, and approvals is done online. The meetings of Examining and Revising Committees are held as required based on the volume of films submitted, ensuring timely certification.

The QR code system enables the public to access basic certification-related information such as film title, language, duration, applicant name, producer name, synopsis, and cast/crew details. Few modifications have been made in the content accessible under the QR code on the e-Cinepramaan portal to ensure data security, system integrity, and compliance with privacy considerations. These changes do not affect public access to essential certification information.

The CBFC submits its annual report to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting every year. This information is incorporated into the Ministry’s consolidated Annual Report, which is published regularly and made available on the Ministry’s website.