Centre notifies Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur. (Photo: ANI)

The Central government on Friday notified the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, replacing the 1983 version in a bid to improve the film certification process for public exhibition. The rules were notified following the Parliament's nod to the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act last year.

“These new rules aim to streamline and modernise the film certification process for the digital age, keeping pace with the emerging technologies and advancement in the film sector,” said the Information & Broadcasting Ministry on March 15.

In an official press release, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said that the move would "empower" the Indian film industry by inducing transparency, ease of doing business, protection from piracy among other issues.

The Indian film industry is one of the biggest and most globalised industries in the world producing more than 3,000 films annually in more than 40 languages.

What was the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023?

During the introduction of the bill, the Centre had vehemently supported its need, highlighting the menace of piracy, which is causing losses of Rs 20,000 crore to the film industry, it had said. Under the new act, stringent measures have been announced to curb piracy, including imposing a fine of Rs 3 lakh and a minimum three months of imprisonment.

"With this vision the historic amendment of the Cinematograph Act was brought in after 40 years in 2023 and now being fully empowered with the overhauled Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024," the press release said.

What are the new norms in Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024?

1) The Centre has introduced new categories for age groups under the rules "by further sub-dividing the existing UA category into three age-based categories: seven years (UA 7+), thirteen years (UA 13+), and sixteen years (UA 16+), instead of 12 years. The Centre said that the new age-based ratings "would be only recommendatory, meant for the parents or guardians to consider whether their children should view such a film."

"The age-based certification system with UA markers to be implemented to ensure young viewers are exposed to age-appropriate content. It will play a crucial role in balancing the need to protect vulnerable audiences, such as children, with the principles of freedom of expression and consumer choice." it said.

2) The new rules will help films to adopt online certification processes. More digital processes would be adopted to eliminate transactional time.

3) "Movies/feature films to have accessibility features for certification to make it inclusive for persons with disabilities (PwD), as stipulated in the guidelines issued in this regard from time to time. The rules also call for larger representation of women in the Central Board of Film Certification and its advisory panels. The rules state that "one-third of the members in the Board shall be women and preferably half shall be women.

4) To ensure a system for "priority screening of films for enhancing transparency and eliminating all discretions."

5) The rules also eliminate the 10-year limit, allowing for perpetual validity of CBFC certificates. "Recertification of the edited film for Television broadcast, as only 'Unrestricted Public Exhibition' category films can be shown on television," it noted.