Pratidin
Society, justice and ethics19 September 2026Indian Express, Page 7

New film certification guidelines notified for the CBFC

New age ratings and an anti-drug warning. Guidance or censorship?

Published 19 September 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry notified revised film certification guidelines for the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on 16 September under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, nearly 35 years after the previous guidelines of 6 December 1991. The new guidelines keep the 1991 text and add two provisions.

The main addition is a mandatory statutory warning on any scene showing the use, consumption or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances: 'Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.' The old guidelines only barred scenes that 'encourage, justify or glamorise' drug addiction. Last month the ministry asked OTT platforms and private TV channels to show the same warning. The guidelines also continue to bar glorifying violence and anti-social acts, needless depiction of children in violence or abuse, ridicule of persons with disabilities and cruelty to animals.

The age-based categories UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ are not new: they came from the 2023 amendment to the Cinematograph Act and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, and were added to the guidelines in May 2025. Films can now be certified U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A (adults only) or S (restricted to specialised audiences such as doctors).

Practise this in the app: flashcards, quiz and a timed answer
Prelims

Prelims facts

  • The CBFC certifies films under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
  • The Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023 introduced age-based categories UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+, and made certificates valid permanently.
  • Reasonable restrictions on free speech under Article 19(2) form the constitutional basis for certification.

Quick recall

When were the revised film certification guidelines notified?
On 16 September 2026, under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
When were the previous guidelines notified?
On 6 December 1991.
What warning must films carry on drug scenes?
'Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.'
Are the UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ categories new in 2026?
No. They came from the 2023 amendment to the Cinematograph Act and the Certification Rules, 2024, and were added to the guidelines in May 2025.
What certificates can films now receive?
U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A and S.
What does the 'S' certificate mean?
Restricted to a specialised audience, such as doctors or scientists.
Which body certifies films?
The Central Board of Film Certification, a statutory body under the I&B Ministry.
Which case upheld pre-censorship of films?
K.A. Abbas v. Union of India (1970).

Prelims practice question

Age-based film certificate categories such as UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ were introduced by:

  1. Cinematograph Act, 1952 (original)
  2. Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023
  3. Information Technology Rules, 2021
  4. Press Council Act, 1978
Show answer

Answer: (b) Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023. The 2023 amendment split the UA category into age-based sub-categories.

Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions

Recurring theme: Freedom of speech and expression and its reasonable restrictions

  1. 2014 · GS2 · 12.5 marksAnswers it directlyUse it in the body

    What do you understand by the concept "freedom of speech and expression"? Does it cover hate speech also? Why do the films in India stand on a slightly different plane from other forms of expression? Discuss.

    How to use this

    Explains why films face prior certification, unlike other speech, and gives the latest changes to the regime.

    • The CBFC certifies films under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, based on reasonable restrictions in Article 19(2); in K.A. Abbas (1970) the Court upheld pre-censorship but urged care.
    • Guidelines notified on 16 September, the first revision since 6 December 1991, mandate a warning on scenes showing narcotics use; categories are U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A and S.
    • The Shyam Benegal Committee (2016) recommended that the CBFC act as a certifying, not censoring, body.
Also asked on this theme
  1. 2013 · GS2 · 10 marks

    Discuss Section 66A of IT Act, with reference to its alleged violation of Article 19 of the Constitution.

    Like film certification, it tests whether a speech restriction stays within the grounds of Article 19(2).

Mains practice question

Film certification must balance protection of viewers with freedom of expression. Discuss. (150 words)

Model answer

The CBFC certifies films under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, based on reasonable restrictions in Article 19(2).

Recent reforms

  • The 2023 amendment added UA 7+, 13+ and 16+ categories, giving parents better information.
  • Certificates now valid permanently; anti-piracy provisions added.
  • New guidelines add warnings such as on drug use.

Concerns

  • Moral policing: cuts demanded on political or social themes.
  • Delays in certification hurt small producers.
  • Uneven regulation: OTT content follows separate IT Rules, 2021.

Judicial view

In K.A. Abbas (1970) the Supreme Court upheld pre-censorship but said it must be exercised with care; later rulings stressed that films can criticise the government.

Balance

The CBFC should work as a certifying, not censoring, body, as the Shyam Benegal Committee (2016) recommended.

Clear, age-based information protects viewers without stifling creativity.

The basics

Why this matters

The Central Board of Film Certification decides who can watch a film and sometimes asks for changes. New guidelines notified on 16 September 2026, the first revision in about 35 years, add a mandatory anti-drug warning, linking film certification to the government's drug control campaign.

35 years
Gap since the previous certification guidelines
Earlier guidelines were notified on 6 December 1991.

The certificate categories

Films are certified into audience categories.

Film certificates
  1. 1UUnrestricted
  2. 2UA 7+, 13+, 16+Parental guidance below these ages
  3. 3AAdults only
  4. 4SSpecialised audiences, such as doctors

What is new and what is not

Only the drug warning is new in 2026.

2026 guidelines
New in 2026
  • Mandatory anti-drug warning on drug scenes
  • Guidelines formally revised
vs
Not new
  • UA 7+, 13+, 16+ (from 2023-24)
  • Bars on glorifying violence
  • 1991 principles retained

How we got here

Film certification has evolved over decades.

Film certification
  1. 1952Cinematograph Act
  2. 1970K.A. Abbas upholds pre-certification
  3. 1991Certification guidelines
  4. 2016Shyam Benegal Committee report
  5. 2023Act amended: age categories, anti-piracy
  6. 16 Sep 2026Revised guidelines with drug warning

The debate

Supporters see warnings as public health messaging; critics worry about creative freedom and certification drifting towards censorship. The Shyam Benegal Committee recommended certification without cuts. The Central Board of Film Certification now works under the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023, while streaming follows OTT regulation under the IT Rules.

You now know

  • Guidelines revised on 16 September 2026 under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
  • Drug scenes must carry: 'Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.'
  • UA 7+, 13+ and 16+ came from the 2023 amendment and 2024 rules.
  • Certificates: U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A and S.

Go deeper

In one line: New film certification guidelines add a mandatory anti-drug warning, the first revision of the guidelines in about 35 years.

Why it matters for UPSC

GS2 (statutory bodies, freedom of expression) and a link to the anti-drug campaign. The certificate categories are Prelims material.

The core idea

The Central Board of Film Certification certifies, rather than bans, films, sorting them into audience categories under limits allowed by Article 19(2). The 2026 guidelines keep the 1991 rules and add one headline change: any scene showing drug use or trafficking must carry a set warning, matching advisories already issued to OTT and TV. The age-based UA categories often reported as new actually came in 2023-24. Critics watch whether certification stays about information for viewers rather than cuts.

Numbers and dates to remember

  • 1952: Cinematograph Act; 1991: previous guidelines.
  • 16 September 2026: new guidelines.
  • Six categories: U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A, S.

Where to go next

In one line: Film certification should inform audiences; the debate is how far the State can go in shaping content.

Constitutional basis

Films are protected by Article 19(1)(a), and certification is a reasonable restriction under Article 19(2). K.A. Abbas (1970) upheld pre-certification because film has a strong impact.

Certification versus censorship

The Shyam Benegal Committee (2016) recommended that the CBFC only certify by age and not order cuts.

The 2023 changes

The Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023 added age-based UA categories, made certificates valid permanently and added anti-piracy penalties.

Streaming

Films on OTT platforms are not certified by the Central Board of Film Certification; they follow self-classification under OTT regulation in the IT Rules, 2021.

Where to go next

Central Board of Film Certification

How certification works

In one line: The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that certifies films for public exhibition.

Legal basis

Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.

Structure

A chairperson and members appointed by the Centre, with regional offices.

Appeals

After the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal was abolished in 2021, appeals go to High Courts.

Where to go next

Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023

Age categories and anti-piracy

In one line: The 2023 amendment updated film certification and added anti-piracy provisions.

Key changes

Age-based UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ categories, certificates valid permanently rather than for ten years, and separate certification for television.

Anti-piracy

Unauthorised recording and transmission of films is punishable with jail and fines.

Significance

It modernised a 1952 law for the digital era.

Where to go next

Shyam Benegal Committee

The case for certification, not censorship

In one line: The Shyam Benegal Committee (2016) reviewed film certification.

Key recommendation

The CBFC should be a certification body, not a censor, and should classify films rather than order cuts.

Other proposals

More detailed age categories and clearer guidelines.

Legacy

Its idea of finer age categories was reflected in the 2023 amendment.

Where to go next

OTT regulation

How streaming is governed

In one line: Streaming platforms in India are regulated under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Self-classification

Platforms classify content as U, U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+ or A.

Grievances

A three-tier system: the platform, a self-regulatory body and the Ministry.

Recent direction

The Ministry asked platforms to show anti-drug warnings on relevant scenes.

Where to go next

Take the 19 September 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers

Syllabus

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