CBFC Goes Online; Certification to Become Paperless & Transparent

The government will revisit the entire process of film certification, said I&B Minister Venkaiah Naidu.

Lipstick Under My Burkha is one of the latest victims of the CBFC’s moral policing.  

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, headed by minister Venkaiah Naidu, launched E-Cinepramaan or Online Film Certification System yesterday. This, it is being hoped, would not only make the controversy-besieged CBFC paperless, but also transparent.

This is a big step towards making the CBFC paperless and transparent, enabling effective monitoring and real-time progress tracking for applicants.

Venkaiah Naidu, I&B Minister

Naidu took to social media to share the news.

E-Cinepramaan will enable producers to track the status of their application online and would be inform them through smses and e-mails about any required action. The system also has inbuilt alerts to ensure that time-limits are adhered to. For short films, promos and trailers spanning less than 10 minutes, submissions can even be made online.

Watch the launch ceremony here:

The minister also indicated an overhaul of the certification process as per the recommendations of the committee constituted under veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, which submitted its report last April. The committee had suggested new categories of certification and recommended the Board to enforce fewer cuts. They also suggested that the CBFC only be a film certification body.

The government will revisit the entire process of film certification and see how it can be restructured. We have begun the process of consultations on the Benegal Committee report.

Venkaiah Naidu

Also read: An Insider’s View of How the CBFC Works and the Power It Wields

Just this year, CBFC denied certification to films Lipstick Under My Burkha and Ka bodyscapes and has ordered Sony TV to not show the Oscar-winning film The Danish Girl.