Lok Sabha Question No. 1768 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: NOCs for Movies based on Defence related Themes
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Feroze Varun Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

## DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1768

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2022

## NOCs FOR MOVIES BASED ON DEFENCE RELATED THEMES

1768. SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE

be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) that have been sought from the Ministry by filmmakers/producers for the production of movies with defence related themes;
- (b) the number of NOCs granted, rejected and pending;
- (c) whether the Ministry had recently refused to grant NOC for a movie based on the life of an officer (Retd.) of Indian Army, if so, the reasons thereof;
- (d) whether the Ministry recognises that the approval process for the portrayal of defence related themes is an arbitrary discrimination that violates Article 14 of the Constitution and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Ministry recognises that the approval process for movies and documentaries is violative of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)  the  rationale  behind  issuing  NOC  to  filmmakers/producers  for  movies  based  on  defence related themes?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

MINISTER OF STATE

(SHRI AJAY BHATT)

IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

- (a)  & (b)  From 1 st January, 2021 to 31 st January, 2022, status of proposals received by Indian Army  for  grant  of  No  Objection  Certificates  (NOCs)  from  filmmakers/producers  for  the production of movies on defence related themes is tabulated as under:

| Status of NOC   |   Feature Films |   Documentaries/ TV Series |   Total |
|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------------|---------|
| Granted         |              09 |                         07 |      16 |
| Rejected        |              01 |                          0 |      01 |
| Pending         |              01 |                          0 |      01 |
| Total           |              11 |                         07 |      18 |

01 proposal for the NOC has been received by Indian Navy during the last ten years which is pending.

Indian  Air  Force  (IAF)  has  received  the  following  proposals  for  NOCs  during  the  last  three years:

|   2019 |   2020 |   2021 |
|--------|--------|--------|
|     05 |     02 |     06 |

None of the proposals have been rejected by the IAF.

Apart from above, 02 more NOCs were sought from Ministry of Defence which were granted.

- (c) Yes, Sir.  The reason for refusal for granting NOC is the portrayal of a romantic relationship between an Army soldier serving in Kashmir and a local boy which casts Indian Army in poor light and raises security issues.
- (d)  No,  Sir.    The  approval  process  is  not  arbitrary/discriminatory  in  nature  nor  does  it  violate Article 14 of the Constitution of India.  Each case is considered based on its own merits keeping in view the factors like national security, the defence of India, situation of law and order in the country/various states, maintenance of discipline in the Armed Forces, ethos/customs of military service and general sentiments of the citizens and image of the Armed Forces in the minds of the citizens of India/general public.
- (e) The approval process is not violative of freedom of speech and expressions, guaranteed under Article  19(1)  (a)  of  the  Constitution  of  India.    The  freedom  of  speech  and  expression  is  also subject to reasonable  restrictions that may  be  required  for  safeguarding  the  interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States and public order, decency or morality, or incitement to an offence etc.
- (f)  The  rationale  behind  issuing  NOC  to  filmmakers/producers  for  movies  based  on  defence related  themes  is  to  ensure  that  the  Armed  Forces  are  not  depicted  in  a  manner  which  brings disrepute to the Armed Forces/Government/Country, as also to ensure factual accuracy and that no  classified  matters  are  brought  out  in  the  open  domain  that  could  effect  in  security  of  the country.

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