Lok Sabha Question No. 644 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-26
Subject: Revamping of CBFC
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: MURALI MOHAN MAGANTI, KAMAL NATH, VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI, SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ, AJAY (TENI) MISRA, K. ASHOK KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.644 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.02.2016

## REVAMPING OF CBFC

644:

SHRI M. MURALI MOHAN:

SHRI KAMAL NATH:

SHRI B. VINOD KUMAR:

SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY:

DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI:

SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Shri Shyam Benegal to revamp the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to bring transparency and make it controversy free;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with terms and reference of the Committee;
- (c) the  time  by  which  the  said  committee  is  likely  to  submit  its  report  to  the Government; and
- (d) the  other  steps  taken/to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  that  film certifications are issued only on non-discretionary basis?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)]:

- (a) to (d):  Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has constituted an Expert Committee on 1 st  January, 2016 headed by Shri Shyam Benegal to recommend broad guidelines/ procedures  which  will  set  principles  which  shall  guide  the  Central  Board  of  Film Certification (CBFC) with respect to certification of films.

## The other members of the Committee are:

1.  Shri Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra,
2.  Shri Piyush Pandey,
3.  Smt. Bhawana Somaaya,
4.  Smt. Nina Lath Gupta,
5.  Shri Goutam Ghose,
6.  Shri Kamal Haasan and
7.  Shri  K.  Sanjay  Murthy,  Joint  Secretary  (Films),  Ministry  of  Information  and Broadcasting (Member Convener).

## The Terms of Reference of the Committee shall be:

- i. To study the extant procedures with respect to certification process being followed by CBFC which include formation of Examining Committee, Revising Committee and their composition, procedures being adopted for certification of original version of  films,  dubbed  version  or  recertification  for  screening  in  different  platforms (telecast etc.).
- ii. To  study  the  existing  guidelines  and  procedures/practices  being  followed  for certification process and also study various directives of Courts with respect to certification of films as well as notifications issued by other Government agencies having  an  impact  on  the  certification  process  (Ministry  of  Health  and  Family Welfare, Ministry of Environment & Forest).
- iii. Recommend a broad guideline / procedure which will set principles which shall guide the Board with respect to certification of films within the ambit of the existing provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983 and guidelines for certification of films for public exhibition.
- iv. To study the existing staffing pattern and recommend a suitable staffing structure with a view to render efficient and user-friendly service.
- v. Any  other  issue  that  the  Committee  may  deem  fit  to  deliberate  upon  towards providing the said recommendations.

The Committee has been asked to submit its report to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 2 months from the date of its constitution.

*****