CBFC revises India film certification guidelines after 35 years

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has notified revised film certification guidelines for the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), updating a framework that has been in place since 1991.

Key updates include a mandatory anti-drug warning for films depicting the consumption, use, or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances. The warning must state: “Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.” The guidelines also maintain age-based UA certification markers, such as UA 7+, UA 13+, and UA 16+, to assist parents in content selection.

The new framework includes provisions against content that promotes “communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitudes” and stipulates that films should not strain India’s friendly relations with foreign states. These changes have sparked significant social media backlash, with critics expressing concerns over selective implementation, potential bias, and the expansion of the board's role from certification to censorship.