The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on 16 September 2026 with 18 members for a three year term. The new panel will work under Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati and has taken charge with immediate effect. The move matters because no fresh board had been formed since August 2017, and the CBFC decides which films can be shown publicly in India.
What Is CBFC?
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is the statutory body that certifies films for public exhibition in India. The CBFC works under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and derives its powers from the Cinematograph Act, 1952. No film can be shown in cinemas in India without a certificate from the CBFC.
CBFC is the full form most people search for, and in everyday use the Board is still called the Censor Board. The Board started work as the Central Board of Film Censors in 1951 and got its present name in 1983. It is a statutory body created by law, which means it is neither a constitutional body nor an independent regulator outside government control.
The CBFC functions with its headquarters in Mumbai. It has nine regional offices at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati, with a facilitation office at Chandigarh. The regional offices examine films with the help of Advisory Panels, whose members are drawn from different walks of life and nominated by the Central Government.
Board Reconstituted After Nine Years
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued the notification for reconstitution on 16 September 2026. The order states that the new Board has been formed with immediate effect for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The Board has a Chairperson and 18 members, all appointed by the Central Government.
The previous Board was last reconstituted in August 2017 for a three year term under Chairperson Prasoon Joshi. That term ended in 2020, but the members continued in office because the rules allow existing members to stay until successors are appointed. This is why the September 2026 order is the first full reconstitution in nine years.
The 18 members of the reconstituted Board bring together actors, filmmakers, musicians and writers from across Indian cinema and public life.
| Serial Number | Member Name | Known Field |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vinod Anupam | Film critic and writer |
| 2 | Manoj Joshi | Actor |
| 3 | Abhishek Jain | Filmmaker |
| 4 | Ricky Kej | Music composer |
| 5 | Priyadarshan | Filmmaker |
| 6 | Suniel Shetty | Actor |
| 7 | Hans Raj Hans | Singer |
| 8 | Supriya Yarlagadda | Producer |
| 9 | Yatindra Mishra | Writer |
| 10 | Rupali Ganguly | Actor |
| 11 | Preity Zinta | Actor |
| 12 | Neel Madhab Panda | Filmmaker |
| 13 | Pankaj Tripathi | Actor |
| 14 | Prosenjit Chatterjee | Actor |
| 15 | Pallavi Joshi | Actor and producer |
| 16 | Nishigandha Wad | Actor |
| 17 | Waman Kendre | Theatre director |
| 18 | Ramesh Patange | Writer and social worker |
Two members, Waman Kendre and Ramesh Patange, were also part of the earlier Board. The outgoing Board had included Vidya Balan, Vivek Agnihotri, Gautami Tadimalla, Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Jeevitha Rajasekhar, T. S. Nagabharana, Naresh Chandra Lal and Mihir Bhutia, among others.
Who Is Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati?
Shashi Shekhar Vempati was appointed Chairperson of the CBFC on 6 May 2026 for a period of three years from the date of joining. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a separate notification for his appointment. He succeeded lyricist and screenwriter Prasoon Joshi, who stepped down after leading the CBFC from August 2017 to May 2026 on being appointed Chairman of Prasar Bharati.
Vempati is a technocrat and media executive, not a film industry professional. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. He spent about 15 years with technology company Infosys and holds patents in real time event management in wireless sensor networks. He later worked in digital media and led Niti Digital before entering public service.
From 2017 to 2022, Vempati served as Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordarshan and All India Radio. He was the youngest and the first non civil servant to hold that post since Prasar Bharati was created in 1997. During the same period, he also held additional charge as Chief Executive Officer of Rajya Sabha TV from 2017 to 2019. His tenure saw a push for digital outreach, growth in DD FreeDish revenue and modernisation of the public broadcaster.
After Prasar Bharati, Vempati worked on education, ratings and science communication. He chaired the Committee for Science and Technology Communication under the Department of Science and Technology and headed the Educational Media Experts Committee for the University Grants Commission (UGC). He has served on the governing boards of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the television ratings agency.
Vempati is co-founder of AI4India, also called the DeepTech for Bharat Foundation, which works to expand access to artificial intelligence in India. In November 2025, he joined the board of the BharatGen Technology Foundation as an Independent Director. BharatGen is incubated at IIT Bombay and builds India focused language models. He is also the author of the book Collective Spirit, Concrete Action, on the influence of the Mann Ki Baat radio programme. In January 2026, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for contributions to media, technology and public policy.
How Film Certification Works in India
Film certification in India means the CBFC examines a film and issues a certificate that allows its public exhibition. Certification itself is a Central subject, while enforcement of cinema halls and penal action against uncertified shows is handled by State Governments and Union Territory administrations. Television re certification for films originally certified for theatres is also handled through the Board.
Film Certification Categories in India
The CBFC issues certificates based on the nature, theme and content of the film and the age group for which it is suitable. The present system follows the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, which replaced the 1983 rules. With effect from 24 October 2024, the earlier single UA category has been split into three age based markers to help parents decide.
| Certificate | Full Meaning | Who Can Watch |
|---|---|---|
| U | Unrestricted public exhibition | Suitable for all age groups, including family viewing |
| UA 7+ | Unrestricted exhibition with parental guidance for children below 7 years | Children below 7 years should watch with parental guidance |
| UA 13+ | Unrestricted exhibition with parental guidance for children below 13 years | Children below 13 years should watch with parental guidance |
| UA 16+ | Unrestricted exhibition with parental guidance for children below 16 years | Children below 16 years should watch with parental guidance |
| A | Restricted to adults | Only for viewers aged 18 years and above |
| S | Restricted to specialised audiences | Only for members of a profession or class specified on the certificate, such as doctors or scientists |
Certificates for video films carry the prefix V, such as V/U, V/UA and V/A, with the same meaning for home video and television versions. Every cinema must display the certificate and the list of cuts or changes ordered by the Board, and producers must show the certificate category on publicity material under the rules.
How to Get a CBFC Certificate
A producer seeking a CBFC certificate must apply online through the e-CinePramaan portal using the Common Application Form. The portal allows fee payment through a fee calculator, tracking of application status and submission of cuts or modifications. In November 2025, the CBFC added a Multilingual Module on the portal, so a film shot for release in several languages can be filed through one application at one regional office and receive a single certificate listing all approved languages.
After scrutiny of the application, the Regional Officer forms an Examining Committee to view the film. For a short film, which runs for less than 72 minutes, the committee has an examining officer and one Advisory Panel member, one of whom must be a woman. For a long or feature film of 72 minutes or more, the committee has larger representation with at least half the members being women under the present rules. Language or subject experts can also be invited for specific films. Each member records a written recommendation on cuts and on the certificate category, and the Regional Officer forwards the report to the Chairperson for orders.
If there is a difference of opinion or the applicant is not satisfied, the Chairperson can send the film to a Revising Committee. The Revising Committee has the Chairperson or a Board member with up to nine other members drawn from the Board or Advisory Panel, none of whom were on the earlier Examining Committee. The quorum requires five members with adequate women representation. The Board follows an overall timeline of 48 days from scrutiny to issue of certificate, with fixed stages for committee formation, communication of orders and verification of cuts. The 2024 rules also provide priority screening on payment of three times the normal fee when a filmmaker faces release urgency, and complete digital processing to reduce delays.
Legal Foundation Under the Cinematograph Act
The Central Board of Film Certification is constituted under Section 3 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952. The Act was passed as Act 37 of 1952 on 21 March 1952 to provide for certification of films and regulation of cinema exhibition. The Act states that the Board shall consist of a Chairperson and not less than 12 and not more than 25 non official members, all appointed by the Central Government. The present 18 member strength fits within that legal range. The tenure and working of members are now governed by the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.
Certification follows three layers of law. The first is the parent Act itself. The second is the 2024 Certification Rules. The third is the guidelines issued by the Central Government under Section 5B of the Act. These guidelines direct the Board to balance creative freedom with responsibility to society. They require the Board to judge a film in its entirety and in the light of its period and contemporary standards, and to prevent glorification of violence, drug use, tobacco use, vulgarity and offences to national symbols.
The constitutional background lies in Article 19(1), which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and Article 19(2), which permits reasonable restrictions in the interests of sovereignty, public order, decency and morality. The Board also applies other relevant laws while examining films, including the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and laws on national honour and indecent representation of women.
The most recent reform came through the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023, notified on 4 August 2023, the first major overhaul in about 40 years. The amendment introduced the UA age markers, stronger provisions against film piracy, and a system for perpetual validity of certificates. It also removed the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) and shifted appeals to the courts, while the 2024 rules built the online e-CinePramaan system around it. The new rules require greater representation of women, with one third of Board and Advisory Panel members to be women and preferably half, and mandate accessibility features for persons with disabilities. For the reconstituted Board, the immediate task is to clear certification within stipulated time, operate fully through digital files and multilingual certificates, and handle sensitive cases without delays that lead to litigation.
Key Takeaways
- The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was reconstituted on 16 September 2026 with 18 members for three years or until further orders.
- The reconstituted Board works under Chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati, appointed on 6 May 2026, who succeeded Prasoon Joshi.
- The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with headquarters in Mumbai and nine regional offices.
- Film certification is governed by the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, with guidelines under Section 5B.
- Since 24 October 2024, films are certified as U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A and S, with the UA markers guiding parental discretion.
- Applications are filed online through the e-CinePramaan portal, examined by an Examining Committee with scope for review by a Revising Committee.
