I&B Minister invites suggestions for certification of online content

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, has invited suggestions and recommendations from the audience and other stakeholders regarding certification of online content. 

Javadekar stated this at an event to unveil the new logo and certificate design of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The launch was done at a special interaction between the film industry of India and board members of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), organised by CBFC in Mumbai on Saturday (August 31, 2019). Ekta Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Sanjay Khan, Satish Kaushik, Madhur Bhandarkar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Boney Kapoor, Ramesh Sippy, Anupama Chopra, Subhash Ghai, Sudhir Mishra, Atul Kasbekar, Vidya Balan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Prahlad Kakkar, Kiran Shantaram and Kunal Kohli were among the film fraternity present, apart from Secretary, I&B Ministry, Amit Khare and Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, CBFC. 

Addressing the film industry and CBFC board members, Javadekar said that the introduction of QR code in the new certificate design is in sync with the changed digital world. He added that it would bring in greater transparency and provide richer information to filmmakers. 

The new design is futuristic in its approach and in sync with the new digital world. It is also interactive in its design sensibility: by scanning the QR code, more information on the certificate can be obtained online. Prasoon Joshi himself has conceptualised the new look. The design has been done by designer Rohit Devgun, with technical support from NSDL. 

Javadekar further said, “When cable television and later DTH was introduced, people never imagined that prices of TV channels can be so low, but it will soon happen after the order of TRAI. These days, due to social media, with just one or two shows, it becomes clear whether a film will succeed or not.” 

Noting the importance of entertainment in modern life, the Minister made an appeal to all TV producers to use technology so that visually impaired people could understand the films better. “Such technology can be used at a cost of Rs 1-2 lakh per film. Similarly, private news channels should also try to bring out at least one bulletin per week for deaf people,” he added. 

Speaking about the upcoming golden jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India, the Minister said, “IFFI this year will be very special. The theme of IFFI 2019 is ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. The opening and closing ceremonies will reflect this theme. I appeal to all to come and attend it. As our Prime Minister said, film is industry too; we are trying to have Film Business Summit, which will look into the business aspect of films. Film Bazaar is planned to be organized in Mumbai, which will look into business promotion, technology diffusion and export promotion.” 

Javadekar informed that the Government is changing the Cinematograph Act in order to curb piracy. “We earlier tried to protect the rights of artists by changing Copyright Act, now we are changing the Cinematograph Act so that piracy can be curbed,” he added. 

Commenting on the new design, Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, CBFC, said, “I believe design should reflect the contemporary digital world and leverage the ease that technology has brought in our work processes. The design change is not cosmetic; it is extremely functional and underlines CBFC’s positive value-added approach.” 

In his talk, Joshi highlighted various initiatives taken by CBFC during the last few years, for the benefit of the industry. He said that the Board has been playing an active and positive role in taking forward the issues of the film industry. The Board has brought in greater transparency and smoother processes. Filmmakers can find any detail about any film on the website of CBFC today, he said. AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India) issues have been simplified. He added that the dialogic and consultative approach has resulted in a more collaborative process. He said that if we are anchored in collective human good, there is no way we will not be able to find solutions through a dialogic approach. He was extremely appreciative of his Board members who have been instrumental in taking this forward. Joshi also highlighted the need to educate citizens about the meaning of various film ratings. 

The board comprises Narendra Kohli, Vidya Balan, Waman Kendre, Vivek Agnihotri, Gautami Tadimalla, T. S. Nagabharana, Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Naresh Chander Lal, Neil Herbert Nongkynrih, Jeevitha Rajasekhar, Ramesh Patange and Mihir Bhuta. 

On the occasion, Regional Officer, CBFC Mumbai, Tushar Karmakar, presented an overview of the recent activities, initiatives and achievements of the organization. He highlighted E-Cinepramaan, the online film certification system of CBFC, an initiative launched by the then I&B Minister in March 2017, to promote transparency and ease of doing business. Frequently meeting the industry at different forums and creating opportunities for the film fraternity and the government representatives to meet and interact is also a step in this direction. The RO stated that the approach of the Board has led to improved mutual understanding and appreciation by the film fraternity.