Shyam Benegal Committee Recommendations on the functioning of Censor Board

April 27, 2016

The Shyam Benegal headed committee constituted by the Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has submitted its report to Union I&B minister Arun Jaitley.
The committee was tasked to look holistically into the functioning of the censor board and revamp the film certification nuances by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Key Recommendations

CBFC should only be a film certification body and its scope should be restricted to categorizing the suitability of the film to audience groups on the basis of age and maturity.
The board can refuse certification when a film contains contravenes the provisions of Cinematograph Act.
It can also refuse certification when content in a film crosses the ceiling laid down in the highest category of certification.
The applicant for certificate must specify the category of certification being sought and the target audience.

Background
The Committee was constituted in January 2016 to take a relook at the functioning of the board. It was asked to take note of the best practices in other parts of the world, especially where the film industry is given sufficient and adequate space for creative and aesthetic expression. The panel also includes filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, actor-filmmaker Kamal Hassan, adman Piyush Pandey and film journalist Bhawana Somayaa among others.