In a major relief for OTT platforms, the Centre on December 17 told Parliament that online streaming content would continue to remain outside the jurisdiction of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). It is instead governed by the three-tier institutional mechanism under the Information Technology Rules, 2021, it added.
Responding to questions in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for I & B L. Murugan said that the CBFC, constituted under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, was mandated only to examine and certify films meant for public exhibition in cinemas. OTT platforms, he explained, fell under Part III of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These Rules required publishers to follow a code of ethics, undertake age-based classification of content and address grievances through a structured self-regulatory framework.
The government also underlined the role of OTT platforms in enhancing India’s soft power by enabling global access to Indian stories, cultural heritage and independent filmmaking.