(a): the number of total members and especially women members in the Censor Board presently;
(b): whether the Censor Board is not effective in prohibiting increasing violence and obscenity in
films;
(c): if so, the reasons therefor;
(d): whether the Government are going to take some concrete steps to prohibit violence and
obscenity in films; and
(e): if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING (Smt. SUSHMA SWARAJ)
(a): The present Board of Film Certification has a total of twenty five members out of which twelve
are women besides Ms. Asha Parekh, who is the Chairperson of the Board.
(b): No Sir.
(c): Does not arise.
(d) & (e): The guidelines for certification of films, issued under section 5B of the Cinematograph
Act, 1952, already discourage presentation of scenes degrading or denigrating women in any
manner, scenes involving sexual violence against women like attempt to rape or molestation and
scenes showing avoidable excessive violence in films. Some of the steps taken to ensure strict
compliance of these guidelines are:
(i) Provision of 50% of the members of the Examining and Revising Committees to be women to
bring greater gender awareness into the certification process;
(ii) Issue of specific clarifications by the Central Board of Film Certification about interpretation of
the frequently violated guidelines to ensure proper application of the guidelines; and
(iii) Showing of names of members of the Examining/Revising Committee and Film Certification
Appellate Tribunal, on whose recommendations the film is cleared for public exhibition, on the
certificates granted to the film, with a view to introduce greater accountability.