New Delhi: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has introduced revised guidelines for film certification, bringing the framework in line with the latest changes in India’s film certification system. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified the new guidelines on September 18, replacing the certification guidelines issued in December 1991. One of the most notable additions is a mandatory statutory warning for films that contain scenes showing the consumption, use or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.
Mandatory warning for drug-related scenes
Films depicting the use or trafficking of illicit drugs will now be required to carry a prescribed warning. The warning states: “Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment, Say No to Drugs.” The provision places greater emphasis on the manner in which drug use is presented on screen and seeks to ensure that such content is accompanied by a statutory caution.
UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ categories
The revised framework also sets out the age-based UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ classifications alongside the existing U, A and S categories. However, these age markers are not being introduced for the first time through the 2026 guidelines. They were incorporated into the film certification framework through amendments to the Cinematograph Act in 2025.
Under the current system, a film can therefore receive one of six classifications — U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A or S — depending on its content. The age-specific UA categories are intended to provide parents and guardians with clearer information when deciding whether younger viewers should watch a particular film.
Rules on violence and sensitive content remain
The revised guidelines retain several existing principles governing the portrayal of violence, crime, drug abuse and other sensitive subjects. Antisocial behaviour and violence should not be presented in a manner that glorifies or justifies such conduct. The guidelines also place restrictions on unnecessary or inappropriate depictions involving children, cruelty towards people or animals and the exploitation of vulnerable groups.
Provisions dealing with sexual violence, communal tensions, anti-national sentiment, public order and national security also continue to form part of the certification framework. Therefore, not every provision in the revised guidelines represents a new rule introduced in 2026.
Film to be assessed in its entirety
The CBFC’s assessment is based on the film as a whole rather than treating every individual scene in isolation. The context of a scene, the period in which the story is set and prevailing contemporary standards can also be considered while deciding the appropriate certification. The framework seeks to balance artistic and creative expression with broader social considerations, while avoiding unnecessary restrictions on filmmaking.
What changes for filmmakers?
For filmmakers, the most immediate new compliance requirement concerns drug-related content.Where applicable, the prescribed statutory warning will have to accompany scenes depicting the consumption, use or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances. Filmmakers will also have to take the age-specific UA classifications into account when their content is considered unsuitable for unrestricted viewing by younger children.
What does it mean for viewers?
For audiences, the revised system provides more specific information about the suitability of a film for different age groups. Instead of the earlier broad UA classification, parents and guardians can now refer to the specific age markers — UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ — while deciding whether a film is appropriate for children.
The revised guidelines come more than three decades after the previous framework was issued. While several existing certification principles have been retained, the updated rules incorporate changes made to the legal certification framework and introduce new requirements such as the statutory warning for drug-related scenes.
