Censorship in India

Censorship in India is the restriction or alteration of films and other media by state authorities and statutory bodies, through laws, certification, bans, and related controls.

Central Board of Film Certification: India’s statutory body that certifies films for public exhibition and may require cuts or refuse certification. It is the principal national institution deciding which films may be publicly exhibited and under what classification.
K. A. Abbas v. Union of India: A 1970 Supreme Court of India case upholding pre-censorship of films while requiring safeguards and standards. It established a leading constitutional precedent for prior film censorship.
Press Act of 1910: A British Indian law that imposed security deposits and penalties on printers and publishers. It exemplifies colonial legal controls over Indian publications inherited by later debates.
Freedom of the press in India: The ability of Indian media to publish and distribute information without unjustified government interference. Its constitutional protection stands in tension with state controls over publication and exhibition.
Self-censorship: The withholding or alteration of expression by its creator in anticipation of pressure or punishment. Uncertain rules and costly disputes can prompt creators to pre-emptively change their work.
Film certification in India: The process of classifying Indian films for public exhibition, sometimes involving required edits or refusal of a certificate. Certification is the main formal route through which film restrictions operate.
Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India: A 2020 Supreme Court of India judgment requiring publication and review of orders suspending internet services. It addressed procedural limits on internet restrictions, a major form of media control.
Indian Cinematograph Act, 1918: A colonial-era law that regulated film exhibition and enabled censorship in British India. It created an early legal framework for screening controls before independence.
Prior restraint: A restriction that prevents expression before it is communicated to the public. Film certification is a prominent Indian example of prior restraint on expression.
Chilling effect: The deterrence of lawful expression caused by the threat of legal or other penalties. Censorship powers can suppress speech beyond the specific material formally restricted.

Linked from 9 pages