India has replaced its film certification guidelines that had been in use since 1991. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified the revised guidelines on September 16, 2026. These rules guide the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) when deciding how films can be released.
While the new guidelines may sound like a BIG change, most of the existing rules remain largely the same. They continue to cover issues such as violence, crime, sexual violence, drugs, treatment of women, child abuse, cruelty to animals, public order and national security.
The biggest new change is related to drugs. Films showing the use, consumption or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances must now carry a specific warning: **“Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.”**
Earlier rules restricted the glorification or promotion of drug use, but they did not require this specific warning.
The age-based certification system also remains the same, with U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+ and A categories. However, these age categories are not entirely new. UA 7+, UA 13+ and UA 16+ were introduced through amendments made in 2025.
So, filmmakers should not expect a completely different CBFC system from now on. Most of the content rules they have been following for years continue under the new framework.
The Ministry has also asked filmmakers and film associations to study the revised guidelines before submitting films for certification.
For filmmakers, the mandatory anti-drug warning is the most noticeable change. The real impact of the new guidelines, however, will become clear only after more films are submitted and the CBFC begins applying the updated rules in practice.
