CBFC Certification: ‘Say No to Drugs’ warning made part of Centre's film certification guidelines

Issuing a clarification on CBFC certification guidelines, the Centre said on Sunday that the latest change, notified on September 16, 2026, provides for the inclusion of an anti-drug message in films depicting the use of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.

Films depicting the consumption, use or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances will have to carry an anti-drug warning.

Issuing a clarification on CBFC certification guidelines, the Centre said on Sunday that the latest change, notified on September 16, 2026, provides for the inclusion of an anti-drug message in films depicting the use of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.

The film certification guidelines lay down the principles the CBFC must follow when examining films for public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act.

Under the revised guidelines, such scenes will have to carry the warning: "Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs."

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified the amended guidelines on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act.

The move marks a change from the earlier certification guidelines, which required the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to ensure that scenes tending to "encourage, justify or glamorise drug addiction" were not shown, but did not prescribe such a specific on-screen warning.

Last month, the ministry asked OTT platforms to prominently display the same warning during scenes depicting the consumption or use of narcotic drugs.

A similar advisory was issued to private satellite television channels.

Two substantive changes

The guidelines were last amended in 2024, when the government incorporated the three age-based parental guidance categories — U/A 7 , U/A 13 and U/A 16 — into them.

The categories, introduced following amendments to the Cinematograph Act in 2023, advise parental guidance for children below seven, 13 and 16 years, respectively.

Another change is the latest one that provides for the inclusion of an anti-drug message in specific scenes in films.

Other points in the revised guidelines

Among other things, the rules require the board to ensure that anti-social activities such as violence are not glorified or justified, criminal methods likely to incite offences are not depicted and scenes encouraging, justifying or glamorising drug addiction are not shown.

The guidelines also address depictions of violence, cruelty, sexual content and matters that could affect public order, the security of the State or India's relations with foreign countries.

It also stated that “—Scenes that tend to create scorn, disgrace or disregard of rules or undermine the dignity of Court shall come under the term “contempt of court”; and ”ational symbols and emblems are not shown except in accordance with the provisions of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (12 of 1950)."

The CBFC Certification Guidelines were issued in 1991, and film certification has continued to be governed by these Guidelines for the past 35 years.

On Wednesday, the Centre reconstituted the CBFC, bringing actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi and Prosenjit Chatterjee, filmmaker Priyadarshan and Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej, among others, onto its new 18-member board.

The CBFC is headed by chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati. The reconstituted board has been given a three-year term or will continue until further orders, whichever is earlier.

(With inputs from agencies)

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