Paper name: Mass Communication Media Studies
Topic: What is censorship?
Name; Solanki Pintu
Roll no; 29
M. A. Semester: 4
Email ID ; solankipintu1991@gmail.com
Submitted to:
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumar sinhji
Bhavnagar University
What is censorship?
• Supervision and control of the information
and ideas that are circulated among the
people within a society. In modern times,
censorship refers to the examination of books,
periodicals, plays, films, television and radio
programs, news reports, and other
communication media for the purpose of
altering or suppressing parts thought to be
objectionable or offensive.
History of Censorship
• Censorship comes from the Latin word CENSOR
• The origin of the term censor can be traced to the
office of censor established in Rome i 443 BC. In
Rome, as in the ancient Greek communities, the
ideal of good governance included shaping the
character of the people. Hence censorship was
regarded as an honourable task. In China, the first
censorship law was introduced in 300 AD.
• The First Censorship - Socrates speech about
democracy has been censored by the Athens
government .
Who imposes censorship
• Rulers of government
• Leaders of democracy
• Parents
• Military officials
Needs of censorship
• Protect against pornography and
violent.
• Limits certain materials for
religious and cultural reasons.
• To avoid virus and spam
messages.
• Some uneducated peoples may
not know complex ideas in
politics.
• Avoid in reaching pornography
to children.
• Stop illegal materials in internet.
Types of Censorship
• Educational censorship
• Moral censorship
• Military censorship
• Political censorship
• Religious censorship
• Corporate censorship
Central Board of Film•Certification
The Central Board of Film
Certification or sensor
Board is a
statutory censorship and
classification body under
the Ministry of
Information and
Broadcasting, Governmen
t of India.
• It is tasked with
"regulating the public
exhibition of films under
the provisions of the
Cinematograph Act 1952.
• Films can be publicly exhibited in India only
after they are certified by the Board, including
films shown on television.
• CBFC India is considered to be one of the most
powerful film censor boards in the world due
to its strict ways of functioning.
GUIDELINES ISSUED BY THE CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT
The objective of film certification will be to that:
• The medium of the film remains responsible.
• Artistic expressions and creative freedom should
be respected.
• Human sensibilities are not offended by vulgarity or
obscenity.
• Scenes degrading women in any manner are not
presented.
• Visuals or words disrespectful of social, religious
or other institutions are not presented.
• Visuals or words of defamation of any individual
or group of individual and contempt of court are
not presented.
• At the same time the Board of Film Certification
shall also ensure that:
• Is judged in the entirety from the point of view of
its over all impact.
• In the light of the period depicted in the film and
the contemporary standards of the country.
Certificates and censorship
• Films are certified under 4 categories.
• Initially, there were only two
categories of certificates
• "U" (unrestricted public exhibition)
• "A" (restricted to adult audiences).
• Two more categories were added in
June 1983
• "U/A" (unrestricted public exhibition
subject to parental guidance for
children below the age of twelve)
• "S" (restricted to specialized
audiences such as doctors or scientists
Example of Certificates and censorship
Indian Movies That Got Banned By The Censor Board
• Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world
in terms of number of movies produced every
year.
• However, apart from all the hits, flops and the
average, there exists another brand of Indian
cinema which is deliberately kept out of our
reach.
• Films that indulge in strong (read bold) language,
suggestive (read vulgar) scenes, gender taboos,
Kashmir issues, religion and basically movies
which are way ahead of its time.
Is censorship ever “good?”
• Can be used to protect people/interests in
matters of national security/inappropriate
material for children.
• However, it can also be used as a means of
suppression/agenda setting.
• Some artists feel that it is an infringement
upon their rights.
• It removes freedom of choice in some cases.
When is censorship justified?
• Censorship is justified in many cases, as it seeks
to maintain social stability, racial harmony and to
protect the young minds from dangerous
materials in movies.
• However, once misused, censorship can violate
human rights principles of freedom of speech and
freedom of expression.
• Due to complexity of censorship, the government
needs to be prudent in using censorship to the
best interest of the society.
Losses due to censorship
Censorship is the suppression
of Freedom of speech.
Censorship in all its forms is
often unjustifiable and is used
simply to stop truths or ideas
emerge which draw attention
to powerful people or
governments, or undermine
ideology. This is inexcusable.
Sometimes it ruins the
creativity or artistic
effectiveness of the thing.
CONCLUSION
• There is lack of transparency under the Act itself.
• The total discretion is in the hands of the Central Government.
• Most of the time movies are not judged on the matter of
contents but on the political influences or the factors which
would be affecting the ruling party at the Centre.
• There is Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2010 which still
needs approval.
• Now a days censorship has been used to prohibit those films
which really holds the real picture of the society.
References
• https://www.slideshare.net/prashantpatel64/
censorship-bme1
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_I
ndia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Board_
of_Film_Certification
