NEW DELHI: The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha on Friday, July 27th. The new law will decide how movies should be certified by censor boards.

The bill empowers the central government to crack down on or ban any film under extreme circumstances. According to Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, the heart of the reform is to stop the piracy of movies from spreading in the country mainly through social media platforms.

New censor certificates

• Movies watchable to all ages - U
• Movies exclusive for adults -A
• Movies especially for special classes – S
• The 'UA' category will be changed to UA 7+, UA 13+, and UA 16+ ( Children watching these movies should be accompanied by parents)
• Special certificate needed for streaming/ telecasting both A and S certificate movies on TV, OTT.
• Three-year jail term and a fine of up to 5% of a movie’s production cost for those making pirated copies.
• The Censor certificate validity has been changed from 10 years to a lifetime