the need for a body that could facilitate the growth of the Indian film industry, the Government
      of India merged the FFC and IMPEC and NFDC. The NFDC has so far funded/ produced over
      200 films. These films, in various Indian languages, have been widely acclaimed and have won
      many national and international awards. The Corporation has its corporate office at Mumbai
      along with three regional offices situated at Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi and a branch office at
      Thiruvananthapuram.
      Relevant Website: www.nfdcindia.com.org
      Central Board of Film Certification
           Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body under Ministry of
      Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of
      the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
           Films can be publicity exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the Central
      Board of Film Certification. Though the first film in India (Raja Harishchandra) was produced
      in 1913 by Dadasaheb Phalke, the Indian Cinematograph Act was passed and came into effect
      only in 1920. Censor Boards (as they were called then) were placed under police chiefs in cities
      of Madras, Bombay, Calcutta, Lahore and Rangoon. Regional censors were independent. After
      Independence autonomy of regional censors was abolished and they were brought under the
      Bombay Board of Film Censors. With implementation of Cinematograph Act, 1952, the board
      was unified and reconstituted, as the Central Board of Film Censors.
           Cinematograph (Certification) Rules were revised in 1983 and since then the Central Board
      of Film Censors became known as the Central Board of Film Certification. The Board consists of
      non-official members and a chairman (all of whom are appointed by central government) and
      functions with headquarters at Mumbai. It has nine regional offices, one each at Mumbai,
      Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and
      Guwahati. The regional offices are assisted in the examination of films by Advisory Panels. The
      members of the panels are nominated by central government by drawing people from different
      walks of life for a period of 2 years.
           The Certification process is in accordance with the Cinamatograph Act, 1952, the
      Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983, and the guidelines issued by the central government
      u/s 5(b). Initially there were only two grading, U and A. In 1983 two more rating were
      introduced i.e., UA and S. UA means it can be unrestricted public exhibition but with a word of
      caution that children below 12 years of age will require the parental guidance, the S category is
      only for special class of persons like doctors, etc.
      Relevant Website: www.cbfcindia.gov.in
      Directorate of Film Festivals
           The Directorate of Film Festivals was set up in 1973 with the prime objective of promoting
      good cinema. This is undertaken by organizing a range of activities under these broad categories:
      (a) the International Film Festival of India; (b) the National Film Awards and the Dadasaheb
      Phalke Award; (c) cultural exchange programme and organizing screening of Indian films
      through the missions abroad; (d) the selection of Indian Panorama; (e) participation in
      international film festivals abroad; (f) special film expositions on behalf of the Government of
      India; and (g) print collection and documentation.