SC issues notice to I&B Ministry, Censor Board

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and sought their replies on a plea seeking guidelines for pre-censorship of films.

A bench, comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan passed the order yesterday. The petitioner has sought action on the report of a committee headed by legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal which, among other things, had suggested that the censor board's role should be confined to certifying films. 

In his plea before the top court, the petitioner has sought relaxation in the censorship of films by removal of pre-censorship of movies.Centre initiates steps to bring TV, digital media under Working Jounalists



Act

Union Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the Centre has initiated steps to bring the electronic and digital media journalists too under the ambit of the Working Journalists Act. 

The minister stated this at a press conference in Kochi yesterday in reply to reporters' questions on steps taken by the Narendra Modi government to bring the electronic media journalists too under the purview of the Act.

He said, if necessary, the BJP-led NDA government would amend the Working Journalists Act. Dattatreya has also said the government has taken steps at the Labour Ministry level to ensure stringent enforcement of the labour laws and implementation of Wageboard recommendations in the newspaper industry.