India Updates Film Certification Rules With Mandatory Drug Warnings

India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has notified new film certification guidelines for the Central Board of Film Certification, introducing mandatory anti-drug warnings and retaining age-based ratings. The updated rules, which replace guidelines first issued in 1991, require films depicting the use, consumption, or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances to carry a specific statutory warning. The warning reads: "Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs." This requirement applies to scenes in films and was previously advised for over-the-top platforms and private satellite television channels. The guidelines also maintain the age-based certification categories of UA 7, UA 13, and UA 16, which advise parental guidance for children below seven, 13, and 16 years, respectively. The Ministry notified the revised guidelines under the Cinematograph Act. While the exact notification date is disputed in reports, with sources citing either September 16 or September 18, 2026, the changes were confirmed by the government. The guidelines outline principles the CBFC must follow when examining films for public exhibition.