Date:09/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/09/stories/2006120919191700.htm

National

Order on national film awards stayed

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Bombay High Court order granting exemptions to film producers from obtaining mandatory certification for screening their feature and non-feature films at the National Film Awards contests.

A Bench of Justices B.P. Singh and Tarun Chatterjee granted the stay after hearing Solicitor- General G.E. Vahanvati for the Union Information Broadcasting Ministry. He contended that the High Court had passed the order in July without properly appreciating the law and facts of the case.

Prior to the High Court order only two categories were allowed to be included for consideration for the awards without the Censor Board's certificate: diploma films made by film institute students and those by Doordarshan.

On a petition from documentary-maker Anand Patwardhan, Gaurav Ashwin Jain and Simantini Dhuruv the High Court struck down the regulations and directed that even films, which did not obtain prior certification, should be granted entry. The Centre's appeal is directed against this.

Justifying the norms the SLP said that the exemption to Doordarshan or film schools was to promote student films. It applied only to films made by students of these institutions and the government had not extended this exemption to Films Division, National Film Development Corporation and Children's Film Society of India.