The Lok Sabha today passed the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023, with Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur asserting that the new law will help crack down on piracy and simplify the licensing procedures.
   
 He said Bill proposes a three-year jail term and a fine of up to 5 percent of a movie’s production cost for those making its pirated copies.
   
 It also introduces three certifications under the ‘UA’ category, UA 7, UA 13, and UA 16, which means that children younger than the given age limits can access such movies with parental guidance.
     
The Bill seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952 which authorizes Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to require cuts in films and clear them for exhibition in cinemas and on television.
     
While the Bill was passed amid Opposition protests over the Manipur issue, the continuous disruption from opposition parties forced the adjournment of the House for the day later.
   
The opposition which has been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on the Manipur issue. When the House met at 2 pm, it passed the Cinematograph Amendment Bill, 2023, to curb film piracy. The bill was already passed in the Rajya Sabha.
   
Earlier, when the House met at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla announced that a parliamentary delegation from Malawi is visiting India and they are watching the proceedings of the House. He welcomed the foreign delegation and wished them a pleasant stay in the country.
   
As he completed his speech, the opposition members were on their feet demanding a statement from the Prime Minister on Manipur violence.
   
Soon they came to the well of the House displaying placards and raising slogans against the government. The speaker initially ignored their protests and continued with the Question Hour.
   
 Two questions related to the education and finance ministries were taken up for discussion amid sloganeering and protests.
   
As the protests continued, the Speaker appealed to the opposition members to go back to their seats and take part in the proceedings. With the opposition Members ignoring his pleas, the speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm after about 15 minutes of business.
   
The Manipur violence rocked proceedings in both Houses of Parliament ever since the Monsoon session began on July 20, with the opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Modi and a discussion on the situation in the north-eastern state.
   
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the government was ready for a debate on the Manipur issue.
   
The Speaker had also said the opposition cannot decide who would reply to the debate on behalf of the government.
   
The opposition subsequently moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi Government, apparently aiming at forcing the Prime Minister to speak on the Manipur violence in Parliament.
   
The Monsoon session started a day after a video of two women being paraded naked by a mob on May 4 in a Manipur village went viral, triggering a nationwide outrage. The Manipur Police have arrested several accused who were seen in the video, officials said.
   
 On July 27, the government decided to hand over the probe into the case of the naked parade of two women to the CBI and filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying the trial of the cases should be conducted outside the state.
   
Making a strong pitch for the passage of the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the film industry is facing a loss of 20,000 crore Rupees annually due to piracy. The Bill has been brought to stop the loss which occurs due to piracy. The legislation also takes care of the long-standing demand of the film industry, the Minister said.
 
He described film piracy as cancer that must be rooted out.
 
He said the certificates issued by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) which are now valid for only 10 years will be valid perpetually after the bill becomes the law.
 
The Bill also has provisions to allow for a change of category of a film which has received either 'A' or 'S' certificate to be converted to 'UA' certification after making suitable alterations to allow it to be broadcast on television.
 
In a bid to curb film piracy, the bill seeks to introduce new sections in the Cinematograph Act with provisions to prohibit unauthorised recording of films (section 6AA) and their exhibition (section 6AB).
 
The stringent new provision 6AA in the bill also prohibits the recording of a film or any part thereof with the sole purpose of using the recording in the same device.
 
Thakur said the film industry has a soft power and the government will take steps to promote it further by providing all the required facilities.
 
Now Indian content is watched across the globe, from Russia, the US and China to the Middle East countries, he said.
 
Earlier in the day, Speaker Om Birla sought to continue with the usual proceedings in the House by allowing the Question Hour despite protests by opposition members.
   
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told the House in a reply to a question that Indian economy is going strong at a time when the world has been hit by slowdown and inflation. India has been posting healthy growth rate and is the fastest growing large economy, he said.
 
   
The Rajya Sabha could not take up a discussion today on the Manipur situation after opposition members created an uproar in the house.
 
The opposition members have been demanding a comprehensive discussion on the Manipur situation under rule 267 and not a short-duration discussion under Rule 176.
 
The upper house saw repeated adjournments during the day after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said a short-duration discussion be initiated at 2 PM.
 
The opposition has been insisting on a discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 267 of the House after setting aside all other business of the house and wanted the prime minister to make a statement in the house.
 
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned four times before it was finally adjourned for the day amid uproar by opposition members.
 
The house was adjourned twice during the pre-lunch period – first a little after it met for the day and then again a little after 12 noon.
 
During the post-lunch period, when the house met at 2 PM, it was adjourned first for a few minutes till 2.30 PM and then till 3.30 PM, when it was finally adjourned for the day within minutes.
 
As the House reassembled at 3.30 pm after witnessing four adjournments earlier in the day, the Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the government is ready for a discussion on the situation in strife-torn Manipur right now.
 
He asked the opposition members who were protesting in the House to return to their seats so that the discussion could be taken up.
 
However, the opposition members kept shouting over their demand for a discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 267 and the Prime Minister to be present in the House.
 
The chairman said, "We are not setting a good example for the nation. The entire nation is watching us. The government is ready for a discussion on Manipur. 
 
Terming it "most unfortunate", the chairman said from 20th of  July when the Monsoon session of Parliament began, the time of the House has not been utilized.
 
"People have to pay for this…. We are ridiculing ourselves, sending a very dangerous signal to the world outside," he said.
 
The Rajya Sabha has to set an example for serving public interest, he said.
 
Appealing to the agitating members to take their seats, Dhankhar said, "We are far from this at the moment."
 
As the uproar continued and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said if the opposition is serious about the issues related to Manipur and not do politics, they should allow the discussion to start.
 
"We are ready for discussions right now. Our Home Minister was here for three days and our minister of state for home was there in Manipur for 23 days. It never happened earlier," Joshi told the house amid the din.
 
However, the opposition members continued their shouting, following which the chairman adjourned the House for the day.
 
Earlier, when the House reassembled at 2 pm, Dhankhar said the government had agreed to a short-duration discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 176 and called for it to be initiated.
 
When members from the opposition parties insisted on a discussion under Rule 267, he said, "Notices under Rule 267 have not been admitted by me. They have been declined by me."
 
As the uproar continued, the chairman first adjourned the House till 2.30 pm and then till 3.30 pm.
 
As the House reassembled at 2 pm after two adjournments in the pre-lunch period, the Chairman said the government has agreed to a short-duration discussion on the situation in strife-torn Manipur under Rule 176 and called the name of Birendra Prasad Baishya of Asom Gana Parishad to initiate it.
 
Amid an uproar in the Upper House, the chairman announced that the leader of the House and opposition leaders should meet him in his chamber at 2:45 pm to resolve the issue.
 
Later, he held a meeting with the leader of the House, opposition leaders, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State V Muraleedharan.
 
"The government is extremely keen for a discussion on the Manipur issue," the chairman said earlier.
 
In the morning, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal told the Rajya Sabha that the government was ready for a discussion on Manipur and urged the Chair to begin it from 2 pm itself.
 
The chairman told the House that he has rejected all notices received under Rule 267 from the opposition members as he has already agreed to a short-duration discussion under Rule 176.
 
When the opposition members insisted on a discussion under Rule 267, Dhankhar said, "Notices under Rule 267 have not been admitted by me. They have been declined by me."
 
As many as 65 members of the opposition had given adjournment notices under rule 267 on Manipur, which were rejected today.
 
When the chair asked the opposition if it was agreeable to a discussion, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge insisted that it should only be under Rule 267.
   
"We have demanded a discussion under Rule 267. Our members have visited Manipur. Manipur is burning…. We want (a discussion) under Rule 267….," he said.
 
As the shouting continued, the chair adjourned the House till noon.
 
When the House reassembled, Dhankhar allowed Kharge to speak, but the ruling party members were on their feet and did not allow him to speak.
 
"Though it is the Question Hour, as an extraordinary case, I am allowing the leader of the opposition," the chairman said.
 
With Kharge on his feet, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party members created an uproar and did not allow him to speak, forcing the chair to adjourn the house till 2 pm.
 
Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook allows for the suspension of the day's business to debate on any issue suggested by a member.
   
The Rajya Sabha proceedings have been disrupted ever since the House met for the Monsoon session on July 20.
 
The opposition members have been creating an uproar, demanding a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by a comprehensive discussion on the ethnic violence in Manipur.
   
The Rajya Sabha had listed several Bills during the post-lunch period, but the chairman announced that the short-duration discussion be taken up.
 
Among the Bills listed for passage during the day were The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, The Mediation Bill, 2021, The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023.