New Delhi. 11 February 2022. From 1st January, 2021 to 31st January, 2022, status of proposals received by Indian Army for grant of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from filmmakers/producers for the production of movies on defence related themes is tabulated as under:
| Status of NOC | Feature Films | Documentaries/TV Series | Total |
| Granted | 09 | 07 | 16 |
| Rejected | 01 | 0 | 01 |
| Pending | 01 | 0 | 01 |
| Total | 11 | 07 | 18 |
01 proposal for the NOC has been received by Indian Navy during the last ten years which is pending. Indian Air Force (IAF) has received the following proposals for NOCs during the last three years:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| 05 | 02 | 06 |
None of the proposals have been rejected by the IAF. Apart from above, 02 more NOCs were sought from Ministry of Defence which were granted.
The reason for refusal for granting NOC for a movie based on the life of an officer (Retd) of Indian Army is the portrayal of a romantic relationship between an Army soldier serving in Kashmir and a local boy which casts Indian Army in poor light and raises security issues.
The approval process is not arbitrary/discriminatory in nature nor does it violate Article 14 of the Constitution of India. Each case is considered based on its own merits keeping in view the factors like national security, the defence of India, situation of law and order in the country/various states, maintenance of discipline in the Armed Forces, ethos/customs of military service and general sentiments of the citizens and image of the Armed Forces in the minds of the citizens of India/general public.
The approval process is not violative of freedom of speech and expressions, guaranteed under Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution of India. The freedom of speech and expression is also subject to reasonable restrictions that may be required for safeguarding the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States and public order, decency or morality, or incitement to an offence etc.
The rationale behind issuing NOC to filmmakers/producers for movies based on defence related themes is to ensure that the Armed Forces are not depicted in a manner which brings disrepute to the Armed Forces/Government/Country, as also to ensure factual accuracy and that no classified matters are brought out in the open domain that could effect in security of the country.
