‘Need A Censor Body’: RSS Forms Panel To Curb OTT’s Cultural Pollution

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has formed an informal panel to review content on OTT platforms and suggest measures against what it calls cultural pollution. The development comes nearly two years after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called for legal regulation of streaming content, arguing that some material available on OTT platforms was contributing to what he described as moral corruption. According to The Indian Express, the newly formed group has already held its first meeting.

RSS panel wants censor-like mechanism for OTT

The panel was set up a few months ago and includes former vice-chancellors and RSS pracharaks associated with education and culture. Its members are expected to consult legal experts before finalising their recommendations.

An RSS source said, “We need something like a censor board to deal with this cultural pollution affecting our families and the young generation in particular.” The proposal would eventually be placed before the Union Ministry of Culture and other stakeholders in the central government. The source also said the group was looking at the need for a mechanism similar to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to address content it considers harmful to families and young people.

The group has not been given a fixed deadline for completing its work. Its recommendations therefore remain at the proposal stage and do not represent a change in the existing regulatory framework.

Mohan Bhagwat had earlier called for OTT regulation

The latest move follows Bhagwat's comments during the RSS's Vijayadashami address in Nagpur in October 2024. At the time, he criticised material available on OTT platforms and argued that it should be regulated through law.

The RSS has since received feedback on the issue from Kutumb Prabodhan, an initiative focused on family values and social relationships, according to sources cited by The Indian Express. The organisation has identified OTT platforms as one area of concern and the new panel is intended to examine possible regulatory responses.

At present, OTT platforms do not undergo the same pre-release certification process as films released in theatres. Streaming services are governed primarily through the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which include a Code of Ethics for online curated content. The government has also said that complaints can lead to action under existing laws.

The government has already taken action against OTT platforms

The debate comes as the Centre has taken several steps against content it considers unlawful or obscene. In July 2026, the government told the Lok Sabha that 50 OTT platforms had been disabled for public access in India over the previous two years for displaying obscene content and allegedly violating provisions of the IT Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.

A parliamentary committee has also examined stronger oversight mechanisms, including a proposed post-release review panel and measures such as age verification and parental controls. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has separately been considering a statutory framework for OTT programmes deemed offensive to societal moral standards.

The RSS proposal therefore enters an already active debate over how streaming content should be regulated. Whether its panel eventually recommends a CBFC-style system, stronger self-regulation or another mechanism will depend on its consultations and the proposal it submits to the government.