The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has formed an informal group to examine OTT content and propose measures to address what it calls “cultural pollution” on streaming platforms. The group, set up a few months ago, has held its first meeting and will submit its recommendations to the Union Ministry of Culture and other government stakeholders, according to The Indian Express.

The group includes former vice-chancellors and RSS pracharaks working in education and culture. RSS sources said there is no fixed deadline for its recommendations and that the group plans to consult legal experts before submitting its proposal.

An RSS source told The Indian Express that the group wants a mechanism similar to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for OTT content. “We need something like a censor board to deal with this cultural pollution affecting our families and the young generation in particular.”

Bhagwat’s 2024 call for OTT regulation

The move comes nearly two years after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat criticised OTT content during the organisation’s Vijayadashami address in October 2024. He said OTT platforms were contributing to what he described as “moral corruption” and called for legal regulation.

“The kind of things shown on OTT platforms are so disgusting that talking about it too would be indecent. Hence, I have said there is a need to regulate it through law because it is also one of the big reasons for moral corruption,” Bhagwat said.

The latest RSS initiative comes amid separate government and parliamentary moves to strengthen oversight of OTT content.

In July 2026, the government told Parliament that it had blocked 50 OTT platforms over two years for allegedly hosting obscene content. The disclosures followed earlier blocking orders, including 25 platforms in July 2025 and five more in February 2026.

Government weighs broader OTT controls

The government has also been considering a broader statutory framework for OTT content. In August 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs told a parliamentary committee that a comprehensive framework to regulate OTT programmes considered offensive to societal moral standards was under consideration.

Separately, a July 2026 report said the Centre was considering mandatory CBFC certification for films released directly on OTT platforms. Industry representatives cited in that report supported clearer rules but raised concerns about delays, unpredictable implementation and possible effects on creative freedom.

The push for tighter OTT oversight predates these developments. In August 2025, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs recommended a post-release review panel comprising experts in child development, education, law, social sciences and civil society. It also called for technology-based age verification, stronger parental controls and penalties for violations.

Dissent over a CBFC-style approach

The recommendations faced dissent from Congress MPs Ajay Maken and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Makan opposed mandatory pre-certification, describing it as a “regressive proposal that seeks to apply an anachronistic censorship model to the dynamic and diverse world of digital media.” He argued that stronger age verification and parental controls should be used instead.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra warned that sending the volume of OTT content through a CBFC-style system would “create a massive backlog, and regulation will become extremely problematic.” She instead supported stronger self-regulation and age controls.

India currently has no equivalent of the CBFC for OTT content. Streaming platforms are primarily governed by the Information Technology Rules, 2021, which provide for self-classification and a three-tier grievance redressal system, alongside other applicable laws.

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