The Centre promulgated The Tribunal Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Services) Ordinance, 2021. It has done away with the appellate authorities under nine acts, and has vested the high courts with the appellate powers. The Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) has been removed. It was established in 1983 under the Cinematograph Act. It was a statutory body constituted to hear appeals of filmmakers aggrieved by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) order.

FCAT was a very fast and economical mechanism. In contrast, high courts are already overburdened and have little time. FCAT arranged screening speedily for the aggrieved filmmakers. It could focus on repeated screenings of the disputed material if necessary. It also took into consideration similar past films. It was being fair to the film makers.

The government treats it as a cost reducing exercise. Here the public at large is not a direct litigant. As it is, very few films go in the FCAT. In the last two-three years, only 0.2 per cent films were taken to FCAT. If CBFC works efficiently and pragmatically, there is hardly any need to have a tribunal.