India`s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, took the initiative in 1955 to set up the Children Film Society, India (CFS), which some years ago was renamed the National Centre of Films for Children and Young People (NCYP). The genesis for the organization lay in the Film Inquiry Committee appointed by the government in 1946. The possible effects of cinema on young minds were debated in the years immediately after independence, and the Committee recommended the setting up of a separate organization to deal specifically with children`s entertainment. An autonomous body, the NCYP functions under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry of the Government of India. Its objectives are to advance education and culture through the medium of the cinema, especially among children and adolescents; to create and develop an appreciation of films; and to undertake and coordinate the production of films for distribution and exhibition specially suited for children and adolescents in India and abroad.

The production activity by the Society saw a quantum jump with the appointment of late V. Shantaram as the Chairman in 1978. He personally involved himself in the activities and a number of films were produced under his guidance, of which 78 were feature films and 42 short films. The tempo has been maintained thereafter, and as of now we have just over one hundred titles in feature films and 61 in short films, many of which are animation films. With the growth of the television industry, NCYP started exploring the new medium. Starting March 1991, NCYP programs have been telecast on Doordarshan in the weekly half-hour slots on Sunday mornings prime time. Animation in India is still at a nascent stage. Considering the importance of animation in the field of children`s entertainment, NCYP has taken the lead and has brought out a number of short animation films. Since 1979, NCYP has been organizing biennial International Film Festivals for Children and Young People.

NCYP has so far organized nine International Film Festivals for Children and Young People, since 1979 in different states of the country. The 9th International Children`s Film Festival held at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh in 1995 was a great success. A total of 143 films from over 33 countries were received for the various sections of the festival. As many as 54 films competed for the awards. The Golden Elephant and Rs.1,00,000 for the Best Feature Film went to `Le Petit Garcon` from France. The Golden Plaque for the most popular film and a certificate of merit were awarded to `The Purse Snatcher` from the Netherlands.