Study Guide · Chapter 11
8. PRESS UNDER BRITISH RULE: GROWTH & REGULATION
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8. PRESS UNDER BRITISH RULE: GROWTH & REGULATION
8.1 Early Growth of Press in India
- First newspaper in India: "Hicky's Bengal Gazette" (also "Calcutta General Advertiser"), started by James Augustus Hicky in 1780 — an English-language paper, often critical of Company officials, eventually shut down by the government.
- Early vernacular press: "Samachar Darpan" (Bengali, Serampore Mission, 1818); Raja Ram Mohan Roy's "Sambad Kaumudi" (Bengali, 1821) and "Mirat-ul-Akhbar" (Persian, 1822).
- Press grew rapidly through 19th century as a tool of both social reform and, increasingly, nationalist political mobilization.
8.2 Key Press Legislation (Regulation & Control)
| Legislation | Year | Governor-General/Viceroy | Key Provisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Censorship of Press Act | 1799 | Lord Wellesley | Imposed wartime press censorship (fear of French invasion during Napoleonic wars) — pre-censorship of all material |
| Press Regulations relaxed | 1818 | Lord Hastings (Warren Hastings' successor as Marquess of Hastings) | Relaxed pre-censorship somewhat |
| Press Ordinance/Licensing Regulations | 1823 | John Adams (acting Governor-General) | Required licenses for owning/running a press; strict restrictions — opposed vigorously by Raja Ram Mohan Roy |
| Press Act of 1835 ("Metcalfe Act") | 1835 | Sir Charles Metcalfe | Liberated the press — repealed 1823 restrictions, only required simple registration (declaration of press/premises); Metcalfe hailed as "Liberator of the Indian Press" |
| Licensing Act of 1857 | 1857 | Lord Canning | Imposed licensing requirement temporarily during the Revolt of 1857 (security concerns) |
| Registration Act of 1867 | 1867 | — | Replaced earlier system with mere registration of press (name, place of publication, printer/publisher details) — regulatory but not restrictive of content per se |
| Vernacular Press Act, 1878 | 1878 | Lord Lytton | Draconian — aimed specifically at vernacular-language press (English press exempted) to curb nationalist criticism; empowered magistrates to demand security deposits, forfeit press for "seditious" writing, no right of appeal to courts; nicknamed "Gagging Act"; strongly opposed by Indian public opinion; repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon |
| Newspapers (Incitement to Offences) Act, 1908 | 1908 | Lord Minto | Targeted revolutionary/extremist press amid Swadeshi-era unrest; provided for confiscation of press property for material inciting violence |
| Indian Press Act, 1910 | 1910 | Lord Minto | Revived several repressive provisions similar to 1878 Act; security deposits, forfeiture powers, applicable to all press including English |
| Press (Emergency Powers) Act, 1931 | 1931 | Lord Willingdon | Enacted amid Civil Disobedience Movement; further curbed press supporting the movement |
8.3 Significance
- Press regulation history reflects the recurring British tension between liberal governance rhetoric and colonial security anxieties, especially once the press became a vehicle for nationalist political mobilization from the late 19th century (e.g., Bal Gangadhar Tilak's "Kesari" (Marathi) and "Mahratta" (English); later Gandhi's "Young India," "Harijan"; and numerous other nationalist papers — detailed further in Freedom Movement notes).
- Vernacular Press Act (1878) is the single most frequently asked press-law question in SSC/RRB exams — remember: Lytton (enacted) → Ripon (repealed, 1882).
Key Facts / Quick Revision Points
- First newspaper: Hicky's Bengal Gazette, 1780, James Augustus Hicky.
- Press Act 1835 ("Metcalfe Act") — liberalized press; Charles Metcalfe = "Liberator of Indian Press."
- Vernacular Press Act 1878 — Lord Lytton; repealed by Lord Ripon in 1882.
- Indian Press Act 1910 — Lord Minto, revived repressive controls.
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