History · Spectrum Books A Brief History of Modern India
Chapter 29 : Development of Indian Press
Table of contents15 sections
- 1.Development of Indian Press
- 2.First Newspapers in India
- 3.Early Regulations
- 4.Struggle by Early Nationalists to Secure Freedom of the Press
- 5.Prominent Nationalist Newspapers and Journalists
- 6.Vernacular Press Act, 1878
- 7.Repression against Nationalist Journalists Continues
- 8.Surendranath Banerjea
- 9.Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- 10.Further Legal Repression (1898–1910)
- 11.During and after the First World War
- 12.During the Second World War
- 13.Key Terms
- 14.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 15.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Development of Indian Press
First Newspapers in India
- 1780: James Augustus Hickey started The Bengal Gazette or Calcutta General Advertiser, the first newspaper in India.
- It was seized in 1782 because of its outspoken criticism of the government.
- Other early newspapers/journals: The Bengal Journal, The Calcutta Chronicle, The Madras Courier, The Bombay Herald.
- Cause for curbs: The Company's officers were worried that these newspapers might reach London and expose their misdeeds, leading to the need for press restrictions.
Early Regulations
| Act/Regulation | Year | Enacted By | Context & Provisions | Significance / Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Censorship of the Press Act | 1799 | Lord Wellesley | Anticipated French invasion of India. Imposed almost wartime press restrictions, including pre-censorship. | Restrictions were relaxed under Lord Hastings (who had progressive views). In 1818, pre-censorship was dispensed with. |
| Licensing Regulations | 1823 | John Adams (acting governor general, reactionary views) | Starting or using a press without a licence became a penal offence. Later extended to cover journals, pamphlets, and books. | Directed chiefly against Indian language newspapers or those edited by Indians. Rammohan Roy's Mirat-ul-Akhbar had to stop publication. |
| Press Act (or Metcalfe Act) | 1835 | Metcalfe (governor general, 1835–36) | Repealed the obnoxious 1823 ordinance. Required a printer/publisher to give a precise account of premises of a publication and cease functioning if required by a similar declaration. | Metcalfe earned the epithet, "liberator of the Indian press". Resulted in a rapid growth of newspapers due to a liberal press policy. |
| Licensing Act | 1857 | Government | Enacted due to the emergency caused by the 1857 revolt. Imposed licensing restrictions in addition to the Metcalfe Act's registration procedure. | Government reserved the right to stop publication and circulation of any book, newspaper, or printed matter. |
| Registration Act | 1867 | Government | Replaced Metcalfe's Act of 1835. Regulatory, not restrictive. Provisions: (i) Every book/newspaper must print the name of the printer, publisher, and place of publication; (ii) A copy must be submitted to the local government within one month of the publication of a book. | Standardised the registration procedure without imposing restrictive censorship. |
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