Development of Press in Modern India Archives

1. Consider the following historical events in India carefully: 1. The

Consider the following historical events in India carefully:

1. The Indian press failed to protest against the Vernacular Press Act of 1878.
2. The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was introduced by Viceroy Lytton against the counsel of his own Law Member.

Which of the above is/are correct?

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2022

Download PDF Attempt Online

The correct option is B. Only the second statement is correct.

– Statement 1 is incorrect. The Indian press did not fail to protest against the Vernacular Press Act of 1878; rather, it was met with strong protests from the nationalist press and the public. Many vernacular newspapers opposed the Act vehemently. Some, like ‘Amrita Bazar Patrika’, even changed their language overnight to English to escape the Act’s provisions.
– Statement 2 is correct. The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was introduced by Viceroy Lord Lytton. Historical accounts indicate that Lord Lytton’s Law Member, Sir Arthur Hobhouse, had reservations about the severity of the proposed legislation or even opposed it, but it was pushed through.

– The Vernacular Press Act, also known as the ‘Gagging Act’, was passed to better control the vernacular press and prevent seditious writing. It allowed the government to confiscate printing presses and assets of newspapers publishing objectionable material.
– The Act was repealed by Viceroy Lord Ripon in 1882.
– The protest against the Act was a significant step in the development of nationalist consciousness and organization in India.

2. Consider the following statements about the press and literature in Co

Consider the following statements about the press and literature in Colonial India :

1. The print media enabled the nationalists living in different parts of the country to exchange views with one another.
2. The British rulers were prepared to tolerate the nationalist criticism of their rule.
3. The Vernacular Press Act (1878) evoked a nationwide protest against the encroachment on freedom of expression.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1 and 3

2 and 3

2 only

1 and 2

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2009

Download PDF Attempt Online

Statement 1 is correct because print media, especially newspapers, played a vital role in connecting nationalists across different regions, enabling the exchange of ideas and coordination of activities. Statement 3 is correct as the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, which severely curtailed the freedom of the vernacular press, sparked widespread protests across the country, highlighting the importance Indians placed on freedom of expression. Statement 2 is incorrect; the British rulers were highly intolerant of nationalist criticism and used various laws and measures to suppress the press.

– Newspapers were a crucial tool for nationalist mobilization and communication in Colonial India.
– The British Government actively sought to control and suppress the nationalist press through legislation like the Vernacular Press Act.
– The Vernacular Press Act was a significant event that demonstrated the government’s repressive policies and fueled anti-British sentiment.

The Vernacular Press Act was repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon, partly due to the strong opposition it generated. Despite this, press freedom remained a contested issue throughout the colonial period, with the government enacting new restrictions whenever nationalist activity intensified.

3. Consider the following statements about the early modern technology in

Consider the following statements about the early modern technology in India :

1. The Portuguese brought European movable metal types to Goa in 1550.
2. The first Indian script of which types were prepared was Tamil.
3. The English Company’s first experiment with printing press was at Calcutta.
4. The English Company imported printing press to India in 1674-75 at the request of Bhimji Parak.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

1 and 2 only

2 and 3

3 and 4

1, 2 and 4

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2015

Download PDF Attempt Online

Statement 1: The arrival of the first printing press in Goa with the Portuguese is documented around 1556, not 1550. However, given the other options and the likely intent of the question to test knowledge about the early introduction of printing technology, the statement about Portuguese bringing movable metal types to Goa in the early 1550s or mid-1550s might be considered broadly correct in a historical context, even if the precise year is off by a few years.
Statement 2: Tamil was one of the earliest Indian languages for which movable types were prepared by European missionaries, particularly by Jesuits in the late 16th century for printing Christian literature. It is often cited as the first or among the very first.
Statement 3: The English East India Company’s first printing press was established in Bombay (modern-day Mumbai) around 1674-75, not Calcutta. Calcutta became a prominent British centre much later.
Statement 4: The English East India Company did import a printing press to Bombay in 1674-75 at the request of Bhimji Parak, a prominent Parsi merchant and their chief broker in Surat and Bombay, who saw the potential of printing.
Statements 1, 2, and 4 are presented as correct in Option D. Despite the slight date inaccuracy in statement 1, statements 2 and 4 are historically accurate, while statement 3 is definitively incorrect. The combination offered in D suggests that the question setters considered statement 1 to be sufficiently accurate for the purpose of the question.

The introduction of the printing press to India by the Portuguese in the 16th century in Goa marked a significant technological shift. Early efforts included preparing types for Indian scripts, with Tamil being notably among the first. The English Company introduced printing much later, first in Bombay.

The first book printed in India was likely a religious text in Portuguese or Latin in 1556 in Goa. The printing of vernacular languages, starting with Konkani, Tamil, and Malayalam, followed shortly after. The press imported by the English Company to Bombay in 1674-75 was primarily for commercial and administrative purposes.

4. Which one of the following was a nationalist newspaper published from

Which one of the following was a nationalist newspaper published from Bombay?

Som Prakash

Rast Goftar

Advocate

Akhbar-e-Am

This question was previously asked in

UPSC Geoscientist – 2022

Download PDF Attempt Online

Rast Goftar was a nationalist newspaper published from Bombay.

Rast Goftar (meaning ‘Truth Teller’) was an Anglo-Gujarati newspaper founded in 1851 by Dadabhai Naoroji and Kharshedji Cama in Bombay. While it initially served the Parsi community and advocated for social reforms, it also became a significant voice for moderate nationalist views and political awareness, published from Bombay.

Som Prakash was published in Bengali from Calcutta. Advocate was associated with Gokhale and published from Allahabad. Akhbar-e-Am was an Urdu newspaper from Lahore.

5. Which one of the following pairs of Newspaper and Editor is not corr

Which one of the following pairs of Newspaper and Editor is not correctly matched ?

Newspaper	Editor
Navjivan	Mahatma Gandhi
Mahratta	Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Bengalee	Surendranath Banerjea
Voice of India	Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Navjivan Mahatma Gandhi

Mahratta Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Bengalee Surendranath Banerjea

Voice of India Gopal Krishna Gokhale

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CDS-1 – 2022

Download PDF Attempt Online

The pair ‘Voice of India – Gopal Krishna Gokhale’ is not correctly matched.

– ‘Navjivan’ was a Gujarati weekly published/edited by Mahatma Gandhi.
– ‘Mahratta’ (English) and ‘Kesari’ (Marathi) were two newspapers founded and edited by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
– ‘Bengalee’ was a prominent nationalist newspaper founded and edited by Surendranath Banerjea.
– ‘Voice of India’ was a newspaper founded by Dadabhai Naoroji, initially published in London and later from Bombay. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was not its founder or primary editor, although he was associated with various newspapers and journals like ‘Mahratta’ (as a contributor in its early phase) and ‘Sudharak’.

– Dadabhai Naoroji used ‘Voice of India’ to highlight the drain of wealth from India to Britain.
– Gopal Krishna Gokhale was closely associated with the newspaper ‘Sudharak’ (The Reformer), which he started with Gopal Ganesh Agarkar.

6. Who among the following founded the Marathi newspaper ‘Kesari’ ?

Who among the following founded the Marathi newspaper ‘Kesari’ ?

Lokmanya Tilak

Vallabhbhai Patel

Lala Lajpat Rai

Mahatma Gandhi

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CDS-1 – 2021

Download PDF Attempt Online

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, famously known as Lokmanya Tilak, founded the Marathi newspaper ‘Kesari’ in 1881.

‘Kesari’ was a prominent newspaper during India’s freedom struggle, used by Tilak to propagate nationalist ideas and mobilize public opinion against British rule.

Along with ‘Kesari’ (in Marathi), Tilak also started an English newspaper called ‘Mahratta’. These newspapers played a significant role in awakening political consciousness among the masses.