GROWTH OF PRESS AND EDUCATION IN INDIA:Notes for SSC UPSC Exams
The growth of press in 19th century India was influenced by many social currents. The press developed as a representative of the educated sections. It became a crucial tool in the hands of the nationalists. On the other hand, the English education resulted in the emergence of a new section of educated middle classes in the society. It led to the encouragement of the learned natives and the revival and improvement of literature and promotion of the knowledge of sciences.
The History of Press in India begins with the establishment of Printing Press by Portuguese in 1557. In 1684, the English East India Company set up a Printing Press in Bombay. For about a century, no newspapers were published in the Company's territories because the Company's servants in India wished to withhold the news of their malpractices and abuses of private trading from reaching London. In 1776, William Bolts announced his intention to publish a newspaper and made it known that he had in his possession a manuscript, consisting certain concealed facts, concerning every individual. The official quarters at once reacted and Bolts' scheme ended in embryo.
James Augustus Hickey published the first newspaper in India entitled The Bengal Gazette or Calcutta General Advertiser in the year 1780. His press was seized in 1782. The Calcutta Gazette, The Bengal Journal, the Oriental Magazine of Calcutta or Calcutta Amusement, The Calcutta Chronicle, The Madras Courier,The Bombay Herald etc were some of the earlier newspapers published in India.
PRESS LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN
BRITISH INDIA
Some popular press laws and regulations implemented during Britishers were
THE CENSORSHIP OF PRESS ACT, 1799
Lord Wellesley imposed censorship on all newspapers, apprehending a French invasion of India. The Censorship of Press Act, 1799, imposed wartime restriction on the press. It regulated the newspaper to clearly print in every issue the name of the printer, the editor and the proprietor.the publisher to submit all material for immediate deportation. In 1807, the Censorship Act was extended to cover journals, pamphlets and even books.relaxation of Press restriction came under Lord Hastings and in 1818,pre-censorship of the press was dispensed with.
THE LICENSING REGULATIONS, 1823
The appointment of John Adams as acting Governor-General in 1823 gave him the opportunity to give a practical shape to his reactionary views. Press Regulations of 1823 proved more stringent than any earlier regulation. The new regulation required every printer and publisher to obtain a licence for starting a press or using it.the penalty for printing andlor publishing any literature without the requisite licence was Rs. 400 for each such publication or imprisonment in default thereof.Magistrates were authorised to attach unlicensed presses.
Raja Rammohan Roy's Mirat-ul-Akbar had to stop its publication under this act.
In 1835, Charles Metcalfe succeeded Lord William Bentinck and repealed the Licensing Regulations, 1823.Charles Metcalfe earned the epithet of Liberator of the Indian Press for providing this liberty to the press.
THE LICENSING ACT,1857:Notes for SSC UPSC Exams
The emergency caused by the Revolt of 1857 led the government to reimpose restrictions on the press. The act reintroduced licensing restrictions in addition to the existing registration procedure laid down by the Metcalfe Act. The act prohibited the keeping or using the Printing Press, without a licence from the government and the government reserved the discretionary right to grant licences or revoke them at any time.
The government was also empowered to prohibit the publication or circulation of any newspaper, book or other printed matter. The act was an emergency measure and its duration was limited to 1 year. Charles Metcalfe's statute however continued in force.
REGISTRATION ACT, 1867
This act replaced the Press Act of 1835.It was regulatory in nature. According to this act every newspaper was required to print the name of printer and publisher. Apart from this, a copy was to be submitted to local government within a month
THE VERNACULAR PRESS
ACT, 1 878
The government under Lord Lytton passed the Vernacular Press Act in 1878. It was designed to better control the Vernacular Press and to empower the government with more effective means of punishing and repressing seditious writings.
The following regulations were imposed under this act The act empowered the District Magistrate to call upon the printer and publisher of any Vernacular newspaper to enter into undertaking not to publish anything.
The Magistrate could further require a publisher to deposit security and to forfeit it, if the newspaper contravened the regulation.
DEVELOPMENT AFTER
INDEPENDENCE
The Press (Objectionable Matters) Act, 1951 was passed along with an amendment to Article 19 (2) of the Indian Constitution. The act empowered the government to demand and forfeit security for publication of 'objectionable matter'. Aggrieved owners and printers were given right to demand trial by jury.It remained in force till 1956.If the offence reoccurred, the press equipments could be seized.The Magistrate's action was final and no appeal could be made to the Court of Law.
The act came to be nicknamed as Gagging Act. The worst feature of the act was that it discriminated between the English Press and the Vernacular Press and no Right of Appeal to a Court of Law was given. Under the Vernacular Press Act, proceedings were instituted against Sarnachar. Consequently, in September 1878, the pre-censorship clause was deleted. After the suggestion of the Secretary of State, a Press Commissioner was appointed, charged with the duty of supplying authentic and accurate news to the press.The Vernacular Press Act was repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon.Press Commission under Justice Rajadhyaksha recommended the establishment of an All India Press Council, fixing the press-page schedule system for newspaper banning cross word puzzle competitions,evolving a strict code of advertisement by newspapers and the desirability of preventing concentration in ownership of Indian newspapers.
THE NEWSPAPER ACT, 1908
The government followed a repressive policy and enacted the Newspaper Act (Incitement to offences) Act in 1908. This act empowered the Magistrates to confiscate the press and its property, if it published any material inciting the public to resort to violence.
Notes for SSC UPSC Exams
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