British Rule in India

Development of Press

Development of Civil
Services
Development of Press
British Press Policy
The Bengal Gazette or
1st Newspaper in The Calcutta General
India Advertiser

Started by James Hickey (1780)

Later on, in 1782 It was seized by the government for excessive

criticism
Development of Press
Nature of Early Press
Circulation- Very Few
100-500 Copies only
Aim- To cater Intellectual Entertainment of the Europeans

EIC officials were worried about the news papers report might reach
London & the British government will come to know about its
malpractices
Hence, Sometimes Censure of reports were done by EIC
Sometimes Ceasing/Closing of Press also done
Development of Press
British Press Policy
Development Stages
1. Censorship of the Press Act 1799
Imposed by Lord Wellesley
All materials to be checked before publication
Pre-censorship power given to secretary to government

2. Licensing Regulations 1823

Imposed by John Adams
Obtaining License for Printing/Publication
Penalty/Fine without publishing without license

3. Liberation of Indian Press 1830s to 1857

Development of Press
British Press Policy

4. Licensing Act of 1857

Enacted due to revolt of 1857
Tried to suppress the voice of Indian Press
Later on Withdrawn

5. Press Act 1867

Copies of Newspapers should be kept in Archives
Can be checked for Future reference

6. Restriction Act 1870

Definition of Sedition
Development of Press
British Press Policy

7. Vernacular Press Act 1878

Why it was introduced?
Post 1857 revolt- English press was always on the side of the
government
But Vernacular Press which had developed & grown on an
unprecedented scale since 1857 became vocal & increasingly critical
of the government policies
Vernacular press opinion was restive particularly on two occasions
1. Famine of 1876-78
2. Delhi Durbar 1877
So to check the activities of the vernacular press, Lord Lyton passed
the act
Development of Press Amrita Bazaar Patrika over
7. Vernacular Press Act 1878 nightly got converted into
English when this act was
Provisions of the Act
passed
a. It compelled the publishers to
Deposit security amount Repeal of Vernacular Press
by Lord Rippon in 1881
Sign a bond, not to print anything against the government and
anything that is likely to incite people
b. It empowered the magistrates to check & investigate the
publishers documents
In case of violation warn & confiscate the deposit as well as press
Nature of this act Very much Discriminatory
Only applied to Vernacular press and not the
English one
Development of Press
8.Newspaper Act 1905
Magistrate could confiscate the Printing Press, if any news paper will
publish objectionable content

9. Indian Press Act 1910

Empowered local government to demand security from the
keeper of a printing press & to forfeit the security if any
objectionable material is published
The newspaper could appeal to a special tribunal of High Court
against the forfeiture

10. The Indian Press Act 1931

Question UPSC Pre 2005
22. Who among the following repealed the vernacular press act?

a. Lord Dufferin (1884-1888)

b. Lord Rippon (1880-1884)
c. Lord Curzon (1899-1905)
d. Lord Hardinge (1844-48)

Answer: B
Question UPSC Pre 2004
22. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

a. Warren Hastings : Pitt’s India Act

b. Dalhousie : Doctrine of Lapse
c. Vernacular Press Act: Curzon
d. Ilbert Bill: Rippon

Answer: C
Development of Civil Services in India
Intially Civil servants where appointed by the Directors
Service known as ‘Covenanted Civil Service’
There was no distinction between Co’s Commercial and Political
Activities
Promotion Seniority
Apprentice FactorWriter Junior Merchant

Senior Merchant Administrator

Warren Hastings Separated Admnistrative and

Commercial Functions
Cornwallis- Organising Civil Services into a proper framework
Development of Civil Services in India
Wellesly Established Fort William College @ Towards training
Calcutta Later on,East India College @ London Institutions

Closed after
wellesley left

Charter Act of 1833- Idea of Competition

4 times nominate Compete

Charter act of 1853- Competition based Exam

Recommendation by Macaulay Committee
Development of Civil Services in India
1st Indian- SN Tagore
Indian Civil Service Act 1861 passed Civil Service Commission
established
Issues regarding the age & syllabus, exam centre
Age limit: Syllabus Main Aim:
Exam Location
1859- 22 years Exclusion
1866-21 years Very Hard to
Crack London of Indians
1877- 19 years
1892-21 years

By 1870s protest started against this discrimination

Indian Association SN Banerjee
Development of Civil Services in India

1886- Aithichson Exam to be held only in

Commission England

1912- Islington Accepted Simultaneous exam in England and

Commission India Actually Began in 1922

1924- Lee Comission Establishment of Public Service

Commission

1935- Government of Federal Public Service Commission

India Act
Question UPSC Pre 2010
22. Who among the following governor generals created the
covenanted civil service of India which later came to be known as
the Indian Civil Service?
a. Warren Hastings (1773-85)
b. Wellesley (1799-1805)
c. Cornwallis (1786-1783)
d. William Bentinck (1828-1835)

Answer: C