Q1. [4]
Print and Censorship
After the revolt of 1857, the attitude of the colonial government towards freedom of the press changed. Enraged Englishmen demanded a clamp down on the 'native' press. As vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist, the colonial government began debating measures of stringent control. In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed, modelled on the Irish Press Laws. It provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. From now on the government kept regular track of the vernacular newspapers published in different provinces. When a report was judged as seditious, the newspaper was warned, and if the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized and the printing machinery confiscated.
Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow :
- (9.1) Which Act was the inspiration of the 'Vernacular Press Act' ? [1]
- (9.2) Why was the colonial government not in favour of freedom of the press ? [1]
- (9.3) Which two powers were given by the Vernacular Press Act to the colonial government ? [2]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 32/2/1 Q9
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:00 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
(9.1) The Vernacular Press Act (1878) was modelled on the Irish Press Laws.
(9.2) The colonial government was not in favour of freedom of the press because vernacular newspapers were becoming assertively nationalist, and enraged Englishmen demanded a clamp down on the 'native' press after the revolt of 1857.
(9.3) The two powers given to the colonial government by the Vernacular Press Act were:
- Extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press.
- The power to seize the press and confiscate the printing machinery if a newspaper published seditious reports and ignored the government's warning.
Source: Chapter – Print Culture and the Modern World, Section – Print and Censorship
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Explanation
- (9.1) is a direct one-line fact — name the Irish Press Laws exactly.
- (9.2) requires TWO reasons from the passage: the revolt of 1857 changed attitudes, and vernacular papers turned nationalist. Mention both briefly for the full mark.
- (9.3) is 2 marks so name two distinct powers clearly. The passage gives exactly two: censorship of reports/editorials, and seizure/confiscation of press machinery. Present them as numbered points for clarity. Examiners award 1 mark per correct power.
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