Development of Press & Education in India

Chapter 28 — Complete Notes

BPSCBSSC CGL Modern HistoryExam Fusion Prep
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Quick Reference — Key Firsts
Category Year Details
1st Printing Press (Portuguese) 1557 Established in Goa
1st Printing Press (EIC) 1674 Established in Mumbai
India's 1st Newspaper 1780 Bengal Gazette (English) — Editor: James Augustus Hickey
First Hindi Newspaper 1826 Udant Martand
English Education Act 1835 Macaulay's Minute — Downward Filtration Theory
Wood's Dispatch 1854 "Magna Carta of Indian Education" — Lord Dalhousie
3 Universities Founded 1857 Calcutta, Madras, Bombay
Bengal Gazette 1780 = James Hickey Udant Martand 1826 = 1st Hindi paper Vernacular Press Act 1878 = Gagging Act Metcalfe Act 1835 = Liberator of Press
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Introduction to Press in India
Printing Press — First Establishments
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First Printing Press (Portuguese): Established in Goa, 1557.
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First Printing Press (East India Company): Established in Mumbai, 1674.

British-Supported English Newspapers
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The Times of India, The Pioneer, The Statesman — all English language.

Key Firsts
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India's First Newspaper: Bengal Gazette (1780) — English language.
Editor: James Augustus Hickey.
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First Hindi Newspaper: Udant Martand (1826).

Bengal Gazette 1780 = James Augustus Hickey Udant Martand 1826 = 1st Hindi newspaper Portuguese press 1557 = Goa EIC press 1674 = Mumbai
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Press Acts (Legislations) — Complete Table
Act Year Governor-General / Viceroy Key Note
Censorship of Press Act 1799 Lord Wellesley First major censorship act.
Licensing Regulation 1823 John Adams Licensing required.
Indian Press Act (Metcalfe Act) 1835 Charles Metcalfe Metcalfe = "Liberator of Press" — repealed restrictive acts.
Licensing Press Act 1857 Lord Canning During Revolt of 1857.
Vernacular Press Act 1878 Lord Lytton "Gagging Act" — targeted vernacular press. Amrit Bazar Patrika turned English overnight to escape it.
Newspaper Act 1908 Lord Minto II
Indian Press Act 1910 Lord Minto II Two acts by same Viceroy.

Amrit Bazar Patrika — Special Story (Vernacular Press Act)
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Founded: 1868 by Sisir Kumar Ghosh & Motilal Ghosh (Jessore, Bengal).
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When Vernacular Press Act 1878 passed — paper turned Bengali to English overnight (21 March 1878) to escape the Act. Since Act only covered vernacular papers, English was exempt.
Considered a legendary act of defiance. British considered this Act was aimed mainly at Amrit Bazar Patrika.
Metcalfe 1835 = Liberator of Press Vernacular 1878 = Gagging Act (Lytton) Minto II = 2 Acts (1908 + 1910) ABP = turned English overnight 1878
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A. Macaulay's Minute / English Education Act (1835)
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Passed: 1835.
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Core Principle: "Downward Filtration Theory" — Education top se bottom flow karegi.
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Medium of Instruction: English.
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Target: Upper class of society.
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Key Outcome: Universities established 1857 — Calcutta, Madras, Bombay.
Beginning of Modern Education System in India from Macaulay's Minutes.
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B. Charles Wood's Dispatch (1854)
"Magna Carta of Indian Education"
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Governor-General: Lord Dalhousie.
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Title: "Magna Carta of Indian Education."
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Medium Policy: School Level = Local/Vernacular language. College Level = English language.
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C. Hunter Commission (1882–83)
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Chairman: W.W. Hunter (1882). Viceroy: Lord Ripon.
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Objective: Review implementation of Wood's Dispatch. Assess educational progress.
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Focus: Primary Education & Secondary Education.
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Education Commissions — Complete Table
Commission Year Viceroy Chairman Key Reform
Hunter Commission 1882–83 Lord Ripon W.W. Hunter Review Wood's Dispatch. Primary + Secondary education focus.
Indian University Commission 1904 Lord Curzon Sir Thomas Raleigh Stricter control over universities. Regulation of Senate.
Sadler Commission 1917 Lord Chelmsford M.E. Sadler Reforms in Higher Education. Separated Intermediate (12th) from Degree.
Hartog Committee 1929 Lord Irwin Philip Hartog Focused on "Wastage and Stagnation" in Primary Education.
Sargent Plan 1944 John Sargent Free & Compulsory Education (6–11 years). Intro to High School concept.
Radhakrishnan Committee 1948 Dr. S. Radhakrishnan 1st Education Commission of Independent India. Modernize Universities → became base for UGC.
Wood's Dispatch 1854 = Magna Carta of Education Macaulay 1835 = Downward Filtration Theory Radhakrishnan 1948 = 1st after Independence Sadler 1917 = Separated 12th from Degree Hartog 1929 = Wastage + Stagnation
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Major Institutions — Founded by British
Institution Year Founder Important Note
Calcutta Madrasa 1781 Warren Hastings First Oriental Institution established by British in India.
Asiatic Society of Bengal 1784 Sir William Jones Dedicated to oriental studies & translation.
Banaras Sanskrit College 1791 Jonathan Duncan Study of Hindu laws and philosophy.
Hindu College, Calcutta 1817 Raja Ram Mohan Roy + David Hare Modern English education in Bengal.
Universities — Calcutta, Madras, Bombay 1857 Established same year as Revolt of 1857.
Central Hindu College 1898 Annie Besant Later became BHU (Banaras Hindu University).
Calcutta Madrasa 1781 = 1st Oriental Institution Asiatic Society 1784 = William Jones 3 Universities 1857 = Calcutta, Madras, Bombay
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Gandhi Group — Books & Journals
Title Type Author
Hind Swaraj Book Mahatma Gandhi
My Experiments with Truth Autobiography Mahatma Gandhi
Young India Journal Mahatma Gandhi
Harijan Journal Mahatma Gandhi
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Extremist / Nationalist Group — Journals & Books
Kesari
Journal
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Language: Marathi.
Maratha
Journal
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Language: English. (Tilak ke 2 journals — alag language).
Vande Mataram
Journal
Bipin Chandra Pal
Extremist nationalist journal.
New India
Journal
Annie Besant
Also led Home Rule Movement 1916.
Commonweal
Journal
Annie Besant
Annie Besant ke 2 journals — dono yaad rakho.
Al-Hilal
Journal
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Urdu journal. Nationalist voice.
India Wins Freedom
Book
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Autobiography / account of freedom struggle.
Unhappy India
Book
Lala Lajpat Rai
Response to Katherine Mayo's "Mother India."
The Indian War of Independence
Book
V.D. Savarkar
First to call 1857 as War of Independence.
The Independent
Journal
Motilal Nehru
⚠️ Trap: Not Jawaharlal Nehru — it's Motilal Nehru (father).
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Important Founders & Editors — Complete Table
Book / Journal Author / Founder / Editor Exam Note
Leader (Journal) Founder: Madan Mohan Malaviya
Editor: C.Y. Chintamani
⚠️ Dono alag roles mein hain — option mein dono aa sakte hain.
Amrit Bazar Patrika Sisir Kumar Ghosh (Motilal Ghosh) Started Bengali → turned English overnight to escape Vernacular Press Act 1878.
Indian Unrest (Book) Valentine Chirol ⚠️ British journalist. Called Tilak "Father of Indian Unrest". Same person called Arya Samaj "Father of Indian Unrest."
Bombay Chronicle Ferozeshah Mehta Founder.
Indian Mirror (Journal) Devendranath Tagore Initiated by him.
Rast Goftar (Journal) Dadabhai Naoroji "Truth Teller" — Gujarati journal.
Samvad Kaumudi Raja Ram Mohan Roy Bengali Weekly.
Comrade (Journal) Mohammad Ali Jauhar
Hindu Patriot Harishchandra Mukherjee Often asked in context of Indigo Revolt support.
Neel Darpan (Book) Dinbandhu Mitra Play based on Indigo Revolt (Neel = Indigo).
India Divided (Book) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
⚠️ Trap #1 — "The Independent" = Motilal Nehru, not Jawaharlal
Journal "The Independent" ka founder = Motilal Nehru (father). Jawaharlal Nehru ka nahi. Exam mein yahi confuse karta hai.
⚠️ Trap #2 — Tilak ke 2 Journals alag language mein
Kesari = Tilak ka Marathi journal. Maratha = Tilak ka English journal. Dono Tilak ke hain — sirf language alag hai.
⚠️ Trap #3 — Annie Besant ke 2 Journals
Annie Besant ke 2 journals hain: New India + Commonweal. Dono yaad rakho. Woh Theosophical Society ki Indian leader bhi thi.
⚠️ Trap #4 — Leader Journal = Malaviya (Founder) vs Chintamani (Editor)
Journal "Leader" mein: Madan Mohan Malaviya = Founder, C.Y. Chintamani = Editor. MCQ mein dono alag options mein aa sakte hain — role check karo.
⚠️ Trap #5 — Metcalfe = Liberator of Press
Charles Metcalfe (1835) ko "Liberator of the Press" kaha jata hai kyunki unhone 1823 ka restrictive Licensing Regulation repeal kiya. Metcalfe Act = press freedom.
⚠️ Trap #6 — Vernacular Press Act 1878 = Gagging Act
Vernacular Press Act 1878 = Lord Lytton. Also known as "Gagging Act". Targeted Indian language press — English papers exempt. Amrit Bazar Patrika ne Bengali chhod English apnayi to escape it.
⚠️ Trap #7 — Wood's Dispatch = Magna Carta of Education
Wood's Dispatch (1854) = "Magna Carta of Indian Education". Under Lord Dalhousie. School = vernacular, College = English. Macaulay's Minute (1835) se alag hai.
⚠️ Trap #8 — Valentine Chirol ne 2 cheezein kahi
Valentine Chirol (British journalist) ne: (1) Tilak ko "Father of Indian Unrest" kaha. (2) Arya Samaj ko "Father of Indian Unrest" kaha. Book: "Indian Unrest." Dono associations yaad rakho.
⚠️ Trap #9 — Lord Minto II ke 2 Press Acts
Lord Minto II ne 2 Press Acts pass kiye: Newspaper Act 1908 aur Indian Press Act 1910. Akele Viceroy ne 2 acts — sequence yaad rakho.
⚠️ Trap #10 — Radhakrishnan Commission = 1st post-Independence
Radhakrishnan Committee (1948) = First Education Commission of Independent India. Iska kaam tha university modernization — aur yahi baad mein UGC ka base bana.
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