Question

Who passed the Vernacular Press Act in 1878? Why was it passed?

Answer 1

Hint: Press Acts passed in the colonial period aimed to control information that was published in public newspapers. By doing this, the British hoped to suppress the rise of anti-colonial sentiments among the Indians.

Complete answer:
To understand why this act was passed, we must delve into the background of print media in India.
The first newspaper that was published in India was the Bengal Gazette. The editor of this newspaper, James Hickey was an outspoken critic of the East India Company. Due to this, the newspaper was shut down within two years of publication.
The Bengal Gazette was the precursor to several newspapers in India which were now published in all major languages. These newspapers published opinion pieces that were anti-colonial and criticized the highhandedness of the East India Company.
The presence of such columns was instrumental in informing the newly rising class of educated Indians of the harsh colonial rule subjected to India by a power that claimed to defend democracy.
This went against the interests of the East India Company who wanted to maintain its stronghold in India against all odds. Newspapers like Amrita Bazar Patrika and others were outspoken in their criticism of the British in India, especially with the commencement of the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1878.
Therefore, in an attempt to prevent this, the Vernacular Press Act was passed by Viceroy Lord Lytton in 1878 to control seditious reports in vernacular newspapers published in India.

Note: The Vernacular Press Act was repealed in 1881 by Lord Ripon due to the unrest it caused among the Indians.