In which of the following years was press freedom granted by Lord William Bentinck?
- (a)1832 AD
- (b)1833 AD
- (c)1834 AD
- (d)1835 AD
Correct — D, 1835 AD. Newspapers had been under strict prior-licensing since Governor-General John Adams's Press Ordinance of 1823. That licensing regime ended with the Press Act of 1835, which removed the requirement and restored a free press — enacted right at the close of Bentinck's governor-generalship, and carried through by his successor, Charles Metcalfe, whom historians credit as the 'Liberator of the Indian Press' for this reform.
- (a)1832 AD — No press-law change occurred this year; Adams's restrictive 1823 licensing ordinance was still fully in force.
- (b)1833 AD — This is the year of the Charter Act of 1833 (ended the East India Company's remaining trade monopoly, created the post of Governor-General of India) — a major reform, but not the press law.
- (c)1834 AD — Still within the licensing-restricted press regime; the liberalising Press Act followed only the next year.
India's press law swung between restriction and freedom in the early 19th century. John Adams's 1823 ordinance imposed compulsory licensing on newspapers. That licensing regime was lifted by the Press Act of 1835, which let newspapers publish without a government licence — a genuine liberal landmark, falling right at the handover from Bentinck to Metcalfe.
The options cluster tightly around 1832-1835, so the question rewards knowing the exact year of the Press Act rather than just the general liberal-reform period associated with Bentinck (abolition of Sati 1829, English Education Act 1835, etc.).
- John Adams's Press Ordinance (1823) imposed strict licensing on newspapers
- The Press Act of 1835 removed licensing restrictions and restored press freedom
- The reform is credited to Charles Metcalfe, acting Governor-General in 1835, called the 'Liberator of the Press'
- Press curbs returned later via the Vernacular Press Act (1878), repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon
The Press Act of 1835 ended licensing restrictions on newspapers — the year this question asks for.
- Crediting the 1835 Press Act personally to Bentinck rather than to his successor Metcalfe, who actually carried it through
- Confusing 1833 (Charter Act) with 1835 (Press Act) since both fall in the same liberal-reform stretch
Date-recall of press-law swings (1823 restrict → 1835 free → 1878 restrict → 1882 repeal) is a recurring MPPSC/UPSC pattern.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Who is credited by historians as the 'Liberator of the Indian Press' for the Press Act of 1835?
- (a)Lord William Bentinck
- (b)Charles Metcalfe
- (c)Lord Auckland
- (d)Lord Macaulay
Answer(b) Charles Metcalfe — acting Governor-General who removed press licensing in 1835.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Vernacular Press Act of 1878, which reimposed curbs on Indian-language newspapers, was repealed in 1882 by:
- (a)Lord Lytton
- (b)Lord Ripon
- (c)Lord Curzon
- (d)Lord Dufferin
Answer(b) Lord Ripon.