In which of the following years was press freedom granted by Lord William Bentinck?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

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.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) No press-law change occurred this year; Adams's restrictive 1823 licensing ordinance was still fully in force.  (b) 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) Still within the licensing-restricted press regime; the liberalising Press Act followed only the next year.

Concept: 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.

State PCS 2023 Q69 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q69 — History PYQ with Answer