Why was the Vernacular Press Act passed in 1878?
The Vernacular Act of 1878 was proposed by Lord Lytton, the then Viceroy of India, and passed on 14 March 1878. English language publications were not included in this act as it was meant to control seditious writings of Indians who were against British policies in India. Thus the British tried to control the publication of India by making various allegations against the freedom of the press. This act was heavily criticized by the Indian intellectuals. Although the Revolt of 1857, which was called the First War of Independence, was not successful, it created a sense of unity among Indians. For the first time all people were brought into one. Much of the success was due to the local language newspapers which helped in understanding the people of different languages. Thus the British had to pass the Press Act in the local language which made the government the sole power over the press. This led to a large number of violent incidents and agitations.
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