Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Measures taken by the colonial government:

After 1857, the colonial government passed the Vernacular Press Act (1878), modelled on Irish Press Laws. It gave the government extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. Newspapers were regularly tracked; if a report was judged seditious, the newspaper was warned. If the warning was ignored, the press could be seized and printing machinery confiscated.

Why nationalist newspapers continued to grow:

Despite repression, nationalist newspapers grew because they reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist activities. Attempts to throttle criticism provoked militant protest, creating a renewed cycle of persecution and protest. For example, Tilak's Kesari wrote sympathetically about Punjab revolutionaries (1907), and his imprisonment in 1908 sparked widespread protests across India.

Source: Print Culture and the Modern World, Section 9

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• 2 marks are for the measures (focus on the Vernacular Press Act, censorship, seizure of press) and 1 mark for why newspapers grew despite restrictions.
• Name the Vernacular Press Act, 1878 specifically — examiners look for this.
• The Tilak/Kesari example is the expected illustration from the textbook for the second part.
• Don't write about pre-1857 press laws; the question is specifically after 1857.