A short comprehensive ppt on Indian Press legislation. (P.S. Dimpy's birthday falls in 1999; I've used it as a reference, it's easier to remember dates this way)

1. Media and Important Acts
April 5, 2022

2. 1780
1st Newspaper
Hickey’s Bengal
Gazette
(Gazette 880)
1895
Cinema was screened
for the first time in
Bombay
(Cinema 995)
1927
Radio broadcast for
the first time in 1927
(Radio 199)

3. Indian media consists of several types of
communication.
For eg: television, radio, cinema, newspapers,
magazines and internet based website portals.
Indian media consists of several
types of communication.
For eg: television, radio, cinema,
newspapers, magazines and
internet based website portals.

4. Important Legislations
Legislation is a law enacted by a legislature or a governing body. Most of the time
Indian Media is free, but it’s freedom comes along with some restrictions.
Some of the important legislations are as follows:
1. First Press Regulations Act (19 yrs after Gazette)
2. Licensing Regulations Act (43 yrs after Gazette)
3. Press and Registration of Books Act (87 yrs after Gazette)
4. Sedition Act (90 yrs after Gazette)
5. Vernacular Press Act (8 yrs after Sedition Act)
6. Indian Press Act (40 yrs after Sedition Act)
7. Official Secrets Act (53 yrs after Sedition Act)
8. The Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees Act (1955)
9. Prevention of Atrocities Act/ SC/ST Act(10 yrs before Dimpy’s b’day)

5. First 4 laws
(in chronological order)
1. First Press Regulations
Act (1799)
2. Licensing Regulations
Act (1823)
3. Press and Registration
of Books Act (1867)
4. Sedition Act 124 A
(1870)

6. Next 5 Laws
(in chronological order)
1. Vernacular Press Act
(1878)
2. Indian Press Act (1910)
3. Official Secrets Act (1904,
1923)
4. The Working Journalist
and other Newspaper
Employees Act (1955)
5. Prevention of Atrocities
Act, Sc/St Act (1989,
2018)

7. I. First Press Regulations Act
(1799)
19 years after Gazette
1. Lord Wellesley enacted this
act in 1799
2. Acc to this Act every
newspaper should print the
name of the printer, editor
and proprietor.
3. Before printing any material
it should be submitted to
the Secretory of
Censorship.
II. Licensing Regulations Act (1823)
43 years after Gazette
1. The then Governor-General John
Adams enacted this Act in 1823.
2. Acc to this Act, every publisher
should get a license from the govt.
3. The govt. has the right to cancel the
license of any publisher.
4. Any defaulter will be punished with a
fine of Rs 400 and press would be
ceased by the govt.
5. Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s Mirat-Ul-
Akhbar stopped publication

8. III. Press and Registration of
Books Act (1867)
87 years after Gazette
1. Acc to this Act every book or
paper printed, should have
the name of the printer,
publisher, the place of
printing and publishing.
2. Any material can only be
published after the
permission of the District
Presidency and Divisional
Magistrate.
IV. Sedition Act: Section 124(A) od
IPC (1870)
90 years after Gazette
1. The act of Sedition is to bring
hatred or contempt towards the
govt established by law in India.
2. In this case, the punishment
may be of imprisonment for life
with fine or imprisonment for
3yrs and fine.
3. It was actually brought to
suppress the freedom struggle
prevalent then.

9. Position of Sedition Act in different countries
United States
If any person willfully advocates or teaches of overthrowing the govt by force or
violence is said to have committed Sedition.
Netherlands, Indonesia and South Korea
The Dutch Penal Code criminalises any insult done to the King and his family.
In Indonesia and South Korea, sedition is unconstitutional.
Malaysia
The Federal Constitution comprises laws on Sedition against any ruler or ruling govt.
United Kingdom
Sedition and Seditious Libel Act have been decriminalised but it is an offence when
done by a non-national of the country.

10. Instance related to Sedition Act
Kanhaiya Kumar
JNUSU leader was accused of shouting anti-India slogans at
an event on the Parliament bomb blasts mastermind Afzal
Guru. Ten students of the university organised an to protest
against the death penalty awarded to Afzal Guru and Maqbool
Bhatt and support the ‘Kashmiri People for their democratic
right to self determination.’
A small group of unidentified people raised slogans like
“Kashmir ki Azaadi tak Jung Chalegi, Bharat ki Barbadi tak
Jung Chalegi”.

11. IV. Vernacular Press Act(1878)
8 years after Sedition Act
1. This Act was enacted to curtail
the freedom of the Indian
Language Press
2. Proposed by Lord Lytton to
prevent the vernacular press
from expressing criticism
towards the British Rule.
3. Excluded English language
publications
4. Acc to this act, any DM or Police
Commissioner could demand
security printer or publisher of a
newspaper which is considered
objectionable in the interest of
the govt.
V. Indian Press Act (1910)/B.G. Tilak
40 years after Sedition Act
1. Imposed strict censorship on all
kinds of publications.
2. empowered the Local Governments
to issue warrants against any
newspaper or book which contained
seditious matters, were to be
forfeited to his majesty.
3. The police was given extensive
power of search and seizure.
4. In case of breach, owners were
asked to pay anywhere between
500-5000 as magistrate deemed fit.

12. VI. Official Secrets Act (1904/1923)
53 years after Sedition Act
1. First enacted during the time of
Lord Curzon.
2. To muzzle the voice of
nationalist publications.
3. 1923 act replaced the earlier act
and was extended to all matters
of secrecy and confidentiality in
governance in the country.
4. Conflicts with RTI
5. The Act only empowers persons
in positions of authority to
handle official secrets, and
others who handle it in
prohibited areas are liable for
punishment.
VII. Working Journalists and Other
newspaper employees Act (1955)
44 years before Dimpy’s b’day
VIII. Prevention of Atrocities Act/
Sc/St Act (1989/2018)
10 yrs before Dimpy’s b’day
1. Enacted when the Provisions of
Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955
and IPC were found to be
inadequate to check these crimes.
2. To prevent atrocities as well as for
the relief and rehab of the victims.

13. Additional
Notes on Sc/St
Act
● 2018 Amendment bill says that
no preliminary enquiry is
required for registration of FIR
against any person.

14. Additional
Notes
● Working journalists Act = 1955
= Protection of Civil Rights Act
● Tiananmen Square protests
and massacre = 1989 = PoA
act = Rohith Vemula’s YoB