Development of Press and Education in Modern India: Complete Notes for OAS

Development of Press and Education in Modern India notes for OPSC OAS and UPSC cover the growth of newspapers and the evolution of colonial education policy from the late 18th century. This page explains every major newspaper and press regulation, the key educational minutes and commissions, and the distinctive history of press and education in Odisha, including the role of Utkal Deepika, Samaja, and Prajatantra in the making of modern Odisha.

Early History of the Press in India (1780–1857)

The first attempt to start a newspaper in Calcutta was made by William Bolts in 1776, but he was deported before he could execute his plan. The first newspaper actually published in India was the Bengal Gazette (also called Hicky's Bengal Gazette or Calcutta General Advertiser), started by James Augustus Hicky on 29 January 1780.APSC 2017, UPPSC (Mains) 2004

Key Early Newspapers (Before 1857)

Press Regulations and Acts (1799–1931)

The colonial government imposed a series of regulations to control the press, ranging from pre-censorship to punitive security deposits.

Development of Education in Colonial India

The British gradually assumed responsibility for Indian education, leading to a series of landmark policies that shaped the modern educational landscape.

Downward Filtration Theory

The Downward Filtration Theory held that education would gradually spread from the upper classes to the lower classes. It was influential after Macaulay's Minute (1835), but Wood's Despatch (1854) rejected it in principle.

Role of the Press in the National Movement

The press was the chief instrument through which nationalists spread patriotism and modern ideas and created an all-India consciousness.

• Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English) by Lokmanya Tilak propagated Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott, and National Education.
• The Hindu (1878) by G. Subramania Iyer, Bengalee by Surendranath Banerjee, Amrita Bazar Patrika by Sisir Kumar Ghosh, Sudharak by G.K. Gokhale, and Voice of India by Dadabhai Naoroji were powerful nationalist organs.
• Gandhi published Indian Opinion in South Africa, and Young India, Navjivan, and Harijan in India.
• Al-Hilal by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, The Indian Sociologist by Shyamji Krishna Varma (London), and Ghadar by the Ghadar Party were key revolutionary/nationalist journals.

Odisha Angle: The Press and Education in Odisha

Odisha's press and education developed later than Bengal but played a decisive role in the formation of a separate Odisha province and the spread of nationalist consciousness.

The Beginnings of Modern Education and Printing in Odisha

The Baptist missionaries were the pioneers of modern education and printing in Odisha. They arrived in Odisha in 1822 and established the first primary school. In 1837, they set up the first printing press in Odisha, the Cuttack Mission Press, to print religious texts and school books.Archive sourceShodhganga source The first English medium school in Odisha was opened at Baleshwar in November 1853, known as the Baleshwar Zilla School; at that time, there were only two other such schools in Orissa, one at Puri and the other at Cuttack.Archive source

The second printing press in Odisha was established by the initiative of the people at Cuttack in 1867. A year later, in 1868, the third printing press was established at Baleshwar by the untiring efforts of Fakir Mohan Senapati with the help of local men and Zamindars. The establishment of printing presses served three primary purposes: printing of journals, preparation of textbooks, and development of literature.Archive source

Utkal Deepika: The First Odia Newspaper

The first Odia newspaper, Utkal Deepika, was launched on 4 August 1866 from the newly established Cuttack Printing Press during the devastating Na-anka Durbhikha (Great Famine of 1866), which killed nearly one-third of Odisha's population.OSOU History of PressUtkal University source It was founded by Gourishankar Ray, a clerk in the Cuttack Collectorate, with the support of prominent local figures including Bichitrananda Das, Jagamohan Roy, the Raja of Dhenkanal, and the Collector of Cuttack, T. E. Ravenshaw. A seed fund of Rs 7,500 was collected, and the press was funded by selling capital shares to princely state rulers and zamindars. Editorial control remained with Gourishankar Ray until he retired in 1917, and the newspaper continued publication until 1936.Cambridge source

Utkal Deepika played a pivotal role in Odisha's socio-political life. It highlighted the plight of the famine, suggested measures for relief, strived for the development of Odia language and literature, and campaigned vigorously for the amalgamation of outlying Odia-speaking areas that remained scattered under different provincial administrations.OSOU History of PressOdisha Magazine source

Other Early Odia Newspapers and Journals

The Samaja and the Nationalist Press

The Samaja was founded by Pandit Gopabandhu Das as a weekly in 1919 from Satyabadi in Puri district, and later shifted to Cuttack. It was one of the first Odia newspapers with a mass focus. Through its columns, Gopabandhu spread the message of freedom and raised the problems of the people. The Samaja became the mouthpiece of the Congress movement in Orissa and played a key role in spearheading the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930, which attracted the ire of the colonial government.President of India sourceIIMC source

Prajatantra was started by Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab as a weekly from Balasore on 2 October 1923, after his release from Bhagalpur jail. Its main objectives were to publish the programmes of the Congress and the constructive programmes of Gandhiji. Prajatantra served as a training centre for aspiring journalists and introduced contents for different segments of readers, including a page for children and a page for women.Shodhganga sourceOSOU History of Press

Dainik Asha (1928), published from Berhampur by Sashi Bhusan Rath, was the first Odia daily. It spread the message of the freedom movement and provided practical training in journalism to many young men.OSOU History of Press

The Press and the Unification of Odisha

Odia journalism played a pivotal role in the formation of a separate Odisha province. The first Odia weekly, Utkal Deepika, was launched in 1866 during the Na-anka famine. Through the columns of Utkal Deepika and other newspapers, the pro-Odia lobby clashed with the anti-Odia lobby, and the cause of Odia was strongly advocated.Odisha Magazine source Newspapers like Sambalpur Hiteisini, Prajabandhu, and others campaigned for the amalgamation of Odia-speaking tracts. This sustained press campaign created a sense of linguistic and cultural unity that ultimately led to the creation of the separate province of Odisha on 1 April 1936.OSOU History of Press

Practice Questions on Press and Education for OPSC OAS