---
title: "Vernacular Press Act 1878: Lytton's Press Law"
description: "The Vernacular Press Act 1878 allowed the British to censor Indian-language newspapers, highlighting colonial double standards in media freedom."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/vernacular-press-act-1878"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Vernacular Press Act 1878 was a British colonial Indian law empowering the government to censor and suppress newspapers printed in Indian languages.
- Why did the Vernacular Press Act 1878 exempt English-language newspapers?
- How did the Amrita Bazar Patrika escape the Vernacular Press Act?
- Who repealed the Vernacular Press Act and when?
- How does the Vernacular Press Act 1878 differ from the Indian Press Act 1910?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The Vernacular Press Act 1878 was a British colonial Indian law empowering the government to censor and suppress newspapers printed in Indian languages.

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In 1878, the Calcutta daily Amrita Bazar Patrika, edited by Sisir Kumar Ghosh, switched overnight from Bengali to English to escape Lord Lytton's Vernacular Press Act.

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