Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 38 of 113 · Firsts in India & World
Questioneasy
This question was previously asked in

SSC

The first newspaper in India was published by:

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option A — James Augustus Hicky

Detailed Solution

The first newspaper in India was "Hicky's Bengal Gazette", also known as the "Calcutta General Advertiser". It was started by James Augustus Hicky, an Irishman, on 29 January 1780 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). It was also the first printed newspaper in Asia.

About Hicky's Bengal Gazette:

  • It was a weekly newspaper of two sheets, published in English.
  • It carried news, advertisements and gossip, and was known for its bold and often scandalous criticism of the officials of the East India Company.
  • Hicky strongly attacked Governor-General Warren Hastings, his wife, and Chief Justice Sir Elijah Impey, accusing them of corruption.
  • As a result, he was sued for libel and jailed, and the Company seized his printing types in 1782, which ended the newspaper.

James Augustus Hicky is often called the "father of Indian journalism". His story shows that the fight for press freedom in India began very early.

Other early newspapers and milestones of the Indian press:

  • "Bengal Journal" and "India Gazette" (1780): other early English newspapers of Calcutta.
  • "Samachar Darpan" (1818): the first Bengali newspaper, published by the Baptist missionaries of Serampore.
  • "Sambad Kaumudi" (1821, Bengali) and "Mirat-ul-Akhbar" (1822, Persian): started by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who is called the father of the Indian language press.
  • "Jam-e-Jahan-Numa" (1822): early Urdu/Persian newspaper.
  • "Udant Martand" (30 May 1826, Calcutta): the first Hindi newspaper, by Jugal Kishore Shukla; 30 May is celebrated as Hindi Journalism Day.
  • "The Times of India" (1838, as "The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce").
  • "Kesari" (Marathi) and "Mahratta" (English): started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1881.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗James Silk Buckingham edited the "Calcutta Journal" (1818) and was expelled for criticising the government.
  • ✗Raja Ram Mohan Roy started Sambad Kaumudi and Mirat-ul-Akhbar.
  • ✗Bal Gangadhar Tilak started Kesari and Mahratta.

Quick tip

Remember: First Indian newspaper = Hicky's Bengal Gazette (29 January 1780, Calcutta), James Augustus Hicky; first Hindi = Udant Martand (1826); first Bengali = Samachar Darpan (1818).

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More Firsts in India & World Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.Who was the first Chief Justice of India?
  2. Q2.Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal?
  3. Q3.Who was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space?
  4. Q4.Who was the first Indian to win an Oscar (Academy Award)?
  5. Q5.Who was the first President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)?

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

Firsts in India & World — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

‹ All Firsts in India & World questionsBrowse all topics ›