Q60. Which work did Bal Gangadhar Tilak compose during his Mandalay imprisonment following a sedition case involving Kesari?
[DSSSB PRT (18 February 2026, Shift 3)]
(A) Gita-Sar
(B) Gita-Darshan
(C) Gita-Rahasya
(D) Gita-Gyan
Answer: (C) Gita-Rahasya
Explanation: Tilak wrote Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya while imprisoned in Mandalay between 1908 and 1914. His prosecution arose from colonial sedition charges connected with his newspaper writings. The book interpreted the Gita with special emphasis on action and duty.
Q59. Who wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909?
[SSC MTS, 2025 cycle (6 February 2026, Shift 2)]
(A) Rabindranath Tagore
(B) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(D) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: (D) Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909 while travelling between London and South Africa. Its Gujarati text first appeared in Indian Opinion. The work critiqued modern civilization and argued for swaraj grounded in self-discipline, ethics and nonviolent social transformation.
Q58. On which date is Hindi Journalism Day observed?
[RRB Group D (4 February 2026, Shift 1)]
(A) 9 April
(B) 18 February
(C) 5 May
(D) 30 May
Answer: (D) 30 May
Explanation: Hindi Journalism Day marks 30 May 1826, when Jugal Kishore Shukla launched Udant Martand from Calcutta. The weekly is widely recognized as the first Hindi newspaper. Its history reflects the early difficulties of sustaining an Indian-language newspaper under colonial conditions.
Q57. Mahesh Narayan was the first editor of which newspaper?
[Bihar Police SI, memory-based (18 January 2026, Shift 1)]
(A) Bihar Times
(B) Bihar Herald
(C) Pioneer
(D) More than one of the above
Answer: (A) Bihar Times
Explanation: Mahesh Narayan is associated with Bihar Times, an important publication in the emergence of a distinct political and regional consciousness in Bihar. Newspapers such as this helped educated readers debate administration, public representation and the province’s place within British India.
Q56. Who is often called the Liberator of the Indian Press?
[MP Police SI (17 January 2026, Shift 2)]
(A) Sir Charles Metcalfe
(B) Lord William Bentinck
(C) Robert Clive
(D) Warren Hastings
Answer: (A) Sir Charles Metcalfe
Explanation: Charles Metcalfe is remembered as the Liberator of the Indian Press for the 1835 measure that removed important licensing restrictions. His reforms enabled the expansion of newspapers in colonial India, although later governments periodically reintroduced harsh press controls.
Q55. In which year was the Censorship of Press Act introduced in British India?
[MP Police SI (17 January 2026, Shift 1)]
(A) 1799
(B) 1774
(C) 1793
(D) 1773
Answer: (A) 1799
Explanation: Governor-General Lord Wellesley introduced press censorship regulations in 1799, amid British concerns during conflict with France. The rules required scrutiny of printed material and restricted political discussion. They were an early instance of colonial supervision of newspapers in India.
Q54. Consider: Assertion (A): Gandhi’s newspapers carried many advertisements. Reason (R): His newspapers enjoyed a large circulation. Which option is correct?
[UGC NET Paper I (5 January 2026, Shift 2)]
(A) Both A and R are true, and R explains A
(B) Both A and R are true, but R does not explain A
(C) A is true, but R is false
(D) A is false, but R is true
Answer: (D) A is false, but R is true
Explanation: Gandhi resisted reliance on commercial advertising in his journals because he valued their independence and educational purpose. His newspapers nevertheless reached substantial audiences. Consequently, the assertion about numerous advertisements is false, while the reason about wide readership is accepted as true.
Q53. Which newspaper started by James Augustus Hicky is regarded as India’s first newspaper?
[Delhi Police Constable (4 January 2026, Shift 2)]
(A) Amrita Bazar Patrika
(B) Indian Spectator
(C) The Times of India
(D) Bengal Gazette
Answer: (D) Bengal Gazette
Explanation: Hicky launched the Bengal Gazette, also known as Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, in Calcutta in 1780. The English-language weekly criticized influential colonial figures and encountered official hostility. It occupies a foundational place in the history of Indian journalism.
Q52. Which Governor-General ended pre-censorship of the Indian press in 1818?
[Delhi Police Constable (29 December 2025)]
(A) Lord Hastings
(B) Lord Wellesley
(C) Charles Metcalfe
(D) John Adam
Answer: (A) Lord Hastings
Explanation: Lord Hastings relaxed the requirement for pre-publication censorship in 1818, marking an important change from earlier controls. This did not establish absolute press freedom: colonial authorities retained other powers. Metcalfe’s more comprehensive liberalizing measure followed in 1835.
Q51. Who began publication of the revolutionary weekly Ghadar?
[DSSSB TGT Social Science (8 November 2025)]
(A) Taraknath Das
(B) Lala Har Dayal
(C) Bhagat Singh
(D) Chandrashekhar Azad
Answer: (B) Lala Har Dayal
Explanation: Lala Har Dayal was a major organizer of the Ghadar movement in North America. Its paper, Ghadar, first appeared in 1913 and urged Indians to oppose British rule. Copies circulated internationally, linking emigrant communities with revolutionary politics.
