The first newspaper published in India was

Question

The first newspaper published in India was

1. A. The Hindu
2. B. The Amrita Bazar Patrika
3. C. The Bengal Gazette (Correct answer)
4. D. The Times of India

Correct Answer

Option C — The Bengal Gazette

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is The Bengal Gazette.

Key Points

• The Bengal Gazette, also called Hicky's Gazette, was started by James Augustus Hicky in 1780 at Calcutta and was India's first printed newspaper.
• It was a weekly, printed in English, and was known for criticising the East India Company administration — which led to its suppression in 1782.
• The Times of India began in 1838 (as The Bombay Times), Amrita Bazar Patrika in 1868 and The Hindu in 1878, all well after.

Additional Information

• The paper's full title was Hicky's Bengal Gazette, or the Original Calcutta General Advertiser, and it ran to just two sheets.
• Hicky's outspoken criticism of the East India Company administration led to his prosecution and imprisonment, and the paper was shut down in 1782.
• A rival, the India Gazette, appeared soon after in 1780, which is why the two are sometimes confused in exam options.