The Vernacular Press Act (VPA) was designed to ‘better control’ the vernacular press, and effectively punish and repress seditious writing. The provisions of the Act included the following:

1. The district magistrate was empowered to call upon the printer and publisher of any vernacular newspaper to enter into a bond with the Government, undertaking not to cause disaffection against the Government or antipathy between the persons of different religions, caste, race through published material; the printer and publisher could also be required to deposit security, which could be forfeited if the regulation were contravened and press equipment could be seized if the offence re-occurred.

2. The magistrate’s action was final and no appeal could be made in a court of law.

3. A vernacular newspaper could get exemption from the operation of the Act by submitting proofs to a government censor.

The Act came to be nicknamed “The Gagging Act”. The worst features of this Act were

(i) discrimination between English and vernacular press, and

(ii) no right of appeal.