(2) Lord Ripon can be called the father of local self-government in India. Lord Ripon is known to have granted the Indians first taste of freedom by introducing the Local Self Government in 1882. His scheme of local self-government developed the Municipal institutions which had been growing up in the country ever since India was occupied by the British Crown. He repealed Vernacular Press Act in 1882. He also passed Ilbert Bill which gave Indian judges and magistrates the jurisdiction to try British offenders in criminal cases.