FIRSTS : INDIA
Q1. Who was the first and the only Indian Governor General of Independent India?
C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji).
Q2. Who is the first President of India?
Dr. Rajendran Prasad.
Q3. Who is the first Prime Minister of India?
Jawahar Lal Nehru.
Q4. Who is the first Chief Justice of India?
H.J. Kania.
Q5. Who is the first speaker of Lok Sabha?
G.V. Mavlankar.
Q6. Who is the first Indian to climb Mount Everest?
Tenzing Norgay.
Q7. Who is the first Indian woman to swim across strait of Gibraltar?
Arti Pradhan.
Q8. Who is the first handicapped Indian to cross strait of Gibraltar?
Taranath Shenoy.
Q9. Who is the first Indian to be elected to the fellow of royal society of London?
Srinivasa Ramanujam.
Q10. Who is the first and the only woman PM of India?
Smt. Indira Gandhi
Q11. Who is the first woman chief Minister of India?
Sucheta Kripalani. UP - 1963.
Q12. Who is the first woman Speaker of a state?
Shammo Devi
Q13. Who is the first woman Governor of a state?
Sarojini Naidu
Q14. Who is the first woman to sit on the throne of India?
Razia Sultana.
Q15. Who is the first Indian woman to swim across English Channel?
Aarti saha - Bengal
Q16. Who is the first Indian woman doctor?
Kadambini Ganguly - Bengal.
Q17. Who is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest?
Bachendri Pal.
Q18. Who is the first Indian woman High court Judge?
Anna Chandy.
Q19. Who is the first Indian woman supreme court Judge?
Leila Sheth (Mother of the famous writer Vikram sheth)
Q20. Who is the first Indian woman Editor of a Newspaper?
Din Vakil
Q21. Who is the first Indian woman Magistrate?
Omana Kunjamma - Kerala.
Q22. Who is the first /only Indian woman to be president of the UN assembly?
Vijayalakshmi Pandit
Q23. Who is the first Indian/US Citizen to enter the Space?
Kalpana Chawla
Q24. Who is the first Indian Miss Universe?
Sushmita Sen.
Q25. Who is the first Indian Miss world?
Reita Faria.
Q26. Who is the first to climb Mount Everest without Oxygen?
Phu Dorjee.
Q27. Who is the first Indian to climb Mount Everest twice?
Nwang Gombu.
Q28. Who is the first field Marshal of India?
Genl SHFJ Manckshaw (next General C.M. Cariappa) (so far only two)
Q29. Who is the first Indian chief of army staff?
Rajendra singhji.
Q30. Who is the first Indian commercial pilot and also the first to conduct a solo flight?
J.R.D. Tata.
Q31. Who is the first Indian to reach North pole?
Bezal Jesudasan - Tamil Nadu.
Q32. Who is the first Indian Bar at Law?
J.M. Tagore.
Q33. Who is the first Indian Noble Lauraete?
Rabindranath Tagore.
Q34. Who is the first Indian chief of Air Staff?
Subroto Mukherjee.
Q35. Who is the first Indian chief of Naval Staff?
R.D. Katari.
Q36. Who is the first Indian Chief Election Commissioner?
Sukumar Sen.
Q37. Who is the first Indian to win world Billiards Championship?
William Jones.
Q38. Who is the first Indian to swim across English Channel?
Mihir Sen.
Q39. Who is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest twice?
Santhosh Yadav.
Q40. Who is the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal?
J.C. Jadhav - wrestling
Q41. Who is the first Indian to win an Olympic silver medal?
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - Shooting 2004.
Q42. Who is the first Indian to win an individual Gold Medal in olympics?
Abhinav Bindra - Shooting - 2008.
Q43. Who is the first Indian test Cricketer?
Ranjit Singhji.
Q44. Who is India's first Indian RBI Governor?
C.D. Deshmukh.
Q45. Who is the first Indian cricketer to score an ODI Hundred?
Kapil Dev
Q46. Who is the first Home Minister of India?
Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
Q47. Who is the first Finance Minister of India?
John Mathai -Provisional, Shanmugham Chetty-elected.
Q48. Who is the First Railway minister of India?
Asaf Ali - Provisional John Mathai - Elected.
Q49. Who is the first Education Minister of India?
Maulana Azad. (Abul Kalam Maulana Azad).
Q50. Who is the first Health Minister of India?
Rajkumari Amrith Kaur. -- Also first central woman minister.
Q51. Who is the first Defence Minister of India?
Bal Dev Singh.
Q52. Who is the first Law Minister of India?
B.R. Ambedkar.
Q53. Who is the first communication Minister of India?
Rafi Ahmed Kidwai.
Q54. Who is the first Industry Minister of India?
S.P. Mukherjee.
Q55. Who is the first Indian woman to fly MIG 35 fighter Jet?
Suman Sharma. She is also the world's first.
Q56. Who is the first Indian woman (citizen) to receive Nobel Prize (Peace)?
Mother Theresa
Q57. Who is the first President of the Indian National congress?
W.C. Bannerjee.
Q58. Who is the first Indian to reach 10000 runs in test cricket?
Sunil Manohar Gavaskar.
Q59. Who is the first woman president of Indian National Congress?
Dr. Annie Beasant.
Q60. Who is the first Indian woman to sail around the world (circumnavigate)?
Ujwala Rai.
Q61. Who is the first Indian woman IAS officer?
Anna Rajam George Malhortra - 1951 Batch - Incidentally she is also the wife of former RBI Governor R.N.Malhotra.
Q62. Who is the first Indian woman IPS Officer?
Kiran Bedi.
Q63. Who is the first Indian woman Advocate?
Cornelia Sorabjee.
Q64. Who is the first Indian woman to pass M.A. ?
Chandramukhi Bose.
Q65. Who is the first Indian woman chief engineer?
P.K. Thresia
Q66. Who is the first Indian woman to receive Sena Medal?
Bimla Devi - CRPF -1990.
Q67. Who is the first Indian ICS (now IAS) officer?
Satyendranath Tagore.
Q68. Who was the first Governor General of free India?
Lord Mountbatten -Also the last of the British India.
Q69. Who was the first Viceroy of British India?
Lord Canning
Q70. Who is the first Muslim President of India?
Dr. Zakir Hussain.
Q71. Who is the first sikh President of India?
Giani Zail Sirgh.
Q72. Who was the first Indian member of Viceroy's Executive Council?
Lord S.P. Sinha - Member of House of Lords.
Q73. Who is the first Indian to become President of International Court of Justice?
Dr. Nagendra Singh.
Q74. Who is the first Indian in British Parliament?
Dadhabhai Naorozi.
Q75. Who is the first Indian to receive the Victoria Cross, highest British Valour Award?
Khudada Khan.
Q76. Who is the first Indian to circumnavigate the Globe?
Lt.Col.K.S.Rao.
Q77. Who is the first Indian to reach the South Pole?
Col. C.K.Bajaj.
Q78. Who is the first Indian High Court Judge?
Justice Syed Mahmood - 1878.
Q79. Who is the first Indian to visit England?
Raja Ram Mohan Roy -1832.
Q80. Who is the first Air Marshal of India?
Arjan Singh.
Q81. Who is the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
Dr.S.Radhakrishnan.
Q82. Who is the first judge to face impeachment in Lok Sabha?
Justice V.Ramasami.
Q83. Who is the first Dalit President of India?
K.R.Narayanan.
Q84. Who is the first Indian woman and also the first musician to receive Bharat Ratna?
M.S.Subbulakshmi.
Q85. Who is the first Indian woman film star to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha?
Nargis Dutt.
Q86. Who is the first Indian to win a medal at the Asian Games?
Roshan Mistry. Asian Games 1952.
Q87. Who is the first Woman Chess Grand Master of India?
Koneru Humpy - Andhra Pradesh.
Q88. Who is the first Indian woman cricket umpire?
Sumathi Hariharan Iyer.
Q89. Who is the first Indian to become world champion for any sport, for India?
Wilson Jones - Billiards.
Q90. Who is the first Indian to be seeded at the Wimbledon?
Dilip Bose - 1950 - seeded 15.
Q91. Who is the first to receive the Indian Gallantry Award?
Major Somnath Sharma - Param Vir Chakra.
Q92. Who is the first Indian Post Master General of India?
P.K.S. Chari.
Q93. Who is the first Indian woman to be trained in elephant rearing?
Parbati Barua, Assam.
Q94. Who is the first Indian Origin to become a Governor of a state in USA?
Naveen Jindal - Louisiana - Oct. 2007. Also the youngest to become a Governor of a US State.
Q95. Who is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic individual medal?
Karnam Malleswari - Weightligting - Bronze - 2000 - Sydney.
Q96. Who is the first Indian to own a car?
Jamshedji Tata - 1901.
Q97. Who is the first Indian woman to graduate from the famous Harvard Business School?
Naina Lal Kidwai.
Q98. Who is the first Indian to obtain a Ph.D. in English from the famous Cambridge University?
Dr.Harivansh Rai Bachan.
Q99. Who is the first woman Foreign Minister of India?
Lakshmi N.Menon.
Q100. Who is the first woman commander Pilot of Air India?
Capt. Chameli Krotapalli.
Q101. Who was the first person to donate lands to Vinobha Bhave's "Bhoodan Movement?
V. Ramchandra Reddy - 80 Acres of Land.
Q102. Who is the first Indian to win Lenin Peace Prize?
Saifuddin Kichlu
Q103. Who is the first Indian to be appointed as "cardinal" by the Vatican?
Valerian Gracias.
Q104. Who is the first Indian Ambassador to soviet Union?
Vijayalakshmi Pandit.
Q105. Who is the first woman paratrooper of IAF?
Gita Chandra.
Q106. Who is the first person to be hanged to death under the law of free India?
Nathuram Godse for killing Gandhi.
Q107. Who is the first Indian leader to organize a labour movement in India?
N.M. Lokhandy
Q108. Who is the first Indian to receive Magasasay Award?
Vinobha Bhave.
Q109. Who is the first to receive the Bharat Rantna Award in 1954, as three persons were selected?
C.V. Raman.
Q110. Who is Indian first Play back singer?
Pankaj Mullick - film " Bhagya Chakra" He is also the first music director to receive the Dadha saheb Phalke Award.
Q111. Who is the first Indian to get a planet named after him?
Dr. Sainuddeen Pattazhi - Kerala (See " Planets")
Q112. Which is the first submarine built by India?
INS Shalki.
Q113. What is the first warship built by India?
INS - Savithri.
Q114. Which Indian University was the first to launch its own educational satellite?
Anna University - Tamil Nadu Chennai - "ANUSAT" April 2009.
Q115. What is the first technical color film in India?
"Jahansi Ki Rani" produced by Sohrab Modi.
Q116. Which is india's first submarine museum?
INS Khursura.
Q117. Which is the first newspaper published in India?
Bengal Gazette -27.1.1780 -Calcutta by J.Hickey in English.
Q118. Which is the first vernacular newspaper of India?
Mumbai Samachar" - Gujarati 1822 by Fardumjee Marazban?
Q119. Which district of India was the first to be declared as corporate punishment free district?
Idukki Dt. Kerala.
Q120. Which district of India was the first to be declared as "fully literate" district?
Ernakulam Dt., Kerala- 1990.(February).
Q121. To whom the Maruti 800 car was presented first?
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
Q122. Which city of India was the first to get electricity?
Bengaluru - 1906 - city Market Building (see Ministry of Power for more)
Q123. Which district of India was the first to issue ration cards to transgenders?
Villupuram Dt., Tamilnadu.
Q124. Which is the first Indian motorbike to have electric starter facility?
Suzuki Fiero
Q125. Who is the first Sikh Guru?
Guru Nanak
Q126. Who is the first Sankaracharya of Hinduism?
Adi Sankara.
Q127. Which is the first film made in India?
"PUNDALIK" by N.G. Chitre and R.G. Torney for about 1500 feet.
Q128. Which is India's first full length commercial film?
Harishchandra -1913 - by Dadha Saheb Phalke.
Q129. Which is the first talkie movie produced in India?
Alm Ara -1931.
Q130. Which is the first 3D film of India?
My Dear Kuttichathan - Malayalam.
Q131. Which is India's first air craft carrier ship?
INS Vikarant.
Q132. Which is the first five star hotel of India?
Taj Mahal - Mumbai
Q133. Which is India's first Nuclear reactor?
Apsara.
Q134. Which is the first film to get National Award for Best film when the awards were instituted in 1954?
Shyamchi Aai.
Q135. Which is India's first Public interest Litigation case?
Hussainara Khatoon Vs State of Bihar.
Q136. Which is India's first national News Agency?
Free Press of India.
Q137. Which is the first Indian University to introduce two year MBA course?
Andhra University.
Q138. Which is India's first Public Limited Company?
Damodar Valley Corporation.
Q139. Which is the first state of India to set up an Elephant reserve?
Jharkhand.
Q140. Which city of India is considered as the first planned city?
Jaipur.
Q141. Which is India's first SMS Novel?
Cloak Room by Rohit Gupta.
Q142. Who is the first Indian to go in to space?
Rakesh Sharma
Q143. Who is the first married woman to top the IAS exam in 2003?
Roopa Mishra -Orissa -2003.
Q144. Who is the first woman foreign secretary of India?
Chokila Iyer 2001.
Q145. Which is India's First open air theatre?
1970 - Semangalam, Chembarampakkam, Chennai.
Q146. Who is India's first woman Director General of Police?
Kanchan Chaudhary.
Q147. Who is the first cricketer to win Arjuna Award?
Salim Durrani.
Q148. Where was the first medical college in India started?
Kolkatta.
Q149. Who is the first Indian to take oath of office in Independent Indian Lok Sabha?
G.V.Mavlankar - first speaker.
Q150. Where in India was the first all woman police station established?
Calicut, Kerala - 1973.
Q151. Which is the first Public School in India?
Doon School, Dehradun.
Q152. Which company is the first to appear in color TV advertisements in India?
Bombay Dyeing.
Q153. Who is the first Indian girl to win a gold medal at a "Science Olympiad"?
Priya Gupta.
Q154. Who was the first Indian PM to resign?
Morarji Desai.
Q155. Who were the first King and Queen to visit India?
King George V and Queen Mary.
Q156. Who is the first "elected" President of INC?
Subash Chandra Bose.
Q157. Who is the first American President to visit India?
Dwight Eisenhower - December 1959.
Q158. Who is the first Pope to visit India?
Pope Paul VI
Q159. Who is the first Param Vir Chakra Awardee?
Somnath Sharma.
Q160. Where the first Iron and Steel Mills started in India?
Jamshedpur - 1907.
Q161. Where was the first cotton mills started in India?
Mumbai -1854 by Cowasji Nanabhai Davar.
Q162. Where was the first printing press started in India?
Goa.
Q163. Which state is the first to generate hydro - electricity?
Karnataka from Gokak Falls in 1807.
Q164. Who is the first director of Doordarshan?
Nikhil Chakraborty.
Q165. What is the first indigenous military tank of India?
VIJAYANTA-12-12-1965 rolled out from Heavy vehicles Factory, Avadi.
Q166. Who is the first Indian cine actress to be nominated to Rajya Sabha?
Nargis Dutt.
Q167. Which state is the first to introduce "Environment" as a subject in school?
Maharashtra.
Q168. Who are the first HIV positive people to get married in India?
Ravichandran Kaliamurthy and Durga Kandasamy.
Q169. Who is the first to open a birth control clinic in India?
Raghunath Karve.
Q170. Which state of India is the first to have an airline of its own?
UP - 10-4-1995 - UPAIR made its mangural flight from Lucknow to Dehradun.
Q171. Who is the first film actor to become sheriff of Bombay?
Dilip Kumar
Q172. Who are the first two lady Airwing Combatants of Indian Navy inducted recently in November 2009?
Ranisharma - Ambica Hooda
Q173. Who is the first Indian to visit UK?
Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Q174. Who are the first Indian couple to get elected to the Indian Parliament?
Joachim and Violet Alva - 1952.
Q175. What is India's first pharmaceutical company?
Bengal chemicals and pharmaceuticals, Kolkatta founded by Prafulla Chandra Roy.
Q176. Who is the first Muslim Chief Justice of India?
M.Hidayatullah.
Q177. Who is the first Indian to be honoured with "Victoria Cross" the highest Civilian Award of UK?
Khudada Khan.
Q178. What is India's first Agricultural University?
GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, UP.
Q179. What is India's first electric car?
REVA - a gearless tiny car manufactured by Maini Group, Bengaluru.
Q180. When and which Indian city entered the film industry first?
Chennai 1919-Film - :Keechaka Vadam".
Q181. Which princely state of India was the first to issue its own postage stamp?
Kathiawar.
Q182. Who is the first woman speaker of Lok Sabha?
Meria Kumar (INC).
Q183. Which state is the first to Launch local language based Wikipedia (encyclopaedia)?
Kannada Encyclopaedia by Karnataka on 5.12.09.
Q184. Who is the first Indian woman to ski to the south pole?
Reena Kaushal, 31.12.09 - a 900Kms trek by skiing over Antartica
Q185. Who is the first Indian woman commercial pilot ?
Prem Mathur with Deccan Airways - 1951.
Q186. Who is the first Indian woman to undertake solo flight?
Harita Kaur - 1994.
Q187. Who is the first Indian woman pilot of Indian Airlines?
Durga Bannerjee - 1966
Q188. Who is the first Indian woman to obtain a Private Pilot license?
Urmila Parekh - 1930
Q189. Who is the first Indian woman to command an Airbus 300?
Indrani Mukherjee - 1996.
Q190. Who was the first Vigilance Commissioner of India?
Nittoor Srinivasa Rau.
Q191. Who was the first Labour Minister of India?
Babu Jagjivan Ram
Q192. Who was the firt commerce Minister of India?
Cooverji Hormusji Bhabha,
Q193. Who was the first Works, Mines and Power Minister of India?
N.V.Gadgil
Q194. Who was the first Food and Agriculture Minister of India?
Dr.Rajendra Prasad.
Q195. Who is the first woman captain to command all woman aircrew?
Saudamini Deshmukh - 1985. She also has the following first to her credit.
1.First woman check-pilot on a Fokker 27
2. First woman to command all women crew on a Boeing 737 from Calcutta to Silchar in 1989.
3. First woman Captain in an Airbus 320 in 1995.
4. First woman Deputy General Manager (Operations) of Indian Airlines.
Q196. Who is the first Indian transgender to obtain a Ph.D ?
Padmashaali, Karnataka.
Q197. From Tamilnadu, who is the first person to climb Mt. Everest?
K. Sivakumar, from Ooty. A Havildar in Indian Army.
Q198. Who are the first women fighter pilots of Indian Air Force?
1. Bhavana Kanth 2. Avani Chaturvedi 3. Mohana Singh
