List of First in India (Male and Female) – Static GK & General Awareness for Competitive Exams with Memory Tricks

Introduction

The "First in India" topic is one of the most frequently asked and high-scoring areas in the Static GK and General Awareness sections of competitive exams. It records the individuals, organisations, and events that made history by being the first in their respective fields — whether it is the first President of India, the first Indian in space, the first woman IPS officer, or the first Field Marshal. These milestones together tell the story of India's progress across politics, defence, science, sports, literature, and social reform.

Questions on "First in India" appear regularly in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO, RRB NTPC, RRB Group D, LIC AAO, NIACL AO, and various State PSC and Defence exams. Examiners usually ask who was the first to hold a particular office, who achieved a specific feat first, or pair a "first" with the correct year. To explore other related Static GK topics, you can refer to the Static GK section on Jobsme.in.

The list is best learned in two parts — the First in India Male list and the First in India Female list — along with separate groups for Defence, Science, Sports, and Miscellaneous firsts. Many of these facts also overlap with current affairs and modern history themes such as Bharat Ratna conferments, ISRO milestones, and defence inductions, making this topic doubly valuable for both Prelims (direct matching) and Mains (essay and descriptive) preparation.

Core Concept: Why the "First in India" List Matters

The "First in India" list is essentially a record of pioneers — people and events that opened a door for others to follow. Understanding the field and the reason behind each "first" helps students retain the fact longer and avoid confusion between closely related entries (for example, the first Governor-General of free India versus the first Indian Governor-General of free India).

How to Approach the Topic

• Split by gender: Learn the First in India Male list and First in India Female list separately, as exams often phrase questions specifically for women achievers.
• Group by field: Cluster the firsts into Politics and Constitution, Defence and Space, Science and Technology, Sports, and Miscellaneous — this prevents mix-ups.
• Attach a year or a detail: Wherever possible, link the name with a year or a defining fact (e.g., Rakesh Sharma flew aboard Soyuz T-11 in 1984) to answer assertion-reason and matching questions.
• Watch the qualifiers: Words like "free India", "Indian", "Republic", "in office", and "without oxygen" completely change the answer — read the question carefully.

First in India - Male List

The following table lists the most exam-relevant "First in India" entries for men across politics, the constitution, awards, and administration.

First in India - Defence and Space

This section groups the most exam-relevant defence and space "firsts" of India, frequently asked in SSC, RRB, CDS, and Defence recruitment exams.

First in India - Sports

India's sporting "firsts" span cricket, hockey, athletics, shooting, and badminton, and are commonly tested in Banking, SSC, and Railway exams.

First in India - Female List

The following table lists the most exam-relevant "First in India" entries for women, a section that examiners often ask about specifically. (Note: the first woman IAS officer is Anna Rajam Malhotra, a fact frequently misprinted in older study material.)

First in India - Miscellaneous

This section covers landmark "first" events and institutions in India, a favourite area for one-mark questions in SSC and Railway exams.

Memory Tricks and Mnemonics

Trick 1: First Constitutional Heads — "PVS"

Remember the first three top constitutional posts of the Republic with the acronym "PVS":

• P → President → Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
• V → Vice-President → Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
• S → Speaker (Lok Sabha) → G. V. Mavalankar.

"P-V-S — the three pillars of the first Republic."

Trick 2: India's Nobel Firsts — "L-P-M-E"

Group the first Indian Nobel laureates by subject as "L-P-M-E":

• L → Literature → Rabindranath Tagore (1913).
• P → Physics → C. V. Raman (1930).
• M → Medicine → Har Gobind Khorana (1968).
• E → Economics → Amartya Sen (1998).

"Tagore led, then physics, medicine, economics followed."

Trick 3: First Defence Chiefs — "AAN"

The first Indian heads of the three armed services follow the order "AAN" (Army, Air, Navy):

• A → Army → Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa (1949).
• A → Air Force → Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee (1954).
• N → Navy → Vice Admiral R. D. Katari (1958).

Trick 4: Two Governor-General Firsts — "Mount vs Raja"

Do not confuse the two "first Governor-General of free India" entries:

• First Governor-General of free India → Lord Mountbatten (British).
• First and last Indian Governor-General → C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji).

"Mount came first, but Rajaji was the only Indian."

Trick 5: Women's Top Office Firsts — "PM, then President"

Indira Gandhi reached the top first; Pratibha Patil followed years later:

• First woman Prime Minister → Indira Gandhi (1966).
• First woman President → Pratibha Patil (2007).

"PM in '66, President in '07 — power before protocol."

Trick 6: Women in Uniform — "Police before Administration"

Although the IAS came first chronologically, students often swap these two — fix them with names that start differently:

• First woman IAS officer → Anna Rajam Malhotra (1951).
• First woman IPS officer → Kiran Bedi (1972).

"Anna in the IAS, Kiran in the IPS."

Trick 7: Everest Women — "Once and Twice"

• First Indian woman to climb Everest (once) → Bachendri Pal (1984).
• First Indian woman to climb Everest twice → Santosh Yadav (1992 and 1993).

"Bachendri broke the ceiling once; Santosh did it twice."

Trick 8: Olympic Firsts — "Team, Individual, Woman"

• First team Olympic gold → Hockey team (1928 Amsterdam).
• First individual Olympic gold → Abhinav Bindra (2008 Beijing, shooting).
• First woman Olympic medallist → Karnam Malleswari (2000 Sydney, weightlifting).

Additional Notes

Frequently Confused Facts

• First Governor-General of free India vs first Indian Governor-General: Lord Mountbatten was the first Governor-General of free India; C. Rajagopalachari was the first and only Indian Governor-General.
• First woman President of INC vs first Indian woman President of INC: Annie Besant (1917) was the first woman President; Sarojini Naidu (1925) was the first Indian woman President.
• First woman IAS vs first woman IPS: Anna Rajam Malhotra (IAS, 1951) came two decades before Kiran Bedi (IPS, 1972).
• First woman PM vs first woman President: Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister (1966); Pratibha Patil was the first woman President (2007).
• First Indian in space vs first Indian woman in space: Rakesh Sharma (1984) was the first Indian in space; Kalpana Chawla (1997) was the first woman of Indian origin in space.
• First woman judge vs first Supreme Court woman judge: Anna Chandy was India's first woman judge (1937); Justice M. Fathima Beevi was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court (1989).
• First Indian satellite vs first launch vehicle: Aryabhata (1975) was the first satellite; SLV-3 (1980) was the first successful indigenous launch vehicle.
• First nuclear reactor vs first nuclear submarine: Apsara (1956) was the first nuclear reactor; INS Chakra was the first nuclear submarine (leased), while INS Arihant is the first indigenous one.
• First newspaper vs first Hindi newspaper: Bengal Gazette (1780) was India's first newspaper; Udant Martand (1826) was the first Hindi newspaper.
• Bharat Ratna firsts: The first Bharat Ratna (1954) went to three people together — C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, and C. V. Raman; the first woman recipient was Indira Gandhi (1971).

Repeating PYQ Patterns

Certain "First in India" facts are asked repeatedly in competitive exams. Dr. Rajendra Prasad (first President), Jawaharlal Nehru (first PM), Rabindranath Tagore (first Nobel laureate), C. V. Raman (first Nobel in Physics), Rakesh Sharma (first Indian in space), Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa (first Army Chief), Sam Manekshaw (first Field Marshal), Indira Gandhi (first woman PM), Kiran Bedi (first woman IPS), Bachendri Pal (first woman to climb Everest), and Karnam Malleswari (first woman Olympic medallist) appear most often in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, and RRB NTPC papers. Banking exams (IBPS PO, SBI Clerk) frequently mix in firsts like the first ATM (HSBC) and the first bank-related milestones, while State PSC exams add regional firsts such as the first universities (1857) and the first railway line (1853). To strengthen this further, you can practise with the Static GK Quiz on Jobsme.in.

Quick Insight

The "First in India" list is essentially a timeline of milestones — each "first" marks the moment a barrier was broken, whether in governance, science, defence, or sport. Many of these firsts resurface in current affairs: anniversaries of Rakesh Sharma's spaceflight, the commissioning of the new indigenous INS Vikrant, women fighter pilots joining frontline squadrons, and fresh Olympic and Bharat Ratna honours all trace back to an original "first." Understanding both the male and female lists side by side helps aspirants answer matching and assertion-reason questions quickly and connect static facts to live news. For related preparation, you can also explore the Daily Current Affairs notes and the Banking Awareness section on Jobsme.in.

One-Liners for Quick Revision

• First President of India → Dr. Rajendra Prasad → also "Desh Ratna," served 1950-1962.
• First Prime Minister of free India → Jawaharlal Nehru → longest-serving PM, "Chacha Nehru."
• First Vice-President of India → Dr. S. Radhakrishnan → later second President; Teachers' Day.
• First Indian Nobel laureate → Rabindranath Tagore → Literature, 1913, for "Gitanjali."
• First Indian Nobel in Physics → C. V. Raman → 1930, Raman Effect.
• First Indian-origin Nobel in Medicine → Har Gobind Khorana → 1968, genetic code.
• First Indian Nobel in Economics → Amartya Sen → 1998, welfare economics.
• First Bharat Ratna recipients (1954) → C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan, C. V. Raman.
• First President of INC → W. C. Bonnerjee → Bombay session, 1885.
• First Muslim President of INC → Badruddin Tyabji → Madras session, 1887.
• First Muslim President of India → Dr. Zakir Husain → died in office, 1969.
• First Governor-General of Bengal → Warren Hastings → from 1774.
• First Governor-General of India → Lord William Bentinck → 1833; abolished Sati.
• First Viceroy of India → Lord Canning → 1858.
• First Governor-General of free India → Lord Mountbatten → 1947-48.
• First and last Indian Governor-General → C. Rajagopalachari → 1948-50.
• First Speaker of Lok Sabha → G. V. Mavalankar → "Father of the Lok Sabha."
• First Home Minister of India → Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel → "Iron Man of India."
• First Education Minister → Maulana Abul Kalam Azad → National Education Day.
• First Indian to join the ICS → Satyendra Nath Tagore → 1863.
• First Indian in the Viceroy's Executive Council → S. P. Sinha.
• First Chief Justice of India → Justice Harilal J. Kania → 1950.
• First Chief Election Commissioner → Sukumar Sen → ran the 1951-52 elections.
• First Indian Judge of the ICJ → Dr. Nagendra Singh.
• First Jnanpith Award winner → G. Sankara Kurup → 1965, Malayalam.
• First Ramon Magsaysay Award (India) → Acharya Vinoba Bhave → 1958.
• First newspaper / printing press → James Augustus Hicky → Bengal Gazette, 1780.
• First Indian pilot → J. R. D. Tata → 1929.
• First Indian in space → Rakesh Sharma → Soyuz T-11, 1984.
• First Indian Test cricket captain → C. K. Nayudu → 1932.
• First Defence Minister → Baldev Singh → 1947.
• First Army Chief of free India → Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa → 1949; Army Day, 15 January.
• First Field Marshal of India → Sam Manekshaw → 1973.
• First Indian Air Chief → Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee → 1954.
• First Indian Naval Chief → Vice Admiral R. D. Katari → 1958.
• First Param Vir Chakra → Major Somnath Sharma → posthumous, 1947.
• First aircraft carrier → INS Vikrant → original commissioned 1961.
• First nuclear submarine → INS Chakra → INS Arihant is the first indigenous one.
• First Indian satellite → Aryabhata → 1975.
• First indigenous launch vehicle → SLV-3 → 1980, Rohini satellite.
• First nuclear reactor → Apsara → 1956, Trombay; Asia's first.
• First Olympic team gold → Indian Hockey Team → 1928 Amsterdam.
• First individual Olympic gold → Abhinav Bindra → 2008 Beijing, shooting.
• First Indian Test century → Lala Amarnath → 1933.
• First Indian badminton World No. 1 → Prakash Padukone.
• First Indian Formula One driver → Narain Karthikeyan → 2005.
• First Indian to cross the English Channel → Mihir Sen → 1958.
• First woman Prime Minister → Indira Gandhi → 1966.
• First woman President of India → Pratibha Patil → 2007.
• First woman Governor (free India) → Sarojini Naidu → United Provinces.
• First Indian woman President of INC → Sarojini Naidu → 1925.
• First woman President of INC → Annie Besant → 1917.
• First woman Chief Minister → Sucheta Kripalani → Uttar Pradesh, 1963.
• First woman Cabinet Minister → Rajkumari Amrit Kaur → first Health Minister.
• First woman judge in India → Anna Chandy → 1937.
• First woman Supreme Court judge → Justice M. Fathima Beevi → 1989.
• First woman Chief Justice of a High Court → Justice Leila Seth → Himachal Pradesh.
• First woman IPS officer → Kiran Bedi → 1972.
• First woman IAS officer → Anna Rajam Malhotra → 1951.
• First Indian woman in space → Kalpana Chawla → 1997.
• First Indian woman to climb Everest → Bachendri Pal → 1984.
• First Indian woman to climb Everest twice → Santosh Yadav → 1992 and 1993.
• First Indian woman Olympic medallist → Karnam Malleswari → 2000, weightlifting.
• First Indian woman Olympic silver medallist → P. V. Sindhu → 2016, badminton.
• First woman to receive Bharat Ratna → Indira Gandhi → 1971.
• First Indian woman Nobel laureate → Mother Teresa → Peace, 1979.
• First woman Jnanpith winner → Ashapoorna Devi.
• First Indian woman lawyer → Cornelia Sorabji.
• First Indian Miss World → Reita Faria → 1966.
• First woman President of the UN General Assembly → Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit → 1953.
• First Indian woman to swim the English Channel → Arati Saha → 1959.
• First Indian woman fighter pilots → Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth, Mohana Singh → 2016.
• First Indian woman to receive the Ashoka Chakra → Neerja Bhanot → posthumous.
• First railway line → Bori Bunder to Thane → 1853, ~34 km.
• First newspaper in India → Bengal Gazette → 1780.
• First Hindi newspaper → Udant Martand → 1826.
• First talkie film → Alam Ara → 1931.
• First 3D film → My Dear Kuttichathan → 1984.
• First census of independent India → 1951.
• First synchronous census in British India → 1881.
• First modern universities → Calcutta, Bombay, Madras → all 1857.
• First ATM in India → HSBC → Mumbai, 1987.
• First hydroelectric station → Sidrapong, Darjeeling → 1897.
• First dam on an Indian river → Kallanai (Grand Anicut) → on the Kaveri.

For more Static GK topics like famous personalities, awards, and Indian history, explore the Static GK section on Jobsme.in. You can test your preparation with the Static GK Quiz and the Daily Current Affairs Quiz, and stay updated with the latest openings at Latest Government Job Notifications.