Important Notes on List of First in India

India has a rich history of achievements, and being the first to do something is always an impressive feat. From science and technology to sports, architecture, and government, India has made significant contributions and achieved many milestones over the years. Here are some important notes on the list of firsts in India that you should know. The table below shows the first person (male) in India with other important facts. Refer to the tabulated data for complete information.

First Person	Name	Facts
First President of the Indian Republic	Dr Rajendra Prasad, 1950 to 1962	President of the Constituent Assembly (1948-1950)
First Prime Minister of Free India	Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru	He is also known as the architect of modern India. Chairman of the constituent assembly. Chairman of Union Constitution Committee, Union Powers Committee and States Committee
First Indian to win Nobel Prize	Rabindranath Tagore	Also Known as Gurudev. Wrote the National Anthem of India.
First President of Indian National Congress	W.C. Banerjee
First Muslim President of Indian National Congress	Badruddin Tayyabji
First Muslim President of India	Dr. Zakir Hussain
First British Governor-General of India	Lord William Bentinck (1833-1835)	Sati system was banned during his regime.
First British Governor-General of Bengal	Lord Warren Hasting (1773-1785)	The First Maratha War and second Mysore War occurred during his regime Founded Asiatic Society of Bengal.
First British Viceroy of India	Lord Canning	The revolt of 1857 happened during his regime. Established 3 universities at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay.
First Governor-General of Free India	Lord Mountbatten	Indian Independence Bill 1947 was passed during his regime.
First and the last Indian to be Governor-General of free India	C. Rajgopalachari	Informally called Rajaji or C.R.
The first man who introduced the printing press in India	James Hickey (Bengal Gazette)	Bible was the first book printed in India.
The First Indian to join the I.C.S	Satyendra Nath Tagore
First man in Space from India	Rakesh Sharma
First Indian Commander-in-Chief of India	General Cariappa
First Chief of Army Staff	Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji
First Indian to join Viceroy’s executive council	S.P.Sinha
First Field Marshal of India	S.H.F. Manekshaw(1914-2008)
The first person to get Nobel Prize in Physics from India	C.V.Raman	For the discovery of the Raman Effect or Raman Scattering.
First Indian to receive Bharat Ratna award	C. Rajgopalachari, Dr Radhakrishnan & CV Raman	First and the last Indian to be Governor-General of free India First Vice President of India: Dr Radhakrishnan Nobel Prize Winner: CV Raman
First Indian to cross the English Channel	Mihir Sen
First Person to receive the Jnanpith award	Sri Shankar Kurup
First Indian Air Marshal	S. Mukherjee
First Indian Naval Chief	Vice Admiral R.D. Katari
First-person to reach Mt. Everest without oxygen	Sherpa Dorjee
First-person to get Param Vir Chakra	Major Somnath Sharma
The first person to receive Magsaysay Award	Acharya Vinoba Bhave	First-person is chosen for Individual Satyagraha.
The first person of Indian origin to receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine	Hargovind Khurana
First Chinese traveller to visit India	Fahein	Visited India during the reign of Gupta emperor Chandragupta II
The first person to receive Stalin Prize	Saifuddin Kitchlu	Jalliawala Bagh gathering in 1919 was held against the arrest of Dr Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr Satyapal.
The first person to receive Nobel Prize in Economics	Amartya Sen	For his contributions to welfare economics
First Indian Pilot	J.R.D. Tata (1929)

First in India Female

India has many notable women who have achieved significant milestones in various fields. Some of the notable firsts by women in India include the appointment of India's first female prime minister, the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, and the first Indian woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize. These achievements are a testament to the indomitable spirit and talent of Indian women.

First Indian Female	Name
First Indian Woman to fly an Aircraft	Sarla Thakral
First Indian Woman to win an Olympic medal	Karnam Malleswari (Bronze)
First Indian Woman Airline Pilot	Durba Banerjee
First Indian Woman to go into space	Kalpana Chawla
First Indian Woman to climb Mt. Everest	Bachendri Pal
First Indian Woman to swim across the English Channel	Arati Saha (also known as Arati Gupta)
First Indian Woman Musician to get “Bharat Ratna”	M.S.Subbulakshmi
First Indian Woman to win Gold in Asian Games	Kamaljeet Sandhu
First Indian Woman to win the Booker Prize	Arundhati Roy
First Indian Woman to Win WTA Title	Sania Mirza
First Indian Woman to win Nobel Prize	Mother Teresa
First Indian Woman to get Jnanpith Award	Ashapurna Devi
First Indian Woman to get Ashok Chakra	Nirja Bhanot
First Indian Woman President	Mrs. Pratibha Patil
First Indian Woman Prime Minister	Mrs. Indira Gandhi
First Indian Woman Governor	Sarojini Naidu
First Indian Woman Ruler (Delhi’s throne)	Razia Sultan
First Indian Woman IPS Officer	Kiran Bedi
First Indian Woman Chief Minister of a state	Sucheta Kripalani (the State was Uttar Pradesh)
First Indian Woman Judge of the Supreme Court	Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi
First Indian Woman President at UN General Assembly	Vijayalakshmi Pandit
First Indian Woman Union Minister	Rajkumari Amrita Kaur
First Indian Woman Miss Universe	Sushmita Sen
First Indian Woman Miss World	Reita Faria
First Indian Woman Train Driver	Surekha Yadav

List of First in India - Science & Technology

India has a long and illustrious history of scientific achievements, and many Indian scientists have made significant contributions to various fields. Some of the notable firsts in science and technology in India include the discovery of the Raman Effect, the first successful test of an atomic bomb, the launch of India's first satellite, and the development of India's first supercomputer. The below-mentioned table states the list of important achievements in the field of science and technology (India):

First in India – Science
First hydroelectric plant	Sidrapong (Darjeeling)
First Man in Space	Rakesh Sharma
First Nuclear Reactor	Apsara (Maharashtra)
First satellite	Aryabhatta
First successful indigenous launch vehicle	SLV-3
First genetically modified food product in India	Bt. Eggplant Hybrid [Banned]
First to pass Indian Medical Service (IMS) exam	Surjo Kumar Chakraborty
First deputy director-general of programmes (DDP) of the WHO	Dr Soumya Swaminathan
First satellite earth station for domestic communications	Secunderabad
First Indian to get Nobel Prize in Physics	C.V Raman

List of First in India - Government

India is the world's largest democracy, and its government has played a significant role in shaping the country's destiny. Some of the notable firsts in India's government include the establishment of the Indian National Congress, the first general elections, the appointment of India's first female president, and the passing of the right to information act. The table listed below highlights the list of important people in the field of legislature and judiciary arm of Governance

First in India – Governance
President of India	Dr Rajendra Prasad
Vice-President of India	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
President of Indian National Congress	Womesh Chandra Bannerjee
Prime Minister of India	Jawaharlal Nehru
Chief Election Commissioner of India	Sukumar Sen
Viceroy of India	Lord Canning
Governor-General of India	Lord William Bentinck
Chief Justice of India	H.J Kania
Speaker of Lok Sabha	G. V. Mavlankar
Home Minister of India	Sardar Vallabhai Patel
Chairperson of Lokpal of India	Pinaki Chandra Ghose

List of First in India - Politics

India has a rich political history, and many notable leaders have left their mark on the country. Some of the notable firsts in Indian politics include the appointment of India's first prime minister, the first woman to be appointed as the chief minister of an Indian state, and the first Indian to be elected as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

First Person	Name
First Prime Minister of India who resigned without completing the full term	Morarji Desai
First President of India who died while in office	Dr. Zakir Hussain
First Muslim President of the Indian Republic	Dr. Zakir Hussain
First Prime Minister of India who did not face the Parliament	Charan Singh
The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha	Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar
First Vice-President of India	Dr. Radhakrishnan
First Education Minister	Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
First Home Minister of India	Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
First Indian Judge of the International Court of Justice	Dr. Nagendra Singh
First-person to reach Mt. Everest without oxygen	Sherpa Dorjee
First Chief Election Commissioner	Sukumar Sen
The first person to resign from the Central Cabinet	Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	Justice Hirala J. Kania

List of First in India - Defence

India has one of the world's largest and most powerful armed forces, and its defence establishment has achieved many significant milestones over the years. Some of the notable firsts in Indian defence include the establishment of India's first defence research organization, the successful test of India's first intercontinental ballistic missile, and the development of India's first nuclear submarine. The below-mentioned table gives the list of people who held important positions in the Indian defense sector:

First in India – Defense
Defense Minister of India	Baldev Singh Chokkar
Commander-in-Chief of Free India	Kodandera Madappa Cariappa
Commander-in-Chief, Indian Air Force	Subroto Mukherjee
Field Marshal	Sam Manekshaw
Param Vir Chakra Winner	Major Somnath Sharma
Female Jawan in the Army	Shanti Tigga
Indian woman to fly fighter aircraft without a co-pilot	IAF Officer Avani Chaturvedi
Cosmonaut	Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma
Woman in the Indian Army who got the coveted ‘Sword of Honour' prize	Divya Ajith Kumar

List of First in India - Sports

India has a rich sporting culture, and many Indian athletes have achieved international recognition for their achievements. Some of the notable firsts in Indian sports include the first Indian to win an Olympic gold medal, the first Indian to win a Grand Slam title, and the first Indian to win a World Cup in cricket. The table enumerates the list of important achievements in the field of sports, predominantly at the Olympics.

First in India – Sports
Olympics Team Medal	Gold in Field Hockey (1928, Summer Olympics)
Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian gold medal	Navjot Kaur
Indian woman badminton player to win an Asian Games medal	Saina Nehwal
Indian Woman to Win a Medal at Asian Games	Santhi Soundarajan
Person to win the international bronze medal in skiing	Aanchal Thakur
Woman to Win an Olympic Silver Medal	P. V. Sindhu in Badminton
Female to represent India at the Summer Olympics	Nora Polley, 1924 Summer Olympics
Individual Gold Medal won by	Abhinav Bindra, 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing
Woman to Win a Medal in Wrestling	Sakshi Malik won Bronze in the 2016 Summer Olympics

List of First in India - Architecture

India has a rich architectural heritage, and many buildings are famous for their beauty and grandeur. Some of the notable firsts in Indian architecture include the construction of India's first planned city, the establishment of India's first school of architecture, and the construction of India's first high-rise building. The below table gives information on Indian Architecture

First in India – Architecture
The first temple was constructed from a single rock	Kailasa temple at Ellora
First Church in India	St. Thomas Church, Palayoor
The first mosque in India	Cheraman Juma Mosque in Methala
First dam in India	Kallanai Dam
First Indian temple with several interconnected structures	Brihadeeswarar Temple, Tamil Nadu

First Recipients of Important Awards in India

BHARAT RATNA is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred "in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.

1st Indian to be awarded the Bharat Ratna: C Rajagopalachari who was the last Governor-General of India.

1st person to be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously: Lal Bahadur Shastri who was the Second Prime Minister of the Republic of India.

1st woman to be awarded the Bharat Ratna: Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi who was the fourth Prime Minister of India.

1st Bharat Ratna Awardee to become the President of India: Dr S. Radhakrishnan was the first Vice President of India and the second President of India from 1962 to 1967.

1st Scientist to be awarded the Bharat Ratna: CV Raman who won the Nobel Prize in Physics.

First Recipients of Gallantry Awards

1st winner of Param Vir Chakra- Major Somnath Sharma: Major Som Nath Sharma, (1923–1947) was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. the highest Indian gallantry award. He was awarded the medal posthumously for his bravery in the Kashmir operations in November 1947.

1st and only Air Force person to receive the Param Vir Chakra- Flying Officer Nirmaljit Shekhon was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra in recognition of his lone defence of Srinagar Air Base against a PAF air raid during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

1st and only woman to receive the Ashoka Chakra- Neerja Bhanot (1987) was murdered while saving passengers from terrorists on board the hijacked Pan Am, Flight 73 on 5 September 1986. Posthumously, she became the youngest recipient of India's highest peacetime military award for bravery, the Ashok Chakra.

First Recipients of Renowned Awards in the Field of Science

1st person to receive the Nobel Prize for Physics: William K Roentgen who produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röentgen rays in 1895.

1st woman to receive the Nobel prize: Madame Curie (1903) was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and only woman to win twice, the only person to win twice in multiple sciences, and was part of the Curie family legacy of five Nobel Prizes. She was also the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris, and in 1995 became the first woman to be entombed on her own merits in the Panthéon in Paris.

First Recipients of Literary Awards

1st Indian woman (and also the first Indian citizen) to receive the Booker Prize: Arundhati Roy is best known for her novel The God of Small Things (1997), which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997.

1st Indian to receive the Pulitzer Prize (Reporting category): Gobind Behari Lal became the first Indian to win the Pulitzer Prize ( 1937) and got Padma Bhushan in 1969.

First Recipients of Sports Awards

1st recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Viswanathan Anand became India's first grandmaster in 1988. He was also the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991–92, India's highest sporting honour. In 2007, he was awarded India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan.

1st woman recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Karnam Malleshwari is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour for the years 1995-1996. She is also a recipient of the civilian honour Padma Shri in 1999.

1st cricket player to be awarded the Arjuna Award: Salim Durrani was the first cricketer to win an Arjuna Award.

List of First in India PDF

If you want to have a comprehensive list of all the notable firsts in India, you can download a PDF that contains all the information you need. This PDF contains a detailed list of all the firsts in India, including the dates, names of the individuals involved, and the significance of the achievements.

Important Notes on List of First in India PDF

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FAQs

Who invented zero first in India?

Before the time of Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta, and other early civilizations, zero had been a de facto standard denotes of indeterminacy. The decimal system's use by Aryabhatta is attributed, whereas Brahmagupta is responsible for zero-related operations like subtraction. Aryabhatta was before Brahmagupta, as we are well aware.

What are some of the firsts in science and technology that India achieved?

India has a rich history of scientific and technological achievements. Some of the notable firsts in India include the invention of the digit zero by mathematician Aryabhata, the discovery of the Raman Effect by C.V. Raman, and the successful launch of the Aryabhata satellite by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1975. India also became the first country in the world to discover water on the moon through its Chandrayaan-1 mission.

What are some of the firsts in government that India achieved?

India has a long history of government and administrative innovations. Some of the notable firsts in India include the establishment of the world's first republic in Vaishali in the 6th century BCE, the formation of the Constituent Assembly to draft the Indian Constitution in 1946, and the appointment of Sarojini Naidu as the first woman Governor of an Indian state, Uttar Pradesh, in 1947.

What are some of the firsts in Indian politics?

India has a rich history of political firsts. Some of the notable firsts include the appointment of C. Rajagopalachari as the first Indian Governor-General of India in 1948, the election of Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India in 1950, and the appointment of Indira Gandhi as the first woman Prime Minister of India in 1966.

What are some of the firsts in Indian defence?

India has made several significant achievements in the field of defence. Some of the notable firsts include the establishment of the Indian Army's first all-women contingents in 1992, the development of India's first nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Prithvi, in 1988, and the successful testing of Agni-V, India's first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of more than 5,000 km, in 2012.

What are some of the firsts in Indian sports?

India has a long history of sports and has achieved several significant firsts. Some of the notable firsts include the winning of India's first Olympic gold medal in field hockey at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, the winning of the first cricket World Cup in 1983, and the winning of the first individual Olympic gold medal by shooter Abhinav Bindra in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

What are some of the firsts in Indian architecture?

India has a rich architectural heritage, with several notable firsts. Some of the notable firsts include the construction of the world-famous Khajuraho temples in the 10th century, the construction of the world's first granite temple, Brihadeeswara Temple, in Tamil Nadu in the 11th century, and the construction of the world's largest monolithic statue, the Gommateshwara statue in Karnataka, in the 10th century.

Where can I find a comprehensive list of firsts in India?

There are several resources available online that provide a comprehensive list of firsts in India. One such resource is the 'List of Firsts in India' PDF document compiled by the Indian government's Press Information Bureau. The document covers several fields, including science and technology, government, sports, and others

Important Notes on List of First in India