Firsts in India Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
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"Who was the first woman Governor of India?" or "Who was the first Indian to win an Olympic individual gold medal?" Such questions on firsts in India come in every SSC exam. These firsts in India notes for SSC collect the most asked firsts in simple tables, grouped by politics, women, awards, sports and science.
Firsts in Politics and Administration
| First | Name |
|---|---|
| President of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Vice-President of India | Dr. S. Radhakrishnan |
| Prime Minister of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Home Minister | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Law Minister | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar |
| Education Minister | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad |
| Governor-General of free India | Lord Mountbatten |
| Indian Governor-General | C. Rajagopalachari |
| Speaker of the Lok Sabha | G. V. Mavalankar |
| Chief Election Commissioner | Sukumar Sen |
| Chief Justice of India | H. J. Kania |
Firsts Among Women
| First | Name |
|---|---|
| Woman Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Woman President | Pratibha Patil |
| Woman Governor | Sarojini Naidu (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Woman Chief Minister | Sucheta Kripalani (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Woman IAS officer | Anna Rajam Malhotra |
| Woman IPS officer | Kiran Bedi |
| Woman judge of the Supreme Court | Fathima Beevi |
| Indian woman to climb Mount Everest | Bachendri Pal |
| Woman Indian National Congress President born in India | Sarojini Naidu |
| Indian woman to win an Olympic medal | Karnam Malleswari (bronze, 2000) |
| Miss World from India | Reita Faria (1966) |
Firsts in Awards
| First | Name |
|---|---|
| Indian to win the Nobel Prize | Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913) |
| Indian woman Nobel Peace Prize winner who was an Indian citizen | Mother Teresa (1979) |
| Indian to win an Oscar | Bhanu Athaiya (costume design, Gandhi) |
| Bharat Ratna winners (1954) | C. Rajagopalachari, C. V. Raman and S. Radhakrishnan |
| Param Vir Chakra winner | Major Somnath Sharma |
Firsts in Sports
| First | Name |
|---|---|
| Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal | Abhinav Bindra (shooting, 2008) |
| Indian to swim across the English Channel | Mihir Sen (1958) |
| Indian to be a Field Marshal | Sam Manekshaw |
| Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Army | K. M. Cariappa |
Firsts in Science and Transport
| First | Detail |
|---|---|
| Indian in space | Rakesh Sharma (1984) |
| Indian satellite | Aryabhata (1975) |
| Nuclear test of India | Pokhran-I (1974) |
| Railway line in India | Bombay to Thane (16 April 1853) |
Tips to Remember
- Learn the women firsts together, because the questions are asked in a group.
- Learn the year with each first, such as 1913 for Tagore and 1984 for Rakesh Sharma.
- Do not mix "first Governor-General of free India" with "first Indian Governor-General".
- Revise the Bharat Ratna 1954 list, because three names are asked together.
Quick Tips
- Learn firsts in groups: politics, women, awards, sports and science.
- Always learn the year with the first.
- Do not mix the first Governor-General of free India (Mountbatten) with the first Indian Governor-General (Rajagopalachari).
- Revise the women firsts once a week.
Quick Revision Points
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President.
- Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister.
- Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister.
- Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian Nobel winner (1913).
- Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian in space (1984).
Practice Questions With Answers
- Who was the first President of India?
Answer: Dr. Rajendra Prasad - Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?
Answer: Indira Gandhi - Who was the first woman President of India?
Answer: Pratibha Patil - Who was the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore - Who was the first Indian in space?
Answer: Rakesh Sharma - Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal?
Answer: Abhinav Bindra - Which was the first Indian satellite?
Answer: Aryabhata - Who was the first woman Governor of an Indian state?
Answer: Sarojini Naidu - Between which two places did the first railway line run in India?
Answer: Bombay and Thane - Who was the first Law Minister of India?
Answer: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
How to Practise This Chapter
Revise the tables every week and then test yourself with our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the General Knowledge notes page, and also read the General Awareness notes and Current Affairs notes. Read the previous topic, National Symbols of India, and the next topic, Largest, Longest and Highest in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first President of India?
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of India.
Who was the first Prime Minister of India?
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister.
Who was the first woman Prime Minister?
Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister.
Who was the first woman President?
Pratibha Patil was the first woman President, elected in 2007.
Who was the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize?
Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
Who was the first Indian in space?
Rakesh Sharma flew to space in 1984.
Who was the first woman to climb Mount Everest from India?
Bachendri Pal, in 1984.
Who was the first woman IPS officer?
Kiran Bedi was the first woman IPS officer.
Which was the first satellite of India?
Aryabhata, launched in 1975.
When did the first train run in India?
On 16 April 1853, between Bombay and Thane.
Is this topic asked in SSC exams?
Yes. Firsts in India are asked often in SSC General Awareness papers.
How many questions come from this topic in SSC exams?
Usually one question, but the number changes from year to year.
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National Symbols of India Notes for SSC Exams
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Largest, Longest and Highest in India Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.