List of First in India, Check Defense, Politics, Sports, Awards and Others
India celebrated 76th Independence Day this year, sharing the List of First in India to gain knowledge about the country’s records in domains such as defence, politics, awards, entertainment and many more.
Muskan Sharma4 Oct, 2025
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In 76 years of being an independent nation, India has transformed into a modern and advanced country. Numerous historic moments occurred for the very first time in India, leaving a significant mark on its history. These remarkable events that unfolded in India have set important milestones during these 76 years of independence. The following article provides a summary of various proud occurrences in India across various fields such as politics, education, entertainment, sports, and more.
List of First in India
Being the first in India is an outstanding achievement. People who achieve this status set a remarkable example for others to follow, and it fills the entire nation with pride. Knowing about these occurrences is important because they accomplish feats that no one in India has ever achieved before. Therefore, the 'List of First in India’ holds great significance, especially in various competitive exams as part of General Awareness. In this article, we offer a comprehensive overview of the great individuals in India across various domains, including politics, government, science, sports, and more.
List of First in India PDF
India celebrated 76th Independence Day, and to mark this significant occasion, we've compiled a List of First in India PDF. These are historical events and achievements that occurred for the first time in India.
List of First in India Government and Politics
The table presented below outlines significant accomplishments in the realm of Science and Technology in India.
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List of First in India Government and Politics |
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| S.No. | First in India | Name |
| 1. | First President of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| 2. | First Prime Minister of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 3. | First Governor-General of India | Lord William Bentinck |
| 4. | First Vice-President of India | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| 5. | First Female President of India | Pratibha Patil |
| 6. | First Female Prime Minister of India | Indira Gandhi |
| 7. | First Chief Election Commissioner of India | Sukumar Sen |
| 8. | First Viceroy of India | Lord Canning |
| 9. | First Home Minister of India | Sardar Vallabhai Patel |
| 10. | First Chief Justice of India | H.J Kania |
| 11. | First Female Chief Justice of India | Leila Seth |
| 12. | First Education Minister of India | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad |
| 13. | First Dalit President of India | K.R. Narayana |
| 14. | First Transgender Mayor of India | Madhu Bai Kinnar |
| 15. | First Muslim President of India | Zakir Hussian |
| 16. | First Female Governor of India | Sarojini Naidu |
| 17. | First Finance Minister of India | R.K. Shanmukham Chetty |
| 18. | First woman Chief Minister of a State | Sucheta kripalani |
| 19. | First NHRC of India | Ranganath Misra |
| 20. | First Cabinet Secretary of India | N.P.Pillai |
| 21. | First Minister of Information and Broadcasting | Sadar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| 22. | First women Minister of External Affairs | Sushma Swaraj |
| 23. | First Speaker of Lok Sabha | Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar |
| 24. | First President of Indian National Congress | W.C. Banerjee |
| 25. | First Foreign Secretary of India | K.P.S Menon |
| 26. | First General Election in India | 1951-1952 |
| 27. | First Muslim President of the Indian National Congress | Badruddin Tayyabji |
| 28. | First Lok Sabha Member with a record highest number of Votes | P.V.Narasimha Rao |
| 29. | First and last Muslim woman ruler of India (Before Independence) | Razia Sultan |
| 30. | First and last Indian Governor General of Independent India | C. Rajgopalachari |
| 31. | First British Governor General of Bengal | Lord Warren Hastings(1774-1885) |
| 32. | First Indian Prime Minister who did not face the Parliament | Charan Singh |
| 33. | First woman President of the United Nations General Assembly | Mrs Vijaya Laxmi Pandit |
| 34. | First woman Speaker of a State Assembly | Shanno Devi |
| 35. | First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court |
Justice Hiralal J. Kania
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| 36. | First Governor-General of Independent India |
Lord Mountbatten
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| 37. | First Indian Member of the Viceroy's executive council | S.P. Sinha |
| 38. | First person to resign from the Central Cabinet |
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
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| 39. | First President of India who died during his tenure |
Dr. Zakir Hussain
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| 40. | First Indian Prime Minister who resigned without completing the full term | Morarji Desai |
| 41. | First woman Minister in a Government |
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
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| 42. | First woman President of the Indian National Congress |
Mrs Annie Besant
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List of First in India Science and Technology
The table provided below showcases significant milestones of Science and Technology in India.
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List of First in India Science and Technology |
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| Sno. | First in India | Name |
| 1. | First hydroelectric plant | Sidrapong (Darjeeling) |
| 2. | First Man in Space | Rakesh Sharma |
| 3. | First Nuclear Reactor | Apsara (Maharashtra) |
| 4. | First satellite | Aryabhatta |
| 5. | First successfully indigenous launch vehicle | SLV-3 |
| 6. | First genetically modified food product in India | Bt. Eggplant Hybrid [Banned] |
| 7. | First to pass the examination of the Indian Medical Service (IMS) | Surjo Kumar Chakroborty |
| 8. | First Indian to be appointed as the deputy director-general of programmes (DDP) of the World Health Organization (WHO) | Dr. Soumya Swaminathan |
| 9. | First satellite earth station for domestic communications | Secunderabad |
| 10. | First Indian to get Nobel Prize in Physics | C.V Raman |
| 11 | First Computer developed in India | TIFRAC |
| 12 | First Female Doctor in India |
Rukhmabai Bhimrao Raut
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| 13 | First moon mission of India |
Chandrayan-1 (2008-2009)
|
| 14 | First Indian to develop an Airplane |
Shivkar Bapuji Talpade
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| 15 | First Nuclear Plant in India |
Tarapur Atomic Power Plant-1
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| 16 | First female mining engineer in India |
Chandrani Prasad Verma
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| 17 | First successful nuclear test in India |
Operation Smiling Buddha, 18th May 1974
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| 18 | First Space Shuttle launched in India | RLV-TD, 2016 |
| 19 | First Indian Pilot in India | J.R.D. Tata |
| 20 | First woman to go to space from India | Kalpana Chawla |
List of First in India Defence
The table below provides a list of individuals who occupied significant roles in the Indian Defense Sector.
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List of First in India Defence |
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| Sno. | First in India Defence | Names |
| 1. | First Defence Minister of India | Baldev Singh Chokkar |
| 2. | First Commander-in-Chief of Free India | Kodandera Madappa Cariappa |
| 3. | First Commander-in-Chief, Indian Air Force | Subroto Mukherjee |
| 4. | First Field Marshal | Sam Manekshaw |
| 5. | First Param Vir Chakra Winner | Major Somnath Sharma |
| 6. | First female Jawan in the Army | Shanti Tigga |
| 7. | First Indian woman to fly fighter aircraft without co-pilot | IAF Officer Avani Chaturvedi |
| 8. | First cosmonaut | Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma |
| 9. | First woman in the Indian Army awarded the coveted ‘Sword of Honour’ prize | Divya Ajith Kumar |
| 10 | First Chief of Army Staff |
Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji
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| 11 | First Indian Naval Chief |
Vice-Admiral R.D. Katari
|
| 12 | First woman Air Vice Marshal |
P. Bandopadhyaya
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| 13 | First woman Airline Pilot | Durba Banerjee |
| 14 | First woman Lieutenant General | Puneeta Arora |
| 15 | First woman pilot in Indian Air Force |
Harita Kaur Dayal
|
List of First in India Sports
The table below presents a list of significant accomplishments in the world of sports, with a primary focus on achievements at the Olympic Games.
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List of First in India Sports |
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| Sno. | First in India | Name |
| 1. | First Olympics Team Medal | Gold in Field Hockey (1928, Summer Olympics) |
| 2. | First Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian gold medal | Navjot Kaur |
| 3. | First Indian woman badminton player to win an Asian Games medal | Saina Nehwal |
| 4. | First Indian woman to win a medal at Asian Games | Santhi Soundarajan |
| 5. | First person to win the international bronze medal in skiing | Aanchal Thakur |
| 6. | First Woman to Win an Olympic Silver Medal | P. V. Sindhu in Badminton |
| 7. | First female to represent India at the Summer Olympics | Nora Polley, 1924 Summer Olympics |
| 8. | First Individual Gold Medal won by | Abhinav Bindra, 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing |
| 9. | First Woman to Win a Medal in Wrestling | Sakshi Malik won Bronze in the 2016 Summer Olympics |
| 10. | First Win in Cricket World Cup for India | 1983 |
| 11. | First Woman to be awarded the Padma Shri | Arati Saha |
| 12. | First Chess Grandmaster of India | Viswanathan Anand |
List of First in India in Awards
The table below presents a list of significant accomplishments in the Awards,
| List of First in India in Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| S. No. | First in India | Name |
| 1 | First Indian Nobel Laureate | Rabindranath Tagore |
| 2 | First Bharat Ratna Award | Dr. S. Radhakrishnan |
| 3 | First Scientist to get Nobel Prize | C.V. Raman |
| 4 | First Woman to get Bharat Ratna Award | Indira Gandhi |
| 5 | First Indian to get Ashok Chakra | Rakesh Sharma (Astronaut) |
| 6 | First Woman to get Ashok Chakra | Nirja Bhanot |
| 7 | First Indian to get Jnanpith Award | G. Shankar Kurup |
| 8 | First Transgender to get Padma Shri | Narthaki Nataraj |
| 9 | First Sportsperson to get Padma Shri | Balbir Singh Dosanjh |
| 10 | First Indian to receive Paramvir Chakra | Major Somnath Sharma |
| 11 | First Indian to receive an Oscar Award | Bhanu Athaiya |
| 12 | First Indian to receive Magsaysay Award | Acharya Vinoba Bhave |
| 13 | First Indian to receive Stalin Prize | Saifuddin Kitchlu |
| 14 | First Indian to receive Nobel Prize in Medicine | Hargovind Khurana |
| 15 | First Indian to receive Nobel Prize in Economics | Amartya Sen |
| 16 | First Indian to receive Nobel Prize in Physics | C.V. Raman |
| 17 | First woman to receive Jnanpith Award | Ashapoorna Devi |
| 18 | The first woman to receive the Nobel Prize | Mother Teresa |
List of First in India Architecture
The table below presents a list of significant accomplishments in the architecture,
|
List of First in India Architecture |
||
| Sno. | First in India | Name |
| 1. | First temple constructed from a single rock | Kailasa temple at Ellora |
| 2. | First church in India | St. Thomas Church, Palayoor |
| 3. | First mosque in India | Cheraman Juma Mosque in Methala |
| 4. | First dam in India | Kallanai Dam |
| 5. | First Indian temple with many interconnected structures | Brihadeeswarar Temple, Tamil Nadu |
List of First in India Frequently Asked
Below mentioned in the table is the List of First in India Frequently Asked question in the exam.
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List of First in India Frequently Asked |
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| Sno. | First in India | Name |
| 1. | First British to Visit India | Thomas Roe |
| 2. | First Chinese pilgrim to Visit India | Fa-Hien/Faxian |
| 3. | First Indian to reach Antarctica | Lt. Ram Charan |
| 4. | First Judge in International Court of Justice | Dr. Nagender Singh |
| 5. | First Muslim President of the Indian National Congress | Badruddin Tayyabji |
| 6. | First Post Office Opened in India | Kolkata(1727) |
| 7. | First Wax statue of a Living Indian | Mahatma Gandhi at Madame Tussaud’s in 1939 |
| 8. | India’s First Lok Sabha Member to be elected with a record maximum number of votes | P.V.Narasimha Rao |
| 9. | India’s First Open University | Dr B.R Ambedkar Open University |
| 10. | India’s First University | Nalanda University |
| 11. | India’s first man in Space | Rakesh Sharma |
| 12. | The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha | Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar |
| 13. | The first and last Muslim woman ruler of India | Razia Sultan |
| 14. | The first and the last Indian to be Governor-General of free India | C. Rajgopalachari |
| 15. | The first British Governor-General of Bengal | Lord Warren Hastings(1774-1885) |
| 16. | The first British Governor-General of India | Lord William Bentinck(1833-1835) |
| 17. | The first British Viceroy of India | Lord Canning |
| 18. | The first Chief Election Commissioner | Sukumar Sen |
| 19. | The first Chief Justice of Supreme Court | Justice Hirala J. Kania |
| 20. | The first Chief of Army Staff | Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji |
| 21. | The first Education Minister | Abdul Kalam Azad |
| 22. | The first Field Marshal of India | S.H.F. Manekshaw |
| 23. | The first Governor-General of free India | Lord Mountbatten |
| 24. | The first Home Minister of India | Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel |
| 25. | The first Indian Air Chief Marshal | S. Mukherjee |
| 26. | The first Indian Commander-in-Chief of India | General Cariappa |
| 27. | The first Indian Member of the Viceroy’s executive council | S.P.Sinha |
| 28. | The first Indian Naval Chief | Vice-Admiral R.D. Katari |
| 29. | The first Indian Pilot | J.R.D. Tata (1929) |
| 30. | The first Indian to cross English Channel | Mihir Sen |
| 31. | The first Indian to get Nobel Prize in Physics | C.V.Raman |
| 32. | The first Indian to join the Indian Civil Services | Satyendra Nath Tagore |
| 33. | The first Indian to receive Bharat Ratna award | Dr. Radhakrishnan |
| 34. | The first Indian to win Nobel Prize | Rabindranath Tagore |
| 35. | The first Judge of International Court of Justice | Dr. Nagendra Singh |
| 36. | The first lady to become Miss World | Rita Faria |
| 37. | The first man who introduced printing press in India | James Hicky |
| 38. | The first Muslim President of India | Dr. Zakir Hussain |
| 39. | The first Muslim President of Indian National Congress | Badruddin Tayyabji |
| 40. | The first Muslim President of Indian Republic | Dr. Zakhir Hussain |
| 41. | The first person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Medicine | Hargovind Khurana |
| 42. | The first person to get Param Vir Chakra | Major Somnath Sharma |
| 43. | The first person to reach Mt. Everest without oxygen | Sherpa Anga Dorjee |
| 44. | The first Person to receive Jnanpith award | Sri Shankar Kurup |
| 45. | The first person to receive Magsaysay Award | Acharya Vinoba Bhave |
| 46. | The first person to receive Nobel Prize in Economics | Amartya Sen |
| 47. | The first person to receive Stalin Prize | Saifuddin Kitchlu |
| 48. | The first person to resign from the Central Cabinet | Shyama Prasad Mukherjee |
| 49. | The first President of India who died while in office | Dr. Zakhir Hussain |
| 50. | The first President of Indian National Congress | W.C. Banerjee |
| 51. | The first President of Indian Republic | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| 52. | The first Prime Minister of free India | Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru |
| 53. | The first Prime Minister of India who did not face the Parliament | Charan Singh |
| 54. | The first Prime Minister of India who resigned without completing the full term | Morarji Desai |
| 55. | The first Vice-President of India | Dr. Radhakrishnan |
| 56. | The first woman Air Vice Marshal | P. Bandopadhyaya |
| 57. | The first woman Airline Pilot | Durba Banerjee |
| 58. | The first woman Ambassador | Miss C.B. Muthamma |
| 59. | The first woman Asian Games Gold Medal Winner | Kamlijit Sandhu |
| 60. | The first woman Chairman of Union Public Service Commission | Roze Millian Bethew |
| 61. | The first woman chairperson of Indian Airlines | Sushma Chawla |
| 62. | The first woman Cheif Justice of High Court | Mrs Leela Seth (Himachal Pradesh High Court) |
| 63. | The first woman Chief Minister of an Indian State | Mrs Sucheta Kripalani |
| 64. | The first woman Director General of Police | Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya |
| 65. | The first woman Governor of a state in free India | Mrs Sarojini Naidu |
| 66. | The first woman Graduates | Kadambini Ganguly and Chandramukhi Basu, 1883 |
| 67. | The first woman Honours Graduate | Kamini Roy, 1886 |
| 68. | The first woman IPS officer | Mrs. Kiran Bedi |
| 69. | The first woman Judge | Anna Chandy (She became judge in a district court in 1937) |
| 70. | The first woman judge in Supreme Court | Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi |
| 71. | The first woman Judge in Supreme Court of India | Kumari Justice M. Fathima Beevi |
| 72. | The first woman Lawyer | Cornelia Sorabjee |
| 73. | The first woman Lieutenant General | Puneeta Arora |
| 74. | The first woman Minister in a Government | Rajkumari Amrit Kaur |
| 75. | The first woman Olympic medal Winner | Karnam Malleswari, 2000 |
| 76. | The first woman pilot in Indian Air Force | Harita Kaur Dayal |
| 77. | The first woman President of Indian National Congress | Mrs Annie Besant |
| 78. | The first woman President of United Nations General Assembly | Mrs Vijaya Laxmi Pandit |
| 79. | The first woman Prime Minister | Mrs Indira Gandhi |
| 80. | The first woman Speaker of a State Assembly | Shanno Devi |
| 81. | The first woman to climb Mount Everest | Bachhendri Pal |
| 82. | The first woman to climb Mount Everest twice | Santosh Yadav |
| 83. | The first woman to cross English Channel | Aarti Saha |
| 84. | The first woman to receive Ashoka Chakra | Nirja Bhanot |
| 85. | The first woman to receive Bharat Ratna | Mrs. Indira Gandhi |
| 86. | The first woman to receive Jnanpith Award | Ashapurna Devi |
| 87. | The first woman to receive Jnanpith Award | Ashpurna Devi |
| 88. | The first woman to receive the Nobel Prize | Mother Teresa |
List of First in India FAQs
Who was India’s first Prime Minister?
The country of India’s first prime minister was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Who was India’s first female IPS officer?
Kiran Bedi is the First woman IPS officer in India.
Who was the First woman Chief Justice of the High Court?
The first female Chief Justice of an Indian state high court was Leila Seth.
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