First in India GK – Science, History, Polity, Sports
First in India: India has a rich history of pioneering achievements in various fields, highlighting its innovation and leadership in science, technology, governance, politics, defense, sports, and awards.
These milestones reflect the nation’s progress and the contributions of individuals and institutions in shaping India’s legacy. In this article, we will explore some notable pioneering achievements in India.
This is a static General Knowledge topic because the information provided will never change. The names and their achievements are permanently etched in India’s history. The article covers achievements in science and technology, governance, defense, sports, and architecture.
Discover India’s significant firsts in governance, politics, and defense, where groundbreaking policies and historic military feats showcase the nation’s journey of progress and influence on the global stage.
List of First in India Male
- First President of India: Dr. Rajendra Prasad
- First Prime Minister of India: Jawaharlal Nehru
- First Indian in Space: Rakesh Sharma
- First Indian to Climb Mount Everest: Tenzing Norgay (with Sir Edmund Hillary)
- First Indian to Win an Individual Olympic Gold Medal: Abhinav Bindra
- First Indian to Win a Nobel Prize: Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913)
- First Indian to Win an Oscar: Bhanu Athaiya (Costume Design for Gandhi, 1982)
- First Indian to Win the Booker Prize: Arundhati Roy (1997)
List of First in India Female
- First Indian Woman in Space: Kalpana Chawla
- First Indian Woman Prime Minister: Indira Gandhi
- First Indian Woman President: Pratibha Patil
- First Indian Woman to Win an Individual Olympic Medal: Karnam Malleswari (Bronze in Weightlifting, Sydney 2000)
- First Indian Woman to Win Miss Universe: Sushmita Sen (1994)
- First Indian Woman to Win Miss World: Reita Faria (1966)
- First Indian Woman to Win an Olympic Silver Medal: P.V. Sindhu (Badminton, Rio 2016)
- First Indian Woman to Win an Olympic Bronze Medal: Sakshi Malik (Wrestling, Rio 2016)
First in India History
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Governor-General of Bengal | Warren Hastings |
| First Governor-General of India | Lord William Bentinck |
| First Viceroy of India | Lord Canning |
| First British Governor of Bengal | Robert Clive |
| First British Governor-General of Independent India | Lord Mountbatten |
| First Indian to join the Indian Civil Services (ICS) | Satyendranath Tagore |
| First British-built Indian Railway | Ran from Bombay to Thane (1853) |
| First English Newspaper in India | Hicky’s Bengal Gazette |
| First University in India | University of Calcutta (1857) |
| First British Resident in Delhi | Sir David Ochterlony |
| First British Resident in Hyderabad | James Achilles Kirkpatrick |
| First Indian Member of British Parliament | Dadabhai Naoroji |
| First Indian to receive a knighthood | Rao Bahadur M. Visvesvaraya |
| First British-established Indian Legislative Council | Council of Bengal (1862) |
| First Indian to be elected to the House of Commons | Dadabhai Naoroji |
First in India General Knowledge
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Movie in India | Raja Harishchandra |
| First National Park in India | Jim Corbett National Park |
| First Newspaper in India | Hicky’s Bengal Gazette |
| First Train in India | Ran from Bombay to Thane |
| First Bank in India | Bank of Hindustan |
| First Census in India | 1871 |
| First Atom Bomb Test in India | Pokhran I (Smiling Buddha) |
| First Masjid in India | Cheraman Juma Masjid |
| First Mosque in India | Cheraman Juma Masjid |
| First Nuclear Test in India | Pokhran I (Smiling Buddha) |
First in India Geography
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Geographical Survey of India | Great Trigonometrical Survey (1802-1871) |
| First State to be formed on linguistic basis | Andhra Pradesh (1953) |
| First Biosphere Reserve in India | Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986) |
| First Marine National Park | Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park |
| First Desert National Park | Desert National Park, Rajasthan |
| First State to achieve 100% literacy | Kerala |
| First Indian State with 100% banking inclusion | Kerala |
| First Union Territory to achieve 100% literacy | Lakshadweep |
| First River Linking Project | Ken-Betwa River Linking Project |
| First State to be bifurcated after Independence | Punjab (1966) |
| First City to have Wi-Fi | Mysuru |
| First City to implement the Smart City project | Pune |
| First State to implement the Panchayati Raj System | Rajasthan (1959) |
| First Multilingual State | Jammu and Kashmir |
| First State to launch a helicopter taxi service | Karnataka |
First in India Constitution
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First President of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| First Vice President of India | Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| First Prime Minister of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| First Chief Justice of India | Harilal Jekisundas Kania |
| First Speaker of Lok Sabha | Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar |
| First Governor-General of Independent India | C. Rajagopalachari |
| First Attorney General of India | M.C. Setalvad |
| First Chief Election Commissioner | Sukumar Sen |
| First Law Minister of India | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| First Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) | V. Narahari Rao |
| First Woman Governor of an Indian State | Sarojini Naidu |
| First Woman Chief Minister of an Indian State | Sucheta Kriplani |
| First Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha | Meira Kumar |
| First Amendment to the Constitution | 1951 |
| First Schedule of the Constitution | Lists states and union territories |
First in India in the field of Awards
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Bharat Ratna Awardee | Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| First Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee | Devika Rani |
| First Padma Vibhushan Awardee | Satyendra Nath Bose, Zakir Husain, and Nand Lal Bose |
| First Padma Bhushan Awardee | Satyendra Nath Bose, Zakir Husain, and Nand Lal Bose |
| First Padma Shri Awardee | Multiple recipients in 1954 |
| First Jnanpith Awardee | G. Sankara Kurup |
| First Arjuna Awardee | Saleem Durani |
| First Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee | Viswanathan Anand |
| First Ramon Magsaysay Awardee | Vinoba Bhave |
| First Indian to win a Nobel Prize | Rabindranath Tagore |
| First Indian to win an Oscar | Bhanu Athaiya |
| First Indian to win a Grammy Award | Ravi Shankar |
| First Indian to win a Booker Prize | Arundhati Roy |
| First Miss India | Pramila (Esther Victoria Abraham) |
| First Filmfare Award for Best Actor | Dilip Kumar |
Firsts in India: Sports and Awards
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal | Abhinav Bindra |
| First Indian to win an individual Olympic silver medal | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore |
| First Indian to win an individual Olympic bronze medal | Karnam Malleswari |
| First Indian to win an individual World Cup (Cricket) | Kapil Dev |
| First Indian to win an individual World Chess Championship | Viswanathan Anand |
| First Indian to win an individual Grand Slam singles title | Mahesh Bhupathi (Tennis – Doubles) |
| First Indian to score a Test century | Lala Amarnath |
| First Indian to score a double century in Test cricket | Polly Umrigar |
| First Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket | Virender Sehwag |
| First Indian to take a hat-trick in Test cricket | Harbhajan Singh |
| First Indian to take 10 wickets in a Test innings | Anil Kumble |
| First Indian to score a century in T20 International cricket | Suresh Raina |
| First Indian to score a century in ODI cricket | Nawab of Pataudi (Senior) |
| First Indian to win an individual World Badminton Championship | Prakash Padukone |
| First Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal | Devendra Jhajharia (Athletics – Javelin throw) |
First in India: Science, Entertainment and Miscellaneous
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Satellite launched by India | Aryabhata |
| First Indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle | SLV-3 |
| First Supercomputer in India | PARAM 8000 |
| First Indian in Space | Rakesh Sharma |
| First Cloned Animal in India | Samrupa (calf) |
| First Movie in India | Raja Harishchandra |
| First Talkie (sound) Film in India | Alam Ara |
| First Color Film in India | Kisan Kanya |
| First Film to win an Oscar (Honorary) | Mother India |
| First Indian to win Miss Universe | Sushmita Sen |
| First Indian to win Miss World | Reita Faria |
| First Newspaper in India | Hicky’s Bengal Gazette |
| First Post Office in India | Kolkata (Calcutta) |
| First National Park in India | Jim Corbett National Park |
| First Census in India | 1871 |
First in India: Government, Politics,
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First President of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| First Prime Minister of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| First Chief Justice of India | Harilal J. Kania |
| First Indian in Space | Rakesh Sharma |
| First Indian Woman in Space | Kalpana Chawla |
| First Indian to climb Mount Everest | Tenzing Norgay |
| First Indian Woman to climb Mount Everest | Bachendri Pal |
| First Field Marshal of India | Sam Manekshaw |
| First Indian Governor-General of Independent India | C. Rajagopalachari |
| First Indian to win an Olympic gold medal | Abhinav Bindra |
| First Indian Woman to win an Olympic medal | Karnam Malleswari |
| First Indian to win Nobel Prize (Physics) | C. V. Raman |
| First Indian Woman to win Nobel Prize (Literature) | Mother Teresa |
| First Indian Nobel Laureate | Rabindranath Tagore |
| First Indian to win Booker Prize | Arundhati Roy |
| First Indian Woman to win Booker Prize | Arundhati Roy |
| First Indian to win Fields Medal (Mathematics) | Manjul Bhargava |
| First Indian Woman to win Fields Medal (Mathematics) | Maryam Mirzakhani |
| First Indian to receive Bharat Ratna | C. Rajagopalachari |
| First Indian Woman to receive Bharat Ratna | Indira Gandhi |
| First Indian to receive Padma Vibhushan | Satyendra Nath Bose |
| First Indian Woman to receive Padma Vibhushan | Lata Mangeshkar |
| First Indian cricketer to score a triple century in Tests | Virender Sehwag |
| First Indian Woman cricketer to score a double century in ODIs | Smriti Mandhana |
| First Indian to cross the English Channel | Mihir Sen |
| First Indian Woman to cross the English Channel | Arati Saha |
| First Indian to receive Param Vir Chakra (posthumously) | Major Somnath Sharma |
| First Indian Woman to receive Param Vir Chakra (posthumously) | None |
| First Indian to climb Mount Everest twice | Nawang Gombu |
| First Indian Woman to climb Mount Everest twice | Santosh Yadav |
| First Indian to win Puskás Award (FIFA) | Sunil Chhetri |
| First Indian Woman to win Puskás Award (FIFA) | Bala Devi |
| First Indian to win Miss World | Reita Faria |
| First Indian Woman to win Miss World | Reita Faria |
| First Indian to swim across the English Channel | Mihir Sen |
| First Indian Woman to swim across the English Channel | Arati Saha |
| First Indian to win an individual gold medal at Olympics (1928) | Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav |
| First Indian Woman to win an individual gold medal at Olympics (2000) | Karnam Malleswari |
| First Indian to win an individual silver medal at Olympics (2004) | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore |
| First Indian Woman to win an individual silver medal at Olympics (2004) | Karnam Malleswari |
| First Indian to win an individual bronze medal at Olympics (1952) | K. D. Jadhav |
| First Indian Woman to win an individual bronze medal at Olympics (2012) | Mary Kom |
| First Indian to win a Paralympic gold medal | Murlikant Petkar |
| First Indian Woman to win a Paralympic gold medal | Deepa Malik |
| First Indian to win an Academy Award (Oscar) | Bhanu Athaiya |
| First Indian Woman to win an Academy Award (Oscar) | Bhanu Athaiya |
| First Indian to win a Grammy Award | Ravi Shankar |
| First Indian Woman to win a Grammy Award | Tanvi Shah |
| First Indian to win a Pulitzer Prize for Literature | Jhumpa Lahiri |
| First Indian Woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Literature | Jhumpa Lahiri |
| First Indian to win an Individual Gold Medal at World Badminton Championships | Prakash Padukone |
| First Indian Woman to win an Individual Gold Medal at World Badminton Championships | P. V. Sindhu |
| First Indian to score a double century in One Day Internationals (ODIs) | Sachin Tendulkar |
| First Indian Woman to score a double century in One Day Internationals (ODIs) | Smriti Mandhana |
| First Indian to be elected to the International Court of Justice | Nagendra Singh |
| First Indian Woman to be elected to the International Court of Justice | Dalveer Bhandari |
| First Indian to win the Man Booker International Prize | Salman Rushdie |
| First Indian Woman to win the Man Booker International Prize | Arundhati Roy |
| First Indian to win the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism | Gobind Behari Lal |
| First Indian Woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism | Geeta Anand |
| First Indian to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award | Vinoba Bhave |
| First Indian Woman to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award | Aruna Roy |
| First Indian to win the Dadasaheb Phalke Award | Devika Rani |
| First Indian Woman to win the Dadasaheb Phalke Award | Devika Rani |
| First Indian to win the Jnanpith Award | G. Sankara Kurup |
| First Indian Woman to win the Jnanpith Award | Ashapoorna Devi |
| First Indian to win the UNESCO Prize | J. C. Kumarappa |
| First Indian Woman to win the UNESCO Prize | Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit |
| First Indian to reach Antarctica | Lt. Ram Charan |
| First Indian Woman to reach Antarctica | Mahel Musa |
| First Indian to reach North Pole | Bachendri Pal |
| First Indian Woman to reach North Pole | Krushnaa Patil |
| First Indian to win the Fields Medal (Mathematics) | Manjul Bhargava |
| First Indian Woman to win the Fields Medal (Mathematics) | Maryam Mirzakhani |
| First Indian to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award | R. K. Narayan |
| First Indian Woman to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award | Amrita Pritam |
| First Indian to win the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram (Kerala) | M. T. Vasudevan Nair |
| First Indian Woman to win the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram (Kerala) | Madhavi Kutty |
| First Indian to win the Kalinga Prize | Satyendra Nath Bose |
| First Indian Woman to win the Kalinga Prize | Romila Thapar |
First in India: Defence
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Indian Chief of Army Staff | General K. M. Cariappa |
| First Indian Chief of Air Staff | Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee |
| First Indian Chief of Naval Staff | Vice Admiral R.D. Katari |
| First Indian Aircraft Carrier | INS Vikrant |
| First Indian Submarine | INS Kalvari |
| First Indian Missile | Prithvi I |
| First Indian Nuclear Submarine | INS Arihant |
| First Indian Defence Satellite | GSAT-7 (Rukmini) |
| First Indian to receive Param Vir Chakra | Major Somnath Sharma |
| First Indian Fighter Aircraft | HAL Tejas |
| First Indigenous Helicopter | HAL Dhruv |
| First Indian Anti-Satellite Missile Test | Mission Shakti |
| First Indian Strategic Missile Command | Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) |
| First Indian Nuclear Test | Pokhran I (Smiling Buddha) |
| First Indian Army Regiment | Punjab Regiment |
First in India: Entertainment and Other Fields
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Movie in India | Raja Harishchandra (1913) |
| First Talkie (sound) Film in India | Alam Ara (1931) |
| First Color Film in India | Kisan Kanya (1937) |
| First Film to win an International Award | Neecha Nagar (Cannes Film Festival, 1946) |
| First Indian to win an Oscar | Bhanu Athaiya (Best Costume Design for Gandhi, 1982) |
| First Indian to win a Grammy Award | Ravi Shankar (1967) |
| First Indian to win Miss Universe | Sushmita Sen (1994) |
| First Indian to win Miss World | Reita Faria (1966) |
| First Indian Talk Show | Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan (1972) |
| First Indian Cartoon Series | Ghayab Aya (1990s) |
| First Indian Animation Film | The Banyan Deer (1957) |
| First English Newspaper in India | Hicky’s Bengal Gazette (1780) |
| First Radio Broadcast in India | Indian Broadcasting Company (1927) |
| First Television Broadcast in India | Doordarshan (1959) |
| First Indian Novel | Rajmohan’s Wife by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1864) |
| First Indian Nobel Laureate | Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913) |
First in India: Architecture
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Modern Planned City | Chandigarh |
| First Rock-cut Temple | Kailasa Temple, Ellora |
| First Mosque | Cheraman Juma Mosque, Kerala |
| First Fort | Fort St. George, Chennai |
| First Indian Building to Use Steel and Reinforced Concrete | Esplanade Mansion, Mumbai |
| First IIT Campus | IIT Kharagpur |
| First Skywalk | Bandra Skywalk, Mumbai |
| First Tallest Building | The Imperial, Mumbai |
| First Railway Station | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai (formerly Victoria Terminus) |
| First Suspension Bridge | Howrah Bridge, Kolkata |
| First Nuclear Power Plant | Tarapur Atomic Power Station |
| First Planned City of Independent India | Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
| First Indian Metro System | Kolkata Metro |
| First UNESCO World Heritage Site in India | Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves (1983) |
| First Multi-Storeyed Building | LIC Building, Chennai |
First in India Adventure
| List of First in India Adventure | Names |
|---|---|
| First Indian to Climb Mount Everest | Tenzing Norgay (with Sir Edmund Hillary) |
| First Indian Woman to Climb Mount Everest | Bachendri Pal |
| First Indian to Ski to the South Pole | Ajeet Bajaj |
| First Indian to Skydive Solo from Mount Everest | Phuntsok Wangyal |
| First Indian to Swim Across the English Channel | Mihir Sen |
| First Indian Woman to Swim Across the English Channel | Arti Shah |
| First Indian to Complete the Seven Summits | Malli Mastan Babu |
| First Indian to Paraglide Across the English Channel | Debu Choudhury |
| First Indian to Paraglide from Mount Everest | Shailendra Kumar |
| First Indian Woman to Paraglide from Mount Everest | Shweta Bhatt |
| First Indian to Raft Across the Seven Seas | Captain S.K. Singh |
| First Indian to Sail Solo Around the World | Dilip Donde |
| First Indian to Kite Surf Across the English Channel | Jehan Driver |
List of First in India: Banks
| List of First in India | Names |
|---|---|
| First Bank in India | Bank of Hindustan (1770) |
| First Bank with Indian Ownership | Allahabad Bank (1865) |
| First Bank to be Nationalized | Imperial Bank of India (now State Bank of India) (1955) |
| First Indian Bank to Open a Branch Outside India | Bank of India (1946 in London) |
| First Bank to Introduce ATM in India | HSBC (1987 in Mumbai) |
| First Bank to Launch Internet Banking | ICICI Bank (1996) |
| First Bank to Launch Mobile Banking Services | ICICI Bank |
| First Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India | C.D. Deshmukh (1943) |
| First Indian Company Listed on NYSE | Infosys (1999) |
| First Indian Stock Exchange | Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) (1875) |
| First Mutual Fund in India | Unit Trust of India (UTI) (1963) |
| First Credit Rating Agency in India | Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) (1987) |
| First Indian to Win the Nobel Prize in Economics | Amartya Sen (1998) |
| First Regional Rural Bank (RRB) | Prathama Bank (1975) |
| First Microfinance Institution in India | SEWA Bank (1974) |