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India Cluster205 Verified Questions
First in India: Female Pioneers, Constitutional Heads & Leaders GK Questions & Answers
Indian political and institutional history has been shaped by pioneering women who broke structural barriers across constitutional offices, judicial benches, civil administration, and scientific exploration. Sarojini Naidu was appointed the first female Governor of an Indian state, leading the United Provinces from August 1947 until March 1949. Sucheta Kripalani made history in October 1963 by becoming the first female Chief Minister of an Indian state, heading the Uttar Pradesh state government. At the Union executive level, Indira Gandhi assumed office as India's first female Prime Minister in January 1966, while Pratibha Devisingh Patil was sworn in as the 12th and first female President of the Republic of India in July 2007. In law and public administration, Kiran Bedi joined the Indian Police Service in 1972 as India's first female IPS officer, Justice M. Fathima Beevi became the first female Supreme Court Judge in October 1989, and Justice Leila Seth was appointed the first female Chief Justice of a state High Court (Himachal Pradesh) in 1991. In aerospace and exploration, Bachendri Pal successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest on 23 May 1984, and aeronautical engineer Kalpana Chawla flew into space aboard NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-87 in November 1997.
High-yield conceptual summaries for competitive exams and rapid revision.
Pratibha Patil became India's first woman President in 2007, while Indira Gandhi took office as the first woman Prime Minister in 1966.
Sarojini Naidu became the first female Governor (United Provinces, 1947) and Sucheta Kripalani the first female Chief Minister (UP, 1963).
Justice M. Fathima Beevi was elevated as the first woman Supreme Court Judge in 1989; Leila Seth became first woman High Court Chief Justice in 1991.
Kiran Bedi joined the Indian Police Service in 1972 as India's first female IPS officer, later serving as Director General of BPR&D.
Bachendri Pal climbed Mount Everest in May 1984, and Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian-born woman in space aboard STS-87 in 1997.
Showing 25 Curated Questions205 Total in Bank
1ID: GK-INDM-00603
easyFirst in India (Female)
Who served as the first woman President of the Republic of India, holding office from 2007 to 2012?
Verified Explanation
Pratibha Devisingh Patil was sworn in as the 12th President of India on 25 July 2007, becoming the first woman to hold the supreme constitutional office.
2ID: GK-INDM-00610
easyFirst in India (Female)
Who made history in October 1989 by becoming the first woman judge appointed to the Supreme Court of India?
Verified Explanation
Justice M. Fathima Beevi was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on 6 October 1989, becoming the first woman judge in the apex court and in Asia.
3ID: GK-INDM-00623
mediumFirst in India (Female)
Who became the first woman Chief Minister of an Indian State, heading the government of Uttar Pradesh from October 1963 to March 1967?
Verified Explanation
Sucheta Kripalani was sworn in as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 2 October 1963, becoming the first woman to hold the office of Chief Minister in any Indian state.
4ID: GK-INDM-00688
easyFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was the first woman to be appointed as the Chief Justice of a High Court in India, taking charge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 1991?
Verified Explanation
Justice Leila Seth became the first female Chief Justice of a state High Court when she took oath as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on 5 August 1991. She was also the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court in 1978.
5ID: GK-INDM-00690
mediumFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who became the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of an Indian state, heading the Uttarakhand state police force in 2004?
Verified Explanation
Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, a 1973-batch IPS officer, made history in 2004 when she was appointed Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttarakhand, becoming the first woman to head a state police force in India.
6ID: GK-INDM-00692
mediumFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
In 1956, who became the first woman writer to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award for her monumental Punjabi poetry collection 'Sunehade' (Messages)?
Verified Explanation
Amrita Pritam was the first woman recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956 for her poetic collection 'Sunehade' in Punjabi. In 1981, she also became the first woman to win the Bharatiya Jnanpith Award for Punjabi literature for 'Kagaz Te Canvas'.
7ID: GK-INDM-00693
easyFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who served as the first woman Chairperson of the State Bank of India (SBI), heading the country's largest commercial bank from 2013 to 2017?
Verified Explanation
Arundhati Bhattacharya took charge as the Chairperson of the State Bank of India on 7 October 2013, becoming the first woman to lead the 207-year-old financial institution. She steered the historic merger of five associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with SBI in 2017.
8ID: GK-INDM-00699
mediumFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
In 1953, who became the first woman to be elected as the President of the United Nations General Assembly during its eighth session?
Verified Explanation
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was elected President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1953 for its eighth session, becoming the first woman in history to hold this international diplomatic office. She previously served as India's ambassador to the Soviet Union, the United States, and Mexico.
9ID: GK-INDM-00701
hardFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
In February 2016, who became the first woman IPS officer to be appointed as the Director General of a Central Armed Police Force upon taking charge of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)?
Verified Explanation
Archana Ramasundaram, a 1980-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer, was appointed Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in February 2016, becoming the first woman police officer in India to head a Central Armed Police Force guarding international borders.
10ID: GK-INDM-00786
easyFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was the first woman to be appointed Chief Justice of a State High Court in India, taking charge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 1991?
Verified Explanation
Justice Leila Seth was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on August 5, 1991, becoming the first woman Chief Justice of any High Court in India. She had earlier been appointed the first woman judge on the Delhi High Court in 1978.
11ID: GK-INDM-00791
easyFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was unanimously elected as the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha in June 2009, presiding over the 15th Lok Sabha?
Verified Explanation
Meira Kumar was elected unopposed as the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha on June 3, 2009, serving throughout the 15th Lok Sabha until May 2014. Sumitra Mahajan later succeeded her as the second woman Speaker for the 16th Lok Sabha.
12ID: GK-INDM-00798
hardFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who became the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of a state in India, heading the Uttarakhand Police in 2004?
Verified Explanation
Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, an IPS officer of the 1973 batch (the second woman IPS officer after Kiran Bedi), was appointed Director General of Police of Uttarakhand in 2004, making her the first woman DGP of any Indian state. Archana Ramasundaram later became the first woman to head a central paramilitary force (SSB) in 2016.
13ID: GK-INDM-00800
hardFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Which organic chemist and anti-epileptic drug developer was elected as the first woman General President of the Indian Science Congress Association in 1975?
Verified Explanation
Dr. Asima Chatterjee was elected as the first woman General President of the Indian Science Congress Association for its 62nd annual session in 1975. She was renowned for her pioneering research on Vinca alkaloids and developing the anti-epileptic drug Ayush-56 and anti-malarial treatments.
14ID: GK-INDM-00564
mediumFirst in India (Female)
Who was the first woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1917?
Verified Explanation
Dr. Annie Besant presided over the Calcutta Session of the INC in 1917, becoming the first woman to hold the office (Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman in 1925).
15ID: GK-INDM-00596
easyFirst in India (Female)
Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India, assuming office in January 1966?
Verified Explanation
Indira Gandhi became India's first female Prime Minister on 24 January 1966 following the demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri, serving from 1966–1977 and 1980–1984.
16ID: GK-INDM-00643
hardFirst in India (Female)
Who made history in August 1947 by becoming the first woman Governor of an Indian State, governing the United Provinces (later Uttar Pradesh)?
Verified Explanation
Sarojini Naidu ('Nightingale of India') was appointed Governor of the United Provinces on 15 August 1947, serving until her demise in March 1949 as India's first female governor.
17ID: GK-INDM-00685
easyFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was the first woman to hold a Union Cabinet rank in Independent India, serving as the Minister of Health from 1947 to 1957?
Verified Explanation
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was appointed as India's first Minister of Health in Jawaharlal Nehru's inaugural Cabinet in 1947 and held the portfolio for ten years. She was instrumental in establishing the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi under the AIIMS Act, 1956.
18ID: GK-INDM-00697
hardFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was the first female law student at Oxford University and became the first woman admitted to practice law as an advocate in India in 1923?
Verified Explanation
Cornelia Sorabji studied law at Somerville College, Oxford in 1889 and became the first female advocate in India when enrolled at the Allahabad High Court in 1923 following the enactment of the Legal Practitioners (Women) Act, 1923.
19ID: GK-INDM-00789
easyFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who served as the first woman Cabinet Minister of independent India, holding the portfolio of Union Minister for Health from 1947 to 1957?
Verified Explanation
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was inducted into Jawaharlal Nehru's first Cabinet on August 15, 1947, as the Union Minister for Health. During her ten-year tenure, she was instrumental in establishing the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi under the AIIMS Act, 1956.
20ID: GK-INDM-00887
hardFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was appointed as India's first woman Director General of Police (DGP), taking charge as the police chief of Uttarakhand in 2004?
Verified Explanation
Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, a 1973-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre (second woman IPS officer after Kiran Bedi), was appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttarakhand in 2004. She was the first woman in Indian history to head a state police force.
21ID: GK-INDM-00896
hardFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who made history in 1892 as the first female law graduate from Oxford University and the first woman to practice law as a legal practitioner in India?
Verified Explanation
Cornelia Sorabji became the first woman to study law at Oxford University in 1892 and subsequently became the first female advocate in India. As a legal advisor to the Court of Wards (Purdanashins), she championed the property and legal rights of secluded women and paved the way for the Legal Practitioners (Women) Act, 1923.
22ID: GK-INDM-00473
easyFirst in India (Female)
Who was the first woman to become the Prime Minister of India?
Verified Explanation
Indira Gandhi took oath as the first woman Prime Minister of India on 24 January 1966.
23ID: GK-INDM-00497
mediumFirst in India (Female)
Who was the first woman to be appointed as the Chief Minister of an Indian State, serving as the CM of Uttar Pradesh from 1963 to 1967?
Verified Explanation
Sucheta Kripalani became India's first woman Chief Minister on 2 October 1963, heading the government of Uttar Pradesh.
24ID: GK-INDM-00894
mediumFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was appointed in March 2022 as the first woman Chairperson of the capital markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)?
Verified Explanation
Madhabi Puri Buch was appointed as the first woman Chairperson of SEBI by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on 1 March 2022. She was also the first person from the private sector to lead the statutory market regulator.
25ID: GK-INDM-00895
hardFirst in India: Women & Pioneering Female Achievers
Who was elected as the first woman President of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), assuming office in January 2020?
Verified Explanation
Dr. Chandrima Shaha, a prominent biologist and former Director of the National Institute of Immunology (NII), took office as the first woman President of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) on 1 January 2020. INSA was established in 1935 to promote science in India.
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