First Women in India – Key Notes for Competitive Exams

The first women in India to achieve notable milestones have made remarkable contributions to the fields of politics, social reform, science, literature, sports, and other areas. Understanding their achievements is important for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, Banking, State PSCs, and other general knowledge-based exams.

Below is a comprehensive list of first women in India across various fields:

1. First Woman President of India

• Name: Pratibha Patil
• Tenure: 25 July 2007 – 25 July 2012
• Significance: Pratibha Patil became the first woman to hold the office of President in India. She served as the 12th President of India.

2. First Woman Prime Minister of India

• Name: Indira Gandhi
• Tenure: 24 January 1966 – 24 March 1977 and 14 January 1980 – 31 October 1984
• Significance: Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India and the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. She played a central role in Indian politics and global diplomacy, particularly during the 1971 India-Pakistan war and Emergency period.

3. First Woman in India to Become a Judge of the Supreme Court

• Name: Meera Sahib Fatima
• Year: 1989
• Significance: Fatima Beevi became the first woman to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. Her appointment marked a significant step in promoting gender equality in the Indian judiciary.

4. First Woman to Win the Booker Prize

• Name: Arundhati Roy
• Award: Booker Prize 1997
• Significance: Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize for her novel “The God of Small Things”. She became the first Indian woman to win this prestigious award. The novel explores themes like caste, society, and family life in India.

5. First Woman to Win the Nobel Prize

• Name: Mother Teresa
• Award: Nobel Peace Prize 1979
• Significance: Mother Teresa was the first Indian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She was awarded for her selfless work for the poor, sick, and needy in Calcutta, which led to the founding of the Missionaries of Charity.

6. First Indian Woman to Travel in Space

• Name: Kalpana Chawla
• Mission: STS-87 (1997)
• Significance: Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-origin woman to fly in space. She flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. She later tragically died in the STS-107 disaster during the re-entry phase of Columbia in 2003.

7. First Woman to Climb Mount Everest

• Name: Bachendri Pal
• Date: 23 May 1984
• Significance: Bachendri Pal was the first Indian woman to summit Mount Everest. She achieved this milestone as part of an expedition organized by the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation.

8. First Woman to Receive the Bharat Ratna

• Name: Indira Gandhi
• Award Year: 1971
• Significance: Indira Gandhi was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. The award was presented to her in recognition of her leadership during the 1971 India-Pakistan war and her contribution to the growth of India.

9. First Woman Athlete to Win an Olympic Medal

• Name: Karnam Malleswari
• Event: Weightlifting (2000 Sydney Olympics)
• Significance: Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She won the bronze medal in weightlifting in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

10. First Woman to Head an Indian Political Party

• Name: Sonia Gandhi
• Party: Indian National Congress (INC)
• Significance: Sonia Gandhi was the first woman to be elected as the President of the Indian National Congress. She played a significant role in shaping Indian politics, particularly after leading the Congress Party to victory in the 2004 Indian general elections.

11. First Woman to Become the Governor of an Indian State

• Name: Sarojini Naidu
• State: Uttar Pradesh
• Year: 1947
• Significance: Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become a Governor of a state (Uttar Pradesh). She was also a prominent poet, freedom fighter, and a key figure in India’s independence movement.

12. First Indian Woman to Receive an Olympic Gold Medal

• Name: Neeraj Chopra
• Event: Javelin Throw (2020 Tokyo Olympics)
• Significance: Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in javelin throwing during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

13. First Woman to Receive the Padma Bhushan Award

• Name: Indira Gandhi
• Award: Padma Bhushan (1969)
• Significance: Indira Gandhi was the first Indian woman to receive the Padma Bhushan in 1969, which is India’s third-highest civilian award.

14. First Woman to Serve as the Chief Justice of India

• Name: Leila Seth
• Significance: Leila Seth was the first woman to serve as a Judge of the Delhi High Court and the first woman to be appointed to the High Court.

15. First Woman in India to Win the Jnanpith Award

• Name: Ashapurna Devi
• Award: Jnanpith Award (1976)
• Significance: Ashapurna Devi was the first Indian woman to win the Jnanpith Award, the most prestigious literary award in India. She was honored for her outstanding contribution to literature.

16. First Woman to Drive in the Indian Army

• Name: Captain Abhilasha Barak
• Significance: Captain Abhilasha Barak became the first woman officer to be inducted into the Indian Army Aviation Corps as a pilot. This was a significant step in the integration of women in India’s military aviation.

17. First Indian Woman to Win a Grand Slam Tennis Title

• Name: Sania Mirza
• Title: Australian Open (Mixed Doubles) 2009
• Significance: Sania Mirza became the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam tennis title in 2009 when she won the Australian Open Mixed Doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi.

18. First Woman to Win the Miss World Title from India

• Name: Reita Faria
• Year: 1966
• Significance: Reita Faria was the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title. She was crowned Miss World 1966, making her one of India’s first global icons in the field of beauty pageants.

19. First Woman to Reach the South Pole

• Name: Kiran Desai
• Significance: Kiran Desai became the first Indian woman to reach the South Pole in an expedition to Antarctica.

20. First Woman to Get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

• Name: Mithali Raj
• Award Year: 2021
• Significance: Mithali Raj, an Indian cricketer, became the first woman to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honor.

Conclusion

The contributions of first women in India have shaped not only the social fabric of the country but also helped India make remarkable strides in politics, science, literature, sports, and other sectors. Competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, Banking, State PSCs, and others often focus on the achievements of such iconic personalities. By memorizing the first women in these fields, aspirants can gain valuable insights into India’s cultural and historical development.

 

Magme QUECAFE

 

ONE LINERS ON FIRST WOMEN IN INDIA

Here are some one-liners on First Women in India for competitive exams:

 

1. Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to become the president of the Indian National Congress.

2. Indira Gandhi was the first and only woman Prime Minister of India.

3. Kasturba Gandhi was the first woman to join the Indian freedom struggle.

4. Begum Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain was the first Muslim woman to advocate women’s rights in India.

5. Vikram Sarabhai‘s wife Maggie Sarabhai was the first woman to contribute to India’s space program.

6. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan’s wife, Dr. Meenakshi Swaminathan, was the first woman to research agricultural science in India.

7. Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first Indian woman to become a doctor in the USA.

8. Savitri Bai Phule was the first woman teacher in India and the first to open a school for girls.

9. Arundhati Roy was the first woman to win the Booker Prize for her novel ‘The God of Small Things’.

10. Mary Kom is the first Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic bronze medal.

 

These one-liners will help in competitive exam preparation, focusing on significant achievements of First Women in India across various fields.

 

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS ON FIRST WOMEN IN INDIA

Here are some Objective Questions on First Women in India for competitive exams:

 

1. Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?

A) Indira Gandhi

B) Sarojini Naidu

C) Kasturba Gandhi

D) Vijayalakshmi Pandit

Answer: A) Indira Gandhi

 

2. Who was the first woman president of the Indian National Congress?

A) Sarojini Naidu

B) Kasturba Gandhi

C) Annie Besant

D) Sucheta Kriplani

Answer: A) Sarojini Naidu

 

3. Who was the first woman to become the doctor in the United States from India?

A) Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi

B) Kamini Roy

C) Kiran Bedi

D) Sarojini Naidu

Answer: A) Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi

 

4. Who was the first woman to lead a state in India?

A) Indira Gandhi

B) Mamata Banerjee

C) Suvra Mukherjee

D) Sushma Swaraj

Answer: A) Indira Gandhi

 

5. Who was the first woman to hold the office of the Governor in an Indian state?

A) Sarojini Naidu

B) Vijayalakshmi Pandit

C) Sucheta Kriplani

D) Indira Gandhi

Answer: A) Sarojini Naidu

 

6. Who was the first Indian woman to win a Nobel Prize?

A) Mother Teresa

B) Indira Gandhi

C) Sarojini Naidu

D) Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

Answer: A) Mother Teresa

 

7. Who was the first woman boxer from India to win an Olympic medal?

A) Mary Kom

B) P.V. Sindhu

C) Saina Nehwal

D) Shikha Tandon

Answer: A) Mary Kom

 

8. Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna award in India?

A) Sarojini Naidu

B) Mother Teresa

C) Indira Gandhi

D) Lata Mangeshkar

Answer: B) Mother Teresa

 

9. Who was the first woman to become a judge in the Supreme Court of India?

A) Indira Jaising

B) Justice Ruma Pal

C) Justice M. Fathima Beevi

D) Justice Leila Seth

Answer: C) Justice M. Fathima Beevi

 

10. Who was the first woman to win the Booker Prize for her novel “The God of Small Things”?

A) Kamala Das

B) Arundhati Roy

C) Kiran Desai

D) Shashi Tharoor

Answer: B) Arundhati Roy

 

These objective questions will help you test your knowledge about the first women to achieve significant milestones in India across various fields.

 

FILL IN THE BLANKS ON FIRST WOMEN IN INDIA

Here are some Fill in the Blanks on First Women in India for competitive exams:

 

1. __________ was the first woman Prime Minister of India.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

 

2. __________ was the first woman to become the president of the Indian National Congress.

Answer: Sarojini Naidu

 

3. __________ was the first woman to become a doctor in the United States from India.

Answer: Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi

 

4. __________ was the first Indian woman to win the Nobel Prize.

Answer: Mother Teresa

 

5. __________ was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna award in India.

Answer: Mother Teresa

 

6. __________ was the first woman to become the Governor of an Indian state.

Answer: Sarojini Naidu

 

7. __________ was the first woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing.

Answer: Mary Kom

 

8. __________ was the first woman to hold the office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Answer: Meira Kumar

 

9. __________ was the first woman to lead an Indian state as a Chief Minister.

Answer: Sucheta Kriplani

 

10. __________ was the first woman to receive the Booker Prize for her novel The God of

Small Things.

Answer: Arundhati Roy

These Fill in the blanks will help you test your knowledge about the First Women in India and their accomplishments, which are important for competitive exam preparation.

 

ASSERTION AND REASON ON FIRST WOMEN IN INDIA

Here are some Assertion and Reason questions on First Women in India for competitive exams:

1. Assertion: Indira Gandhi was the first and only woman Prime Minister of India.

Reason: Indira Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India for four terms, which made her one of the longest-serving leaders in India.

A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

B) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason is not the correct explanation for the Assertion.

C) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is incorrect.

D) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Answer: A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

 

2. Assertion: Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress.

Reason: Sarojini Naidu was a prominent leader in the Indian independence movement and was also the first woman to be appointed as the governor of an Indian state.

A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

B) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason is not the correct explanation or the Assertion.

C) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is incorrect.

D) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Answer: A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

 

3. Assertion: Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first woman to become a doctor in the United States from India.

Reason: Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi studied medicine at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in the United States and received her degree in 1886.

A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

B) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason is not the correct explanation or the Assertion.

C) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is incorrect.

D) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Answer: A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

 

4. Assertion: Mother Teresa was the first Indian woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Reason: Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work with the poor and the sick in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

B) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason is not the correct explanation or the Assertion.

C) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is incorrect.

D) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Answer: A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

 

5. Assertion: Mary Kom was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing.

Reason: Mary Kom won a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics, which made her a trailblazer for female athletes in India.

A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

B) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason is not the correct explanation or the Assertion.

C) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is incorrect.

D) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Answer: A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

 

6. Assertion: Meira Kumar was the first woman to serve as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Reason: Meira Kumar was elected as the Speaker in 2009, and she held the position until 2014.

A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

B) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason is not the correct explanation for the Assertion.

C) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is incorrect.

D) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Answer: A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

 

7. Assertion: Arundhati Roy was the first Indian woman to win the Booker Prize.

Reason: Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel “The God of Small Things,” which brought international acclaim to Indian literature.

A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

B) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason is not the correct explanation for the Assertion.

C) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is incorrect.

D) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Answer: A) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and the Reason is the correct explanation for the Assertion.

These Assertion and Reason questions help in understanding the contributions of First Women in India across various fields and are useful for competitive exam preparation.

 

Match the following – First Women in India

Here is a Match the Following exercise on First Women in India for competitive exams:

Column A (Achievement)	Column B (First Woman)
1. First woman Prime Minister of India	A) Sarojini Naidu
2. First woman President of the Indian National Congress	B) Indira Gandhi
3. First woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize	C) Mother Teresa
4. First woman to become a doctor in the United States	D) Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi
5. First woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing	E) Mary Kom
6. First woman to become the Speaker of the Lok Sabha	F) Meira Kumar
7. First woman to receive the Bharat Ratna Award	G) Sarojini Naidu
8. First Indian woman to win the Booker Prize	H) Arundhati Roy

Answers:

Column A (Achievement)	Column B (First Woman)
1. First woman Prime Minister of India	B) Indira Gandhi
2. First woman President of the Indian National Congress	A) Sarojini Naidu
3. First woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize	C) Mother Teresa
4. First woman to become a doctor in the United States	D) Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi
5. First woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing	E) Mary Kom
6. First woman to become the Speaker of the Lok Sabha	F) Meira Kumar
7. First woman to receive the Bharat Ratna Award	C) Mother Teresa
8. First Indian woman to win the Booker Prize	H) Arundhati Roy

 

This Match the Following exercise is designed to test your knowledge of the First Women in India across various fields and can be useful for competitive exam preparation.

 

MCQ’s on FIRST WOMEN IN INDIA

Here are some MCQs on First Women in India for competitive exams:

 

1. Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?

A) Sarojini Naidu

B) Kasturba Gandhi

C) Indira Gandhi

D) Vijayalakshmi Pandit

Answer: C) Indira Gandhi

 

2. Who was the first woman to become the president of the Indian National Congress?

A) Sarojini Naidu

B) Kasturba Gandhi

C) Annie Besant

D) Sucheta Kriplani

Answer: A) Sarojini Naidu

 

3. Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna award?

A) Indira Gandhi

B) Sarojini Naidu

C) Mother Teresa

D) Lata Mangeshkar

Answer: C) Mother Teresa

 

4. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in India?

A) Sarojini Naidu

B) Indira Gandhi

C) Mother Teresa

D) Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

Answer: C) Mother Teresa

 

5. Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in boxing?

A) Mary Kom

B) Saina Nehwal

C) P.V. Sindhu

D) Shikha Tandon

Answer: A) Mary Kom

 

6. Who was the first woman to become a doctor in the United States from India?

A) Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi

B) Kamini Roy

C) Kiran Bedi

D) Sarojini Naidu

Answer: A) Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi

 

7. Who was the first woman to become the Speaker of the Lok Sabha?

A) Meira Kumar

B) Sucheta Kriplani

C) Sarojini Naidu

D) Indira Gandhi

Answer: A) Meira Kumar

 

8. Who was the first woman to win the Booker Prize for her novel “The God of Small Things”?

A) Kamala Das

B) Arundhati Roy

C) Kiran Desai

D) Shashi Tharoor

Answer: B) Arundhati Roy

 

9. Who was the first woman to hold the office of the Governor in India?

A) Sarojini Naidu

B) Vijayalakshmi Pandit

C) Sucheta Kriplani

D) Indira Gandhi

Answer: A) Sarojini Naidu

 

10. Who was the first woman to lead a state in India as a Chief Minister?

A) Sucheta Kriplani

B) Indira Gandhi

C) Mamata Banerjee

D) Suvra Mukherjee

Answer: A) Sucheta Kriplani

 

These MCQs on First Women in India will help you assess your knowledge and are excellent for competitive exam preparation.