Guys, discover the complete list of Indian award winners who became the first in history across sports, art, literature, politics, education & social work.
About India – Indian Award Winners General Knowledge
Introduction: Why General Knowledge About India and Award Winners Matters
General Knowledge (GK) about India and Indian Award Winners is one of the
most asked topics in competitive exams, interviews, and quizzes. From the first
Bharat Ratna awardee to the latest Nobel Prize winner from
India, knowing these facts makes you stand out.
List
of First Indian Award Winners – General Knowledge for Exams
In Literature and Arts
- First Indian
Nobel Prize Winner in Literature –
Rabindranath Tagore (1913).
- First
Jnanpith Award Winner – G. Sankara Kurup (1965).
In Politics
and Social Work
- First Indian
woman Bharat Ratna awardee – Indira Gandhi (1971).
- First Indian
to get Ramon Magsaysay Award – Vinoba
Bhave (1958).
In Sports
- First Olympic
medal – K.D. Jadhav (1952, Wrestling).
- First Olympic
Gold (Individual) – Abhinav Bindra (2008,
Shooting).
- First Indian
woman Olympic medalist – Karnam Malleswari
(2000, Weightlifting).
In Science and Education
- First Indian
Nobel Prize in Science – C.V. Raman (1930,
Physics).
- First Indian
woman scientist to win Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
– Asima Chatterjee (1961).
Indian Film Awards and International Recognition
- First Indian
to win Oscar – Bhanu Athaiya (Gandhi,
1983).
- First Indian
musician to win Oscar – A.R. Rahman (Slumdog
Millionaire, 2009).
- First Indian
film at Cannes to win Grand Prix – Neecha
Nagar (1946).
- Latest Oscar
for India – The Elephant Whisperers (2023, Best
Documentary Short).
Why Learn
Indian Award Winners General Knowledge?
Helps in Competitive Exams (UPSC, SSC, Railways, Banking, Defence). Useful for Interviews & Quizzes. Increases cultural awareness and confidence.
List of First Indian Award Winners in Art, Education, Politics,
Sports & Social Work
Indian Award Winners – First in Various Categories (Q&A)
Bharat Ratna (India’s Highest Civilian Award)
Q1. Who was the first recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award?
A1. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, along with C. Rajagopalachari and Dr. C. V. Raman in 1954.
Nobel Prize
Q2. Who was the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize?
A2. Rabindranath Tagore, in 1913 for Literature (Gitanjali).
Q3. Who was the first Indian woman to win a Nobel Prize?
A3. Mother Teresa in 1979 (Peace Prize).
Magsaysay Award
Q4. Who was the first Indian to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award?
A4. Vinoba Bhave in 1958 for Social Leadership.
Oscar (Academy Award)
Q5. Who was the first Indian to win an Oscar Award?
A5. Bhanu Athaiya, for Best Costume Design in the film Gandhi (1983).
Q6. Who was the first Indian to win an Oscar for music?
A6. A. R. Rahman, for Slumdog Millionaire (2009).
Booker Prize
Q7. Who was the first Indian to win the Booker Prize?
A7. Arundhati Roy, for The God of Small Things in 1997.
Olympic Games
Q8. Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal?
A8. K. D. Jadhav, Bronze in Wrestling, Helsinki Olympics, 1952.
Q9. Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal?
A9. Karnam Malleswari, Bronze in Weightlifting, Sydney Olympics, 2000.
Q10. Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic Gold Medal?
A10. Abhinav Bindra, in Shooting (Beijing Olympics, 2008).
Miss World / Miss Universe
Q11. Who was the first Indian woman to win the Miss World title?
A11. Reita Faria, in 1966.
Q12. Who was the first Indian woman to win the Miss Universe title?
A12. Sushmita Sen, in 1994.
Jnanpith Award (Literature)
Q13. Who was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award?
A13. G. Sankara Kurup, in 1965 for Malayalam Literature.
Filmfare Awards
Q14. Who was the first winner of the Filmfare Best Actor Award?
A14. Dilip Kumar, for the film Daag (1954).
Q15. Who was the first winner of the Filmfare Best Actress Award?
A15. Meena Kumari, for the film Baiju Bawra (1954).
Other Important Firsts
Q16. Who was the first Indian to win the Sahitya Akademi Award?
A16. Makhanlal Chaturvedi, in 1955 for Hindi poetry Him Tarangini.
Q17. Who was the first Indian to win the International Booker Prize (as co-winner)?
A17. Geetanjali Shree (author) and Daisy Rockwell (translator), in 2022 for Tomb of Sand.
Q18. Who was the first Indian woman to win the Ashoka Chakra?
A18. Neerja Bhanot (posthumously), 1987.
Indian First Award Winners – 100+ Questions & Answers
National Civilian Awards
Q1. Who was the first recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award?
A1. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C. Rajagopalachari, and Dr. C. V. Raman (1954).
Q2. Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna?
A2. Indira Gandhi (1971).
Q3. Who was the first musician to get Bharat Ratna?
A3. M. S. Subbulakshmi (1998).
Q4. Who was the first foreigner awarded Bharat Ratna?
A4. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987).
Q5. Who was the first posthumous Bharat Ratna awardee?
A5. Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966).
Q6. Who was the first scientist to receive Bharat Ratna?
A6. C. V. Raman (1954).
Nobel Prizes
Q7. Who was the first Indian Nobel laureate?
A7. Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913).
Q8. Who was the first Asian Nobel laureate in Physics?
A8. C. V. Raman (1930).
Q9. Who was the first Indian woman Nobel laureate?
A9. Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979).
Q10. Who was the first Indian economist to win the Nobel Prize?
A10. Amartya Sen (1998).
Q11. Who was the first Indian Nobel laureate in Medicine?
A11. Har Gobind Khorana (1968, shared).
Literature Awards
Q12. Who was the first recipient of Jnanpith Award?
A12. G. Sankara Kurup (1965).
Q13. Who was the first Hindi writer to win Jnanpith Award?
A13. Sumitranandan Pant (1968).
Q14. Who was the first woman to win Jnanpith Award?
A14. Ashapoorna Devi (1976).
Q15. Who was the first winner of Sahitya Akademi Award?
A15. Makhanlal Chaturvedi (1955).
Q16. Who was the first Indian author to win the Booker Prize?
A16. Arundhati Roy (1997).
Q17. Who was the first Indian to win the International Booker Prize?
A17. Geetanjali Shree (2022, Tomb of Sand).
Q18. Who was the first Indian to win Jnanpith for Urdu Literature?
A18. Firaq Gorakhpuri (1969).
Sports Awards & Olympics
Q19. Who was the first Indian to win an Olympic medal?
A19. Norman Pritchard (1900, Athletics, Silver).
Q20. Who was the first independent Indian Olympic medalist?
A20. K. D. Jadhav (1952, Wrestling).
Q21. Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal?
A21. Karnam Malleswari (2000).
Q22. Who was the first Indian to win an Olympic Gold Medal individually?
A22. Abhinav Bindra (2008, Shooting).
Q23. Who was the first Indian to win two Olympic medals?
A23. Sushil Kumar (2008, 2012).
Q24. Who was the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals?
A24. P. V. Sindhu (2016, 2020).
Q25. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in Badminton at Olympics?
A25. Saina Nehwal (2012, Bronze).
Q26. Who was the first Indian to win Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award?
A26. Viswanathan Anand (1991–92).
Q27. Who was the first Indian to win Arjuna Award?
A27. Krishna Das (Archery, 1961).
Q28. Who was the first woman to win Arjuna Award?
A28. Stephie D’Souza (Athletics, 1961).
Cinema & Entertainment
Q29. Who was the first Indian to win an Oscar?
A29. Bhanu Athaiya (1983, Costume Design, Gandhi).
Q30. Who was the first Indian musician to win an Oscar?
A30. A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009).
Q31. Who was the first Indian lyricist to win an Oscar?
A31. Gulzar (Jai Ho, 2009).
Q32. Who was the first Indian documentary to win an Oscar?
A32. The Elephant Whisperers (2023).
Q33. Who was the first Indian feature film nominated for Oscar?
A33. Mother India (1957).
Q34. Who was the first winner of Dadasaheb Phalke Award?
A34. Devika Rani (1969).
Q35. Who was the first woman to win Filmfare Best Actress Award?
A35. Meena Kumari (Baiju Bawra, 1954).
Q36. Who was the first winner of Filmfare Best Actor Award?
A36. Dilip Kumar (Daag, 1954).
Gallantry Awards
Q37. Who was the first recipient of Param Vir Chakra?
A37. Major Somnath Sharma (1947, posthumously).
Q38. Who was the first civilian to get Ashoka Chakra?
A38. Neerja Bhanot (1987, posthumously).
Q39. Who was the first woman to get Ashoka Chakra alive?
A39. Rukhsana Kausar (2009).
Beauty Pageants
Q40. Who was the first Indian woman to win Miss World?
A40. Reita Faria (1966).
Q41. Who was the first Indian woman to win Miss Universe?
A41. Sushmita Sen (1994).
Q42. Who was the first Indian to win Miss Asia Pacific?
A42. Zeenat Aman (1970).
Politics & Leadership
Q43. Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?
A43. Indira Gandhi (1966).
Q44. Who was the first woman President of India?
A44. Pratibha Patil (2007).
Q45. Who was the first Dalit President of India?
A45. K. R. Narayanan (1997).
Q46. Who was the first tribal President of India?
A46. Droupadi Murmu (2022).
Science & Education
Q47. Who was the first Indian to win the Fields Medal (Maths Nobel)?
A47. Manjul Bhargava (2014).
Q48. Who was the first Indian to win the Abel Prize?
A48. So far, none.
Q49. Who was the first Indian woman scientist to receive the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award?
A49. Asima Chatterjee (1961).
Social Work
Q50. Who was the first Indian to get Ramon Magsaysay Award?
A50. Vinoba Bhave (1958).
Q51. Who was the first woman to get Ramon Magsaysay Award from India?
A51. Mother Teresa (1962).
Q52. Who was the first Indian NGO to win Magsaysay Award?
A52. Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA, 2013).
Indian Award Winners – First in Various Categories
Padma Awards
Q53. Who was the first recipient of Padma Vibhushan?
A53. Satyendra Nath Bose (1954).
Q54. Who was the first woman to receive Padma Vibhushan?
A54. Nargis Dutt (1980, posthumous).
Q55. Who was the first recipient of Padma Bhushan?
A55. Dr. Satyendra Nath Bose (1954).
Q56. Who was the first woman to receive Padma Bhushan?
A56. Nargis Dutt (posthumously, 1980).
Q57. Who was the first recipient of Padma Shri?
A57. Dhyan Chand (1956).
Q58. Who was the first woman to get Padma Shri?
A58. Nargis Dutt (1958).
National Film Awards
Q59. Who was the first winner of National Film Award for Best Actor?
A59. Uttam Kumar (1967).
Q60. Who was the first winner of National Film Award for Best Actress?
A60. Nargis Dutt (Raat Aur Din, 1968).
Q61. Who was the first Indian film to win Best Feature Film at National Awards?
A61. Shyamchi Aai (1954).
Q62. Who was the first Indian actress to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award?
A62. Devika Rani (1969).
International Film Recognition
Q63. Who was the first Indian actress to win Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival?
A63. Sharmila Tagore (not yet, correction: none has won Best Actress, but films won awards).
Q64. Who was the first Indian film to win Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival?
A64. Monsoon Wedding by Mira Nair (2001).
Q65. Who was the first Indian film to win Palme d’Or at Cannes?
A65. Neecha Nagar (1946).
Music Awards
Q66. Who was the first Indian to win a Grammy Award?
A66. Pandit Ravi Shankar (1967).
Q67. Who was the first Indian woman to win a Grammy Award?
A67. Tanvi Shah (Slumdog Millionaire, 2010).
Q68. Who was the first Indian composer to win Golden Globe Award?
A68. A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009).
Sports – Cricket
Q69. Who was the first Indian to score a century in Test cricket?
A69. Lala Amarnath (1933).
Q70. Who was the first Indian to score a century in ODI cricket?
A70. Kapil Dev (1983).
Q71. Who was the first Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket?
A71. Virender Sehwag (2004).
Q72. Who was the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket?
A72. Harbhajan Singh (2001).
Q73. Who was the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in ODI cricket?
A73. Chetan Sharma (1987).
Q74. Who was the first Indian to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award?
A74. Rahul Dravid (2004).
Q75. Who was the first Indian woman cricketer to score a double century in Tests?
A75. Mithali Raj (2002).
Q76. Who was the first Indian captain to win Cricket World Cup?
A76. Kapil Dev (1983).
Q77. Who was the first Indian woman to win ICC Cricketer of the Year?
A77. Jhulan Goswami (2007).
Olympics & Asian Games
Q78. Who was the first Indian woman to win a Gold Medal at Asian Games?
A78. Kamaljeet Sandhu (1970, Athletics).
Q79. Who was the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in Badminton?
A79. Saina Nehwal (2012, Bronze).
Q80. Who was the first Indian to win Olympic medal in Boxing?
A80. Vijender Singh (2008, Bronze).
Q81. Who was the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal?
A81. Sakshi Malik (2016, Bronze).
Q82. Who was the first Indian to win Olympic medal in Tennis?
A82. Leander Paes (1996, Bronze).
Politics & Public Service
Q83. Who was the first Indian to win the Bharat Ratna posthumously?
A83. Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966).
Q84. Who was the first Indian to receive Nishan-e-Pakistan (Pakistan’s highest civilian award)?
A84. Morarji Desai (1990).
Q85. Who was the first Indian woman to receive Ashoka Chakra?
A85. Neerja Bhanot (1987, posthumously).
Q86. Who was the first woman IPS officer of India?
A86. Kiran Bedi (1972).
Science & Technology
Q87. Who was the first Indian to receive the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize?
A87. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar himself (1958, posthumous recognition).
Q88. Who was the first woman to receive Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award?
A88. Asima Chatterjee (1961).
Q89. Who was the first Indian to win the Abel Prize?
A89. None yet.
Q90. Who was the first Indian astronaut?
A90. Rakesh Sharma (1984).
Q91. Who was the first Indian woman in space?
A91. Kalpana Chawla (1997).
Q92. Who was the first Indian to win the Infosys Prize?
A92. Not category-specific, but first edition was 2008 (Narendra Karmarkar in Mathematics).
Other Recognitions
Q93. Who was the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest?
A93. Bachendri Pal (1984).
Q94. Who was the first Indian to climb Mount Everest?
A94. Tenzing Norgay (1953, with Edmund Hillary).
Q95. Who was the first Indian woman to swim across English Channel?
A95. Arati Saha (1959).
Q96. Who was the first Indian to receive the Templeton Prize?
A96. Mother Teresa (1973).
Q97. Who was the first Indian to receive Oscar for Lifetime Achievement?
A97. Satyajit Ray (1992).
Q98. Who was the first Indian to receive Ramon Magsaysay Award?
A98. Vinoba Bhave (1958).
Q99. Who was the first Indian woman to win an international beauty pageant?
A99. Reita Faria (Miss World 1966).
Q100. Who was the first Indian to win International Children’s Peace Prize?
A100. Neha Gupta (2014).
Q101. Who was the first Indian-American to win Spelling Bee in USA?
A101. Balu Natarajan (1985).
Q102. Who was the first Indian to win Man Booker International Prize?
A102. Aravind Adiga (2008 for The White Tiger).
First Award Winners Q&A
- Civilian Awards
- Nobel, Booker, Literary
- Sports & Olympics
- Cinema, Music, Film Awards
- Gallantry, Politics, Science, Mountaineering
- Beauty Pageants & Miscellaneous
Indian Award Winners – First in Various Categories
Film, Arts & Culture
Q103. Who was the first Indian to receive an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement?
A103. Satyajit Ray (1992).
Q104. Who was the first Indian actress to receive Padma Shri?
A104. Nargis Dutt (1958).
Q105. Who was the first Indian actor to receive Padma Bhushan?
A105. Prithviraj Kapoor (1969).
Q106. Who was the first Indian actress to win National Film Award for Best Actress?
A106. Nargis Dutt (Raat Aur Din, 1968).
Q107. Who was the first Indian playback singer to receive Bharat Ratna?
A107. Lata Mangeshkar (2001).
Q108. Who was the first Indian cartoonist to receive Padma Bhushan?
A108. R. K. Laxman (2005).
Q109. Who was the first Indian painter to win Padma Vibhushan?
A109. M. F. Husain (1991).
Literature & Arts
Q110. Who was the first Indian to win Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (highest literary honor)?
A110. S. Radhakrishnan (1968).
Q111. Who was the first Indian woman to win Sahitya Akademi Award?
A111. Amrita Pritam (1956, for Sunehade in Punjabi).
Q112. Who was the first Hindi novelist to win Jnanpith Award?
A112. Sumitranandan Pant (1968).
Q113. Who was the first woman to win Booker Prize from India?
A113. Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things, 1997).
Q114. Who was the first Indian poet to win Sahitya Akademi Award?
A114. Makhanlal Chaturvedi (1955).
Gallantry & Defense
Q115. Who was the first woman to receive Param Vir Chakra?
A115. None so far (no woman recipient yet).
Q116. Who was the first Air Force officer to receive Param Vir Chakra?
A116. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (1971, posthumously).
Q117. Who was the first Navy officer to receive Ashoka Chakra?
A117. Lt. Cdr. M. N. Samant (1971).
Q118. Who was the first woman to receive Kirti Chakra?
A118. Neerja Bhanot (1987, posthumous).
Sports (Other than Cricket & Olympics)
Q119. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in Asian Games?
A119. Sachin Nag (1951, Swimming).
Q120. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in Asian Games?
A120. Kamaljeet Sandhu (1970, Athletics).
Q121. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in World Wrestling Championship?
A121. Bishambar Singh (1967, Bronze).
Q122. Who was the first Indian woman boxer to win World Championship Gold?
A122. Mary Kom (2002).
Q123. Who was the first Indian to win BWF World Badminton Championship?
A123. P. V. Sindhu (2019).
Q124. Who was the first Indian Grandmaster in Chess?
A124. Viswanathan Anand (1988).
Q125. Who was the first Indian woman Grandmaster in Chess?
A125. Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi (2001).
Q126. Who was the first Indian to win F1 (Formula One) points?
A126. Narain Karthikeyan (2005).
Q127. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in Shooting World Cup?
A127. Anjali Bhagwat (2002).
Q128. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in Wrestling World Championship?
A128. Alka Tomar (2006).
International Recognition
Q129. Who was the first Indian to win Pulitzer Prize?
A129. Gobind Behari Lal (1937, Journalism).
Q130. Who was the first Indian woman to win Pulitzer Prize?
A130. Geeta Anand (2003, Explanatory Reporting).
Q131. Who was the first Indian-origin person to win Booker Prize?
A131. V. S. Naipaul (1971, In a Free State).
Q132. Who was the first Indian-American to win National Medal of Science (USA)?
A132. Har Gobind Khorana (1987).
Q133. Who was the first Indian-origin Vice President of USA?
A133. Kamala Harris (2021).
Science & Space
Q134. Who was the first Indian scientist to win Nobel Prize?
A134. C. V. Raman (1930, Physics).
Q135. Who was the first woman scientist to head ISRO project?
A135. Ritu Karidhal (Mangalyaan, 2013, Deputy Director).
Q136. Who was the first Indian woman to win Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award?
A136. Asima Chatterjee (1961).
Q137. Who was the first Indian to be President of UN General Assembly?
A137. Vijayalakshmi Pandit (1953).
Q138. Who was the first Indian to win Abel Prize in Mathematics?
A138. None so far.
Miscellaneous Achievements
Q139. Who was the first Indian woman to receive Ramon Magsaysay Award?
A139. Mother Teresa (1962).
Q140. Who was the first Indian to receive UN Human Rights Prize?
A140. Mother Teresa (1973).
Q141. Who was the first Indian woman to win United Nations Environment Award?
A141. Vandana Shiva (1993).
Q142. Who was the first Indian to receive Templeton Prize?
A142. Mother Teresa (1973).
Q143. Who was the first Indian woman to receive the Gallantry Award alive?
A143. Rukhsana Kausar (2009, Ashoka Chakra).
Q144. Who was the first Indian to be Miss Earth?
A144. Nicole Faria (2010).
Q145. Who was the first Indian woman to win Miss Asia Pacific?
A145. Zeenat Aman (1970).
Q146. Who was the first Indian to win International Children’s Peace Prize?
A146. Neha Gupta (2014).
Q147. Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic Silver Medal?
A147. P. V. Sindhu (2016, Badminton).
Q148. Who was the first Indian to win the Pritzker Prize (Architecture Nobel)?
A148. Balkrishna Doshi (2018).
Q149. Who was the first Indian to receive the Tang Prize (Asia’s Nobel)?
A149. Madhav Gadgil (2014, Environment).
Q150. Who was the first Indian woman to win Asian Games Gold in Shooting?
A150. Rahi Sarnobat (2018).
First Indian Award Winners 150+ Q&A
This collection covers:- Civilian & Literary Awards
- Sports & Olympics (men + women)
- Cinema, Music, Beauty Pageants
- Science & Technology
- Gallantry & Politics
- International Recognition
Latest Indian Award Winners – First in Various Categories
Sports – More Achievements
Q151. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in Paralympics?
A151. Deepa Malik (2016, Rio Paralympics, Shot Put, Silver).
Q152. Who was the first Indian to win a Gold Medal in Paralympics?
A152. Murlikant Petkar (1972, Swimming).
Q153. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal at Commonwealth Games?
A153. Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha (PT Usha) – multiple medals, but first Indian woman Gold in CWG: Renu Bala Chanu (2010, Weightlifting).
Q154. Who was the first Indian to win All England Badminton Championship?
A154. Prakash Padukone (1980).
Q155. Who was the first Indian woman to win All England Badminton Championship?
A155. None yet.
Q156. Who was the first Indian to win Chess World Championship?
A156. Viswanathan Anand (2000).
Q157. Who was the first Indian woman to win World Junior Chess Championship?
A157. Koneru Humpy (2001).
Q158. Who was the first Indian to win World Billiards Championship?
A158. Wilson Jones (1958).
Q159. Who was the first Indian Formula 2 Champion?
A159. Jehan Daruvala (2020, Sprint race).
Q160. Who was the first Indian gymnast to win a medal at Commonwealth Games?
A160. Ashish Kumar (2010).
Politics & Governance
Q161. Who was the first Indian Governor-General of Independent India?
A161. C. Rajagopalachari (1948).
Q162. Who was the first Indian to receive Bharat Ratna while serving as Prime Minister?
A162. Jawaharlal Nehru (1955).
Q163. Who was the first woman Governor of an Indian state?
A163. Sarojini Naidu (Uttar Pradesh, 1947).
Q164. Who was the first Dalit woman Chief Minister in India?
A164. Mayawati (1995, Uttar Pradesh).
Q165. Who was the first Sikh Prime Minister of India?
A165. Dr. Manmohan Singh (2004).
Literature & Education
Q166. Who was the first Indian to win Sahitya Akademi Award for English Literature?
A166. R. K. Narayan (The Guide, 1960).
Q167. Who was the first Indian to receive International Lenin Peace Prize?
A167. Saifuddin Kitchlew (1952).
Q168. Who was the first Indian to win DSC Prize for South Asian Literature?
A168. H. M. Naqvi (Home Boy, 2011).
Q169. Who was the first Indian to receive Jnanpith Award for Hindi Literature?
A169. Sumitranandan Pant (1968).
Q170. Who was the first Indian woman poet to win Jnanpith Award?
A170. Mahadevi Verma (1982).
Science & Innovation
Q171. Who was the first Indian to win a Turing Award (Computer Science Nobel)?
A171. None yet.
Q172. Who was the first Indian scientist to head UNESCO?
A172. Dr. Humayun Kabir.
Q173. Who was the first Indian woman scientist awarded Padma Bhushan?
A173. Asima Chatterjee (1975).
Q174. Who was the first Indian to receive IEEE Medal of Honor?
A174. Narinder Singh Kapany (Father of Fiber Optics).
Q175. Who was the first Indian woman to win Infosys Prize?
A175. Ayesha Kidwai (2013, Humanities).
Environment & Social Work
Q176. Who was the first Indian to receive Goldman Environmental Prize (Green Nobel)?
A176. Medha Patkar (1992).
Q177. Who was the first Indian woman to receive UNEP’s Global 500 Award?
A177. Vandana Shiva (1993).
Q178. Who was the first Indian to receive UN Champions of the Earth Award?
A178. Narendra Modi (2018).
Q179. Who was the first Indian woman environmentalist to win Ramon Magsaysay Award?
A179. Chandi Prasad Bhatt (1974, though male activist of Chipko). For woman: Medha Patkar (not Magsaysay yet, but others).
Q180. Who was the first Indian to win Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel)?
A180. Ela Bhatt (1984, founder of SEWA).
Beauty Pageants & Fashion
Q181. Who was the first Indian woman to win Miss International?
A181. Lara Dutta (2000).
Q182. Who was the first Indian man to win Mister World?
A182. Rohit Khandelwal (2016).
Q183. Who was the first Indian woman to win Miss Supranational?
A183. Asha Bhat (2014).
Q184. Who was the first Indian to win Miss Teen International?
A184. Sushmita Sen’s daughter Renee Sen (2020)? Correction: Not yet. First Indian – Aayushi Dholakia (2019).
Q185. Who was the first Indian woman to win Miss Grand International?
A185. No winner yet.
Miscellaneous International Awards
Q186. Who was the first Indian to receive Knighthood from British Crown?
A186. Rabindranath Tagore (1915, renounced in 1919).
Q187. Who was the first Indian to win Stalin Peace Prize?
A187. Saifuddin Kitchlew (1952).
Q188. Who was the first Indian to win Gandhi Peace Prize?
A188. Julius Nyerere of Tanzania (1995, though Indian recipient later → ISRO, Baba Amte). First Indian: Baba Amte (1999).
Q189. Who was the first Indian to win Légion d’Honneur (France’s highest award)?
A189. Satyajit Ray (1987).
Q190. Who was the first Indian to receive the Order of Merit (UK)?
A190. C. Rajagopalachari.
Adventure & Exploration
Q191. Who was the first Indian to reach the South Pole?
A191. Col. J. K. Bajaj (1989).
Q192. Who was the first Indian to reach the North Pole?
A192. Squadron Leader Sanjay Thapar (1998).
Q193. Who was the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest twice?
A193. Santosh Yadav (1992, 1993).
Q194. Who was the first Indian man to cross English Channel?
A194. Mihir Sen (1958).
Q195. Who was the first Indian to swim across all five oceans of the world?
A195. Bula Choudhury (2004).
Recent “Firsts”
Q196. Who was the first Indian woman to win Khel Ratna Award?
A196. Karnam Malleswari (1995).
Q197. Who was the first Indian to win Laureus World Sports Award?
A197. Sachin Tendulkar (2020, Laureus Sporting Moment Award).
Q198. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in World Athletics Championship?
A198. Anju Bobby George (2003, Bronze in Long Jump).
Q199. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in Diamond League?
A199. Neeraj Chopra (2017, Javelin).
Q200. Who was the first Indian to win Olympic Gold in Athletics?
A200. Neeraj Chopra (2020 Tokyo Olympics).
First Indian Award Winners Q&A 200 +
This collection covers:
- Civilian, Literary, Gallantry, Science
- Sports (Olympics, Cricket, Paralympics, Chess, Badminton, etc.)
- Cinema, Music, Beauty Pageants
- International Awards, Environment, Politics
- Adventure & Exploration
E Book General Knowledge 5000 Questions with Answers
Indian Award Winners First in Various Categories
Sports – Expansions
Q201. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal at World Wrestling Championship?
A201. Alka Tomar (2006, Bronze).
Q202. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in Gymnastics at Asian Games?
A202. Ashish Kumar (2010, Silver & Bronze).
Q203. Who was the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics?
A203. Dipa Karmakar (2016).
Q204. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in Badminton World Championships?
A204. Prakash Padukone (1983, Bronze).
Q205. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in Badminton World Championships?
A205. Saina Nehwal (2015, Silver).
Q206. Who was the first Indian to win a medal in Archery World Championships?
A206. Dola Banerjee (2007, Gold – World Cup Final).
Q207. Who was the first Indian to win a medal at Asian Wrestling Championship?
A207. Uday Chand (1961, Bronze).
Q208. Who was the first Indian shooter to win an ISSF World Cup Gold?
A208. Jaspal Rana (1994).
Q209. Who was the first Indian woman shooter to win an ISSF World Cup Gold?
A209. Anjali Bhagwat (2002).
Q210. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal at Paralympics?
A210. Deepa Malik (2016, Silver, Shot Put).
Cinema & Arts – More “Firsts”
Q211. Who was the first Indian film director to win an Oscar?
A211. None yet (Satyajit Ray received Honorary Award).
Q212. Who was the first Indian actress to win Best Actress at International Film Festival?
A212. Shabana Azmi (Bhavna, 1983, Moscow International Film Festival).
Q213. Who was the first Indian actor to receive Padma Vibhushan?
A213. Dilip Kumar (1991).
Q214. Who was the first Indian music composer to win National Film Award?
A214. Naushad (Baiju Bawra, 1954).
Q215. Who was the first Indian lyricist to win Sahitya Akademi Award?
A215. Gulzar (2002, Urdu poetry).
Q216. Who was the first Indian actress to win Miss Asia Pacific?
A216. Zeenat Aman (1970).
Q217. Who was the first Indian woman filmmaker to win Golden Leopard Award at Locarno?
A217. Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!, 1988).
Q218. Who was the first Indian film to win National Award?
A218. Shyamchi Aai (1954, Marathi).
Q219. Who was the first Indian animation film to win National Award?
A219. Ek Anek Aur Ekta (1974).
Q220. Who was the first Indian film submitted for Oscars?
A220. Mother India (1957).
Literature – Deeper Coverage
Q221. Who was the first Indian woman to receive Jnanpith Award?
A221. Ashapoorna Devi (1976, Bengali).
Q222. Who was the first Urdu writer to get Jnanpith Award?
A222. Firaq Gorakhpuri (1969).
Q223. Who was the first Kannada writer to get Jnanpith Award?
A223. Kuvempu (1967).
Q224. Who was the first Telugu writer to win Jnanpith Award?
A224. Viswanatha Satyanarayana (1970).
Q225. Who was the first Indian to win Commonwealth Writers’ Prize?
A225. Vikram Seth (A Suitable Boy, 1994).
Q226. Who was the first Indian to win Neustadt International Prize for Literature?
A226. Feroz Rather (none yet, check) → correction: Nissim Ezekiel nominated but not awarded. No Indian winner yet.
Q227. Who was the first Indian woman poet to win Sahitya Akademi Award?
A227. Amrita Pritam (1956, Punjabi poetry).
Q228. Who was the first Indian to win International Prize for Arabic Literature (translation)?
A228. Rasheed Kidwai (to be checked).
Q229. Who was the first Indian children’s author to win Sahitya Akademi Award?
A229. Nabaneeta Dev Sen (1999, Bengali).
Q230. Who was the first Indian to win O. Henry Prize for short stories?
A230. Jhumpa Lahiri (1999).
Science & Technology
Q231. Who was the first Indian woman scientist to win Padma Shri?
A231. Kamala Sohonie (1957, Biochemistry).
Q232. Who was the first Indian woman to head DRDO project?
A232. Tessy Thomas (Agni missile program).
Q233. Who was the first Indian scientist to receive Fellowship of Royal Society (FRS)?
A233. Ardaseer Cursetjee (1841).
Q234. Who was the first Indian woman to receive Fellowship of Royal Society (FRS)?
A234. Asima Chatterjee (1961).
Q235. Who was the first Indian to win Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences?
A235. Ashoke Sen (2009).
Q236. Who was the first Indian woman to win Infosys Prize?
A236. Ayesha Kidwai (2013, Humanities).
Q237. Who was the first Indian to win Breakthrough Prize (Fundamental Physics)?
A237. Ashoke Sen (2012).
Q238. Who was the first Indian to get IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal?
A238. Narinder Singh Kapany.
Q239. Who was the first Indian-origin scientist to win Nobel in Chemistry?
A239. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009).
Q240. Who was the first Indian to be elected Fellow of US National Academy of Sciences?
A240. C. V. Raman.
Miscellaneous International Awards
Q241. Who was the first Indian woman to win International Emmy Award?
A241. Shefali Shah (Delhi Crime, 2019).
Q242. Who was the first Indian documentary to win BAFTA?
A242. India’s Daughter (2015).
Q243. Who was the first Indian to win Golden Globe Award?
A243. A. R. Rahman (2009, Slumdog Millionaire).
Q244. Who was the first Indian journalist to win Ramon Magsaysay Award?
A244. P. Sainath (2007).
Q245. Who was the first Indian NGO to receive Nobel Peace Prize nomination?
A245. SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association).
Q246. Who was the first Indian diplomat to win UN’s Dag Hammarskjöld Medal?
A246. Major Harsh Vardhan Singh (UN Peacekeeping, posthumous).
Q247. Who was the first Indian economist to win John Bates Clark Medal?
A247. None yet.
Q248. Who was the first Indian to win Zayed Award for Human Fraternity?
A248. Mahatma Gandhi (posthumous honorary).
Q249. Who was the first Indian actor to win Best Actor at Venice Film Festival?
A249. Nawazuddin Siddiqui (2012, for Miss Lovely nomination, but official win: Irrfan Khan in 2001? Need checking).
Q250. Who was the first Indian woman to win International Peace Award?
A250. Shirin Ebadi (though Iranian). For India → Ela Bhatt (various peace awards).
Q251. Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal at Asian Games?
A251. Santhi Soundarajan (2006, Silver in Athletics; though later stripped).
Q252. Who was
the first Indian woman to win a medal at Asian Games officially?
A252. Kamaljeet Sandhu (1970, Gold in 400m).
Q253. Who was
the first Indian to win a medal at Asian Para Games?
A253. Jagseer Singh (2010, Athletics).
Q254. Who was
the first Indian woman wrestler to win Olympic medal?
A254. Sakshi Malik (2016, Bronze).
Q255. Who was
the first Indian female boxer to win Olympic medal?
A255. Mary Kom (2012, Bronze).
Q256. Who was
the first Indian tennis player to win Grand Slam title?
A256. Mahesh Bhupathi (1997, French Open Mixed Doubles).
Q257. Who was
the first Indian woman tennis player to win Grand Slam title?
A257. Sania Mirza (2009, Australian Open Mixed Doubles).
Q258. Who was
the first Indian badminton player to reach World No. 1
ranking?
A258. Saina Nehwal (2015).
Q259. Who was
the first Indian man to reach World No. 1 ranking in
badminton?
A259. Kidambi Srikanth (2018).
Q260. Who was
the first Indian cricketer to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award?
A260. Rahul Dravid (2004).
Cinema &
Entertainment – More Firsts
Q261. Who was
the first Indian actress to win National Award for Best Actress?
A261. Nargis (*Raat Aur Din*, 1968).
Q262. Who was
the first Indian actor to win National Award for Best Actor?
A262. Uttam Kumar (*Chiriyakhana* and *Anthony Firingee*, 1967).
Q263. Who was
the first Indian director to win National Award for Best Director?
A263. Satyajit Ray (*Pather Panchali*, 1955).
Q264. Who was
the first Indian to win Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award?
A264. Naushad Ali (1991).
Q265. Who was
the first Indian actress to receive Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award?
A265. Lata Mangeshkar (1993).
Q266. Who was
the first Indian film to win Palme d'Or at Cannes?
A266. *Neecha Nagar* (1946).
Q267. Who was
the first Indian actress to serve as a jury member at Cannes?
A267. Aishwarya Rai (2003).
Q268. Who was
the first Indian film to win Golden Lion at Venice?
A268. *Court* (2014 nomination, official winner → *Monsoon Wedding* special mention). (India hasn’t won Golden Lion yet.)
Q269. Who was
the first Indian documentary to win Oscar?
A269. *Period: End of Sentence* (2019, produced by Indian Guneet Monga).
Q270. Who was
the first Indian actress to be nominated for BAFTA?
A270.
Sharmila Tagore (not official); confirmed →
Suraiya (not nominated). (Correct: Deepika Padukone not yet. Need confirmation:
likely none.)
Politics & Governance
Q271. Who was
the first Indian woman to receive Bharat Ratna?
A271. Indira Gandhi (1971).
Q272. Who was
the first Indian economist to receive Bharat Ratna?
A272. Amartya Sen (1999).
Q273. Who was
the first Indian industrialist to receive Bharat Ratna?
A273. J. R. D. Tata (1992).
Q274. Who was
the first Indian woman to win Ramon Magsaysay Award?
A274. Mother Teresa (1962).
Q275. Who was
the first Indian President to receive Bharat Ratna before becoming President?
A275. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1954).
Q276. Who was
the first Indian to win Lenin Peace Prize?
A276. Saifuddin Kitchlew (1952).
Q277. Who was
the first Indian woman to win Lenin Peace Prize?
A277. Aruna Asaf Ali (1964).
Q278. Who was
the first Indian to receive Nishan-e-Pakistan (Pakistan’s highest civilian
award)?
A278. Morarji Desai (1990).
Q279. Who was
the first Indian to receive Order of the British Empire (OBE)?
A279. Rabindranath Tagore (1915, later returned in protest).
Q280. Who was
the first Indian woman to get Ashoka Chakra (highest peacetime gallantry
award)?
A280. Neerja
Bhanot (1987, posthumous).
Science & Education – Additions
Q281. Who was
the first Indian woman to receive Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award?
A281. Asima Chatterjee (1961, Chemistry).
Q282. Who was
the first Indian to receive Turing Award (Nobel in Computer Science)?
A282. None yet (Indian-American → Raj Reddy, 1994).
Q283. Who was
the first Indian to win Abel Prize (Mathematics)?
A283. None yet.
Q284. Who was
the first Indian woman scientist to win L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Award?
A284. Dr. Shubha Tole (2004).
Q285. Who was
the first Indian to win Shaw Prize (Astronomy)?
A285. Rashid Sunyaev (Indian-origin, shared 2008).
Q286. Who was
the first Indian scientist to receive Bharat Ratna?
A286. C. V. Raman (1954).
Q287. Who was
the first Indian mathematician to win Fields Medal (equivalent of Nobel)?
A287. None yet (closest: Manjul Bhargava, Indian-American, 2014).
Q288. Who was
the first Indian woman to receive Padma Vibhushan for Science?
A288. Asima Chatterjee (1977).
Q289. Who was
the first Indian astronaut to win Ashoka Chakra?
A289. Rakesh Sharma (1984, post-space mission).
Q290. Who was
the first Indian to receive Légion d'honneur (France’s highest award)?
A290. Rabindranath Tagore (1926).
Miscellaneous
& Rare Firsts
Q291. Who was
the first Indian to win Templeton Prize?
A291. Mother Teresa (1973).
Q292. Who was
the first Indian woman to win Templeton Prize?
A292. Mother Teresa (1973).
Q293. Who was
the first Indian to receive United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights?
A293. Mother Teresa (1971).
Q294. Who was
the first Indian to win Global Teacher Prize?
A294. Ranjitsinh Disale (2020).
Q295. Who was
the first Indian to receive UNESCO Peace Prize?
A295. Rajiv Gandhi (1986).
Q296. Who was
the first Indian to get Indira Gandhi Peace Prize?
A296. Parliamentarians for Global Action (1986).
Q297. Who was
the first Indian to receive International Gandhi Peace Prize individually?
A297. Julius Nyerere of Tanzania (1995; first Indian recipient → ISRO, 2014).
Q298. Who was
the first Indian to receive International Booker Prize?
A298. Arundhati Roy (1997, Booker), Geetanjali Shree (2022, International Booker).
Q299. Who was
the first Indian to receive Right Livelihood Award?
A299. Ela Bhatt (1984).
Q300. Who was
the first Indian woman to receive Right Livelihood Award?
A300. Ela
Bhatt (1984).
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