First Lady In India

Indian women's history is full of pioneers who have broken gender barriers and worked hard for their rights and made progress in the field of politics, arts, science, law, education, sports etc.

We bring you a list of 'First Indian Lady', noting the first time an Indian woman achieved something.

1. First woman President of India
Answer - Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil

2. First woman Prime Minister of India
Answer - Mrs. Indira Gandhi

3. First woman Lok Sabha Speaker of India
Answer - Meera Kumar

4. India's first woman Rajya Sabha Deputy Speaker
Answer - Violet Alva

5. First Women's Parliament of India
Answer - Radhabai Subarayan

6. First woman Union Minister of India
Answer - Princess Amrit Kaur

7. First Woman Governor of India
Answer - Sarojini Naidu (Uttar Pradesh)

8. India's first woman defense minister (additional charge)
Answer - Indira Gandhi

9. India's first woman Defense Minister (full-time)
Answer - Nirmala Sitharaman

10. First Woman Finance Minister of India
Answer - Nirmala Sitharaman

11. First woman president of UPSC
Answer - Daily Million Bathyu

12. India's first female ruler
Answer - Razia Sultan

13. India's first woman I.A.S
Answer - Anna George

14. India's first woman I.P.S.
Answer - Kiran Bedi

15. First Chief Minister of India
Answer - Sucheta Kripalani (U.P.)

16. First Woman Union Minister
Answer - Sucheta Kripalani (U.P.)

17. First woman congress president
Answer - Dr. Annie Besant

18. First woman judge of Supreme Court
Answer - Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi

19. First woman Chief Justice of High Court
Answer - Leela Seth (Himachal Pradesh)

20. India's first female session judge
Answer - Anna Chandy (Kerala)

21. First woman to get Ashoka Chakra
Answer - Neerja Bhanot

22. First UN Women Ambassador
Answer - Vijay Laxmi Pandit

23. First Indian woman to cross the English Channel
Answer - Aarti Saha

24. First Indian woman to receive Nobel Prize
Answer - Mother Teresa

25. First woman to reach Everest summit
Answer - Bachendari Pal

26. First woman to climb Everest twice in a row
Answer - Santosh Yadav

27. First Indian woman to become Miss World
Answer - Kumari Rita Faria

28. First Indian woman to become Miss Universe
Answer - Sushmita Sen

29. First woman to receive Bharat Ratna
Answer - Mrs. Indira Gandhi

30. First woman to receive Arjuna Award
Answer - N. Lumsden (Hanky, 1961)

31. First woman to receive Jnanpith Award
Answer - Ashapurna Devi

32. First woman to win a medal in Olympics
Answer - Karnam Malleshwari (Bronze Lady)

33. First woman to receive both Arjuna and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards
Answer - Kunjarani (Grand Old Lady)

34. First Woman Mayor
Answer - Tara Cherian (Chennai)

35. First Lady Graduate (Prestige)
Answer - Kamini Roy (1866)

36. First Lady Graduate
Answer - Kadambini Ganguly and  Chandramukhi Basu (1883)

37. First woman pilot in Air Force
Answer - Harita Kaur Dayal

38. First female airbase pilot
Answer - Durba Banerjee

39. First Lady Lieutenant General
Answer - Puneet Arora

40. First Lady Air Vice Marshal
Answer - P. Bandopadhyay

41. First female chairperson of Indian Airlines
Answer - Sushma Chawla

42. First Indian woman to win an Oscar award
Answer - Bhanu Athaiya

43. First woman to win gold medal in Asian Games
Answer - Kamaljeet Sandhu

44. First Indian woman to go to space
Answer - Kalpana Chawla (US citizen)

45. First Indian woman to reach South Pole
Answer - Reena Kaushal Dharmashaktu

46. First woman to swim across seven major seas
Answer - Bula Chaudhary

47. First woman to cross the Gobi Desert
Answer - Sucheta Kadeethankar

48. First woman general secretary of Rajya Sabha
Answer - VS Ramadevi

49. First female film actress to be nominated for Rajya Sabha
Answer - Nargis Dutt

50. First Indian woman to reach Antarctica
Answer - Meher Musa

51. First woman to win Sahitya Akademi Award
Answer - Amrita Pritam

52. First woman to participate in Olympic Games
Answer - Mary Leela Rao

53. First actress of Indian cinema
Answer - Devika Rani Roerik

54. First woman president of National Commission for Women
Answer - Jayanti Patnaik

55. First Indian woman to read Doordarshan news
Answer - Statue Puri

56. First woman to win the women's singles title at the World Badminton Championships
Answer - P.B. Indus