First in India (Men) — Set 1

Correct Answer: A. Dr. Rajendra Prasad

• **Dr. Rajendra Prasad** = served as the first President of Independent India from 1950 to 1962. • **1950 to 1962** — he was the only president to have served two full terms. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan: was the second President of India; V.V. Giri: was the fourth President of India; Zakir Husain: was the third President of India.

Correct Answer: C. Rabindranath Tagore

• **Rabindranath Tagore** = was the first Indian and first non-European to win a Nobel Prize. • **1913** — he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his poetry collection 'Gitanjali'. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: C.V. Raman: won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930; Hargobind Khorana: won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1968; Amartya Sen: won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998.

Correct Answer: A. Satyendranath Tagore

• **Satyendranath Tagore** = was the first Indian to successfully join the prestigious Indian Civil Service (ICS). • **1863** — he joined the ICS after completing his training in England. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Surendranath Banerjee: passed the ICS exam but was disqualified on a technicality; Subhas Chandra Bose: passed the ICS exam in 1920 but resigned from service; Dadabhai Naoroji: was a prominent politician and economist, not an ICS officer.

Correct Answer: D. Rakesh Sharma

• **Rakesh Sharma** = was the first Indian citizen to travel into space, becoming a national hero. • **1984** — he flew aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 and spent nearly eight days in orbit. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Ravish Malhotra: was the backup cosmonaut for the mission but did not fly; Sunita Williams: is an American astronaut of Indian descent; Kalpana Chawla: was an American astronaut of Indian descent.

Correct Answer: A. Morarji Desai

• **Morarji Desai** = was the first Prime Minister of India to resign from office without completing a full term. • **1979** — he resigned from the top post, having led the Janata Party government since 1977. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Chaudhary Charan Singh: also resigned without completing a full term, but after Desai; V.P. Singh: resigned in 1990 after losing confidence; Atal Bihari Vajpayee: had short terms but Desai was the first to resign without completing a full term.

Correct Answer: C. Abhinav Bindra

• **Abhinav Bindra** = was the first Indian to win an individual Gold medal at the Olympic Games. • **2008 Beijing Olympics** — he achieved this milestone in the 10m Air Rifle event. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: K.D. Jadhav: won India's first individual Olympic medal (bronze) in 1952; Leander Paes: won a bronze medal in tennis in 1996; Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: won a silver medal in shooting in 2004.

Correct Answer: D. Lord Mountbatten

• **Lord Mountbatten** = served as the first Governor-General of the Dominion of India after independence. • **June 1948** — he held this position until this month, overseeing the transition of power. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: C. Rajagopalachari: was the first and only Indian Governor-General of Independent India; Warren Hastings: was the first Governor-General of Bengal; Lord Canning: was the first Viceroy of India.

Correct Answer: A. Mihir Sen

• **Mihir Sen** = was the first Indian to successfully swim across the English Channel. • **1958** — he achieved this historic feat, later swimming oceans of five continents in one year. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Arati Saha: was the first Asian woman to cross the English Channel; Virdhawal Khade: is a contemporary Indian swimmer; Sufyan Sheikh: is also a modern Indian open water swimmer.

Correct Answer: C. General Bipin Rawat

• **General Bipin Rawat** = was appointed as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India. • **January 1, 2020** — he assumed office on this date, a new strategic military post. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: General Manoj Mukund Naravane: was the 28th Chief of Army Staff; General Dalbir Singh Suhag: was the 26th Chief of Army Staff; Admiral Karambir Singh: was the 24th Chief of Naval Staff.

Correct Answer: A. S. Radhakrishnan

• **S. Radhakrishnan** = was one of the three eminent personalities to be the first recipients of the Bharat Ratna award. • **1954** — the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was instituted and first awarded in this year. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: C.V. Raman: was also one of the three first recipients alongside S. Radhakrishnan; C. Rajagopalachari: was also one of the three first recipients; Other than listed: this option is incorrect as the first recipients are listed.