First in India (Men) — Set 6

Correct Answer: B. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee

• **Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee** = He was the first Indian to preside over the Indian National Congress. • **1885** — He chaired the inaugural session of the Indian National Congress held in Mumbai. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Dadabhai Naoroji: He presided over later sessions of the Indian National Congress and was the first Indian to become a member of the British Parliament; Badruddin Tyabji: He was the first Muslim president of the Indian National Congress; George Yule: He was the first non-Indian president of the Indian National Congress.

Correct Answer: A. C. Rajagopalachari

• **C. Rajagopalachari** = He was among the first three recipients of the Bharat Ratna award. • **1954** — He received the award, the first year it was instituted, along with Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and Dr. C.V. Raman. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan: He also received the Bharat Ratna in 1954 alongside C. Rajagopalachari, but the option asks for 'the first'; Dr. C.V. Raman: He also received the Bharat Ratna in 1954 alongside C. Rajagopalachari, but the option asks for 'the first'; Other than listed: This is incorrect as C. Rajagopalachari is listed and was one of the first recipients.

Correct Answer: B. K.D. Jadhav

• **K.D. Jadhav** = He was the first Indian to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games. • **1952 Helsinki Olympics** — He secured a bronze medal in wrestling, becoming the first individual medalist for independent India. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Milkha Singh: He famously finished fourth in the 400m race at the 1960 Rome Olympics, narrowly missing a medal; Leander Paes: He won a bronze medal in tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but much later than K.D. Jadhav; Norman Pritchard: He won two silver medals in athletics at the 1900 Paris Olympics, but represented British India, not independent India, and some sources attribute his nationality as British.

Correct Answer: B. Dadabhai Naoroji

• **Dadabhai Naoroji** = He was the first Indian to become a member of the British Parliament. • **1892** — He was elected to the House of Commons representing the Liberal Party, serving until 1895. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Pherozeshah Mehta: He was a prominent Indian political leader and lawyer but was not a member of the British Parliament; W.C. Bonnerjee: He was the first president of the Indian National Congress but not a member of the British Parliament; Gopal Krishna Gokhale: He was a key leader of the Indian independence movement but not a member of the British Parliament.

Correct Answer: A. Abhinav Bindra

• **Abhinav Bindra** = He was the first Indian to win an individual Gold medal at the Olympics. • **2008 Beijing Olympics** — He achieved this feat in the 10m Air Rifle event, marking India's historic first individual Olympic gold. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Neeraj Chopra: He won an individual gold medal in Javelin Throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but after Abhinav Bindra; Leander Paes: He won an individual bronze medal in tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, not gold; Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: He won an individual silver medal in Double Trap shooting at the 2004 Athens Olympics, not gold.

Correct Answer: A. Gobind Behari Lal

• **Gobind Behari Lal** = He was the first Indian to win the Pulitzer Prize. • **1937** — He received the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism as part of the Associated Press team for their science reporting. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Amartya Sen: He is an Indian economist and philosopher who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, not the Pulitzer; V.S. Naipaul: He was a Trinidadian-British writer of Indian origin who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, not the Pulitzer; Salman Rushdie: He is a British-American novelist of Indian origin, winner of the Booker Prize, not the Pulitzer.

Correct Answer: A. G. Sankara Kurup

• **G. Sankara Kurup** = He was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour. • **1965** — The Malayalam poet received the award for his collection of poems, 'Odakkuzhal' (The Flute). • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: S.H. Vatsyayan: He was a later recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 1978; Sumitranandan Pant: He was a later recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 1968; Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay: He was a later recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 1966.

Correct Answer: A. Homi J. Bhabha

• **Homi J. Bhabha** = He was among the first Indians to receive the Padma Vibhushan in the field of Science and Engineering. • **1957** — The father of India's nuclear program received the Padma Vibhushan, recognizing his pioneering contributions. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Vikram Sarabhai: He was a renowned scientist and the father of India's space program but received the Padma Vibhushan later in 1972; C.V. Raman: He received the Bharat Ratna in 1954, not Padma Vibhushan; Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar: He was a notable scientist and the first Director-General of CSIR but did not receive the Padma Vibhushan.

Correct Answer: C. Michael Ferreira

• **Michael Ferreira** = He was the first Indian to win the World Amateur Snooker Championship. • **1977** — He claimed the world title, becoming India's pioneering champion in amateur snooker. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Pankaj Advani: He is a highly decorated world champion in both billiards and snooker but won his first world title much later; Geet Sethi: He is a multiple world champion in billiards, not snooker, and his first title came later; Yasin Merchant: He is a notable Indian snooker player but did not win the World Amateur Snooker Championship.

Correct Answer: A. C.D. Deshmukh

• **C.D. Deshmukh** = He was the first Indian to be appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. • **1943** — He took office, succeeding the British Governor James Taylor, and later became India's Finance Minister. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Benegal Rama Rau: He was the fourth Governor of the RBI and the second Indian, serving after C.D. Deshmukh; K.G. Ambegaokar: He was an interim Governor of the RBI after Deshmukh and Rau; James Taylor: He was the second Governor of the RBI and the last British Governor, whom C.D. Deshmukh succeeded.