First in India (Women) — Set 4

Correct Answer: B. Mother Teresa

• **Mother Teresa** = The first Indian woman to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award. • **1962** — She received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding in this year. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Kiran Bedi: She was the first Indian woman IPS officer; Aruna Roy: She is an activist and Magsaysay awardee (2000), but not the first Indian woman to win it; Mahasweta Devi: She was a renowned writer and Magsaysay awardee (1997), but not the first Indian woman to win it.

Correct Answer: B. Leila Seth

• **Leila Seth** = The first woman Chief Justice of a State High Court in India. • **1991** — She became the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in this year. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Anna Chandy: She was the first woman judge in India (1937) and the first woman High Court judge in India (1959); Fathima Beevi: She was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India; Indu Malhotra: She was the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a Supreme Court judge.

Correct Answer: A. Sania Mirza

• **Sania Mirza** = The first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam title in tennis. • **2009** — She won the Australian Open mixed doubles title in this year, marking her first Grand Slam victory. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Nirupama Sanjeev: She was the first Indian woman in the Open Era to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam; Shikha Uberoi: She represented India at the Olympics and achieved a career-high doubles ranking of 107; Ankita Raina: She is a current top-ranked Indian female tennis player.

Correct Answer: B. Nita Ambani

• **Nita Ambani** = The first Indian woman to be elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). • **2016** — She was elected to the IOC in this year, making her the first Indian woman to hold this position. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: P. T. Usha: She is a legendary Indian athlete, often called the 'Queen of Indian track and field'; Mary Kom: She is a celebrated Indian boxer and Olympic medalist; Anjali Bhagwat: She is a renowned Indian rifle shooter.

Correct Answer: B. Stephie D'Souza

• **Stephie D'Souza** = The first woman to win the Arjuna Award for athletics. • **1963** — She was the first female recipient of the Arjuna Award in this year, recognized for her achievements in athletics. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: P. T. Usha: She is a legendary athlete but received the Arjuna Award later (1983); Shiny Wilson: She is an acclaimed middle-distance runner and Arjuna awardee (1984); Geeta Zutshi: She is a distinguished middle-distance runner and Arjuna awardee (1982).

Correct Answer: B. Devika Rani

• **Devika Rani** = The first woman to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. • **1969** — She was honored with the first-ever Dadasaheb Phalke Award in this year. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sulochana: She was a prominent actress of the silent film era; Kanan Devi: She was an early playback singer and actress; Durga Khote: She was a veteran actress known for her versatility across generations.

Correct Answer: A. Nicole Faria

• **Nicole Faria** = The first Indian woman to become Miss Earth. • **2010** — She won the Miss Earth title in this year, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Priyanka Chopra: She won Miss World in 2000; Dia Mirza: She won Miss Asia Pacific in 2000; Lara Dutta: She won Miss Universe in 2000.

Correct Answer: B. Amrita Pritam

• **Amrita Pritam** = The first woman to win the 'Magicians of the Century' title in Indian literature. • **1981** — She was awarded the Jnanpith Award in this year for her literary contributions, marking her profound impact on Indian literature. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Mahasweta Devi: She was a renowned writer and social activist, a Jnanpith Awardee (1996); Krishna Sobti: She was a celebrated Hindi fiction writer and Jnanpith Awardee (2017); Anita Desai: She is an acclaimed novelist, thrice shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Correct Answer: C. Bhawana Kanth

• **Bhawana Kanth** = The first woman combat pilot in the Indian Air Force. • **2019** — She became the first woman to qualify for combat missions in this year. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Avani Chaturvedi: She was one of the first three women fighter pilots but qualified for combat missions after Bhawana Kanth; Gunjan Saxena: She was one of the first Indian women to fly in a combat zone during the Kargil War but was not a combat pilot in the technical sense; Mohana Singh: She was one of the first three women fighter pilots but qualified for combat missions after Bhawana Kanth.

Correct Answer: D. None of these

• **None of these** = The Abel Prize has not been won by any Indian woman to date. • **2019** — Karen Uhlenbeck was the first woman ever to win the Abel Prize in this year globally. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Shakuntala Devi: She was a celebrated Indian mental calculator, known as the 'human computer'; Sujatha Ramdorai: She is an eminent Indian mathematician, recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize; Karen Uhlenbeck: She was the first woman globally to win the Abel Prize, but is not of Indian origin.