First In India
Key Concepts & Formulas
Provide 5-7 essential concepts for First In India:
| # | Concept | Quick Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First President of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1950-1962) - Only person to serve two terms as President of India |
| 2 | First Prime Minister of India | Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964) - Longest-serving PM of India (17 years) |
| 3 | First Railway Minister of India | John Mathai (1947-1948) - Presented first Railway Budget of independent India |
| 4 | First Indian Railway Station | Bori Bunder (Mumbai) - 1853, First train ran from here to Thane (34 km) |
| 5 | First Metro Rail in India | Kolkata Metro - 1984, First underground metro system in India |
| 6 | First Woman President of India | Pratibha Patil (2007-2012) - 12th President and first woman to hold the office |
| 7 | First Indian Nobel Prize Winner | Rabindranath Tagore (1913) - Literature for “Gitanjali” |
10 Practice MCQs
Generate 10 MCQs with increasing difficulty (Q1-3: Easy, Q4-7: Medium, Q8-10: Hard)
Q1. Who was the first President of India? A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad B) Jawaharlal Nehru C) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan D) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Solution: Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first President of India on January 26, 1950, when India became a republic. He served from 1950 to 1962.
Shortcut: Remember “RP = First President” (Rajendra Prasad)
Concept: First In India - Constitutional Heads
Q2. The first train in India ran between which stations? A) Delhi to Agra B) Mumbai to Pune C) Mumbai (Bori Bunder) to Thane D) Kolkata to Howrah
Answer: C) Mumbai (Bori Bunder) to Thane
Solution: The first train in India ran on April 16, 1853, from Bori Bunder (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) in Mumbai to Thane, covering a distance of 34 km.
Shortcut: “MT = First Train” (Mumbai-Thane)
Concept: First In India - Railway History
Q3. Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India? A) Indira Gandhi B) Pratibha Patil C) Sonia Gandhi D) Sarojini Naidu
Answer: A) Indira Gandhi
Solution: Indira Gandhi became the first woman Prime Minister of India in 1966, serving from 1966-1977 and again from 1980-1984.
Shortcut: “IG = Iron Lady = First Woman PM”
Concept: First In India - Political Leadership
Q4. The first Metro rail in India was inaugurated in which city? A) Delhi B) Mumbai C) Kolkata D) Chennai
Answer: C) Kolkata
Solution: Kolkata Metro was India’s first metro rail system, inaugurated on October 24, 1984. It runs from Dum Dum to Tollygunge covering 16.45 km.
Shortcut: “K = First letter of Kolkata = First Metro”
Concept: First In India - Urban Transport
Q5. Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal? A) Milkha Singh B) Abhinav Bindra C) Leander Paes D) Karnam Malleswari
Answer: B) Abhinav Bindra
Solution: Abhinav Bindra won India’s first individual Olympic gold medal in shooting (10m Air Rifle) at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Shortcut: “AB = A-one Bindra = A-one Gold”
Concept: First In India - Sports Achievements
Q6. The first Indian railway line was built in which year? A) 1851 B) 1853 C) 1857 D) 1860
Answer: B) 1853
Solution: The first railway line in India was built in 1853. The distance was 34 km between Mumbai and Thane, and it took 57 minutes to complete the journey.
Shortcut: “1853 = 1+8=9, 5+3=8 → 98 (almost 100 years before independence)”
Concept: First In India - Railway Timeline
Q7. Who was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India? A) C. Rajagopalachari B) Lord Mountbatten C) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar D) Sardar Patel
Answer: A) C. Rajagopalachari
Solution: C. Rajagopalachari was the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India, serving from 1948-1950. Lord Mountbatten was the last British Governor-General.
Shortcut: “CR = Country’s Representative as Governor-General”
Concept: First In India - Constitutional Positions
Q8. The first Indian Nobel Prize winner received it in which field? A) Physics B) Chemistry C) Literature D) Peace
Answer: C) Literature
Solution: Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his work “Gitanjali.” He was the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize in any category.
Shortcut: “Tagore = Poetry = Literature”
Concept: First In India - International Recognition
Q9. Which was the first electric train introduced in India? A) Between Mumbai and Pune B) Between Howrah and Burdwan C) Between Delhi and Agra D) Between Chennai and Bangalore
Answer: B) Between Howrah and Burdwan
Solution: The first electric train in India ran on February 3, 1925, on the 42 km stretch between Howrah and Burdwan in West Bengal.
Shortcut: “HB = House of Bengal = First Electric Train”
Concept: First In India - Railway Electrification
Q10. Who was the first woman railway minister of India? A) Mamata Banerjee B) Surekha Yadav C) Vijaya Raje Scindia D) Sushma Swaraj
Answer: A) Mamata Banerjee
Solution: Mamata Banerjee became the first woman Railway Minister of India in 1999. She presented railway budgets in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
Shortcut: “MB = Minister of Bengal = First Woman Railway Minister”
Concept: First In India - Railway Ministry
5 Previous Year Questions
Generate PYQ-style questions with authentic exam references:
PYQ 1. Who was the first Indian astronaut to go to space? [RRB NTPC 2021 CBT-1]
Answer: Rakesh Sharma
Solution: Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian astronaut to go to space on April 3, 1984, aboard Soyuz T-11 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos program.
Exam Tip: Remember “RS = Rakesh Sharma = First Indian in Space”
PYQ 2. The first computerized railway reservation system in India was introduced at which city? [RRB Group D 2022]
Answer: New Delhi
Solution: The first computerized railway reservation system (CRIS) was introduced at New Delhi railway station in 1986.
Exam Tip: Capital cities are often pioneers in implementing new systems.
PYQ 3. Who was the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest? [RRB ALP 2018]
Answer: Bachendri Pal
Solution: Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest on May 23, 1984.
Exam Tip: “BP = Bachendri Pal = First Indian Woman on Peak”
PYQ 4. The first high-speed train (Rajdhani Express) in India was introduced between which stations? [RRB JE 2019]
Answer: New Delhi to Howrah
Solution: The first Rajdhani Express was introduced on March 3, 1969, between New Delhi and Howrah, covering 1,445 km in 17 hours 20 minutes.
Exam Tip: Rajdhani means “capital” - connects capital to major cities.
PYQ 5. Who was the first Field Marshal of India? [RPF SI 2019]
Answer: Sam Manekshaw
Solution: Sam Manekshaw was promoted to Field Marshal in January 1973, becoming the first Indian Army officer to hold this five-star rank.
Exam Tip: “FM = First Man = Sam Manekshaw”
Speed Tricks & Shortcuts
For First In India, provide exam-tested shortcuts:
| Situation | Shortcut | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First President/PM | “RP = First President, JN = First PM” | Dr. Rajendra Prasad = President, Jawaharlal Nehru = Prime Minister |
| Railway Firsts | “1853 Mumbai-Thane = 34 km” | First train: 1853, Distance: 34 km, Time: 57 minutes |
| Women Firsts | “Year pattern: 1984, 2007” | Bachendri Pal (1984), Pratibha Patil (2007) |
| Nobel Prize Winners | “Tagore 1913 Literature” | Only Indian literature Nobel: Tagore, Year: 1913 |
| Metro Cities | “K-D-M-B-C” | Kolkata (1984), Delhi (2002), Mumbai (2014), Bangalore (2017), Chennai (planned) |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why Students Make It | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Confusing Governor-General with Governor | Similar titles, different roles | Governor-General = British India (till 1950), Governor = State head |
| Mixing up first President and PM | Both started in 1947-50 period | President: Rajendra Prasad (1950), PM: Nehru (1947) |
| Wrong metro sequence | Delhi is more famous | Remember: Kolkata (1984) came before Delhi (2002) |
| Confusing individual vs team Olympic medals | Team sports have earlier medals | First individual gold: Abhinav Bindra (2008), not team medals |
| Railway electrification dates | Assume recent dates | First electric: 1925 (Howrah-Burdwan), long before independence |
Quick Revision Flashcards
| Front (Question/Term) | Back (Answer) |
|---|---|
| First President of India | Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1950) |
| First Prime Minister of India | Jawaharlal Nehru (1947) |
| First Railway Minister | John Mathai (1947) |
| First train route | Mumbai to Thane (34 km, 1853) |
| First Metro city | Kolkata (1984) |
| First Woman President | Pratibha Patil (2007) |
| First Nobel Prize winner | Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913) |
| First Indian in space | Rakesh Sharma (1984) |
| First Woman on Everest | Bachendri Pal (1984) |
| First Field Marshal | Sam Manekshaw (1973) |
Topic Connections
How First In India connects to other RRB exam topics:
- Direct Link: Indian Polity (constitutional positions), Indian History (freedom movement leaders), Railway Operations (train types and history)
- Combined Questions: Often asked with years/dates (History), with states/cities (Geography), with constitutional articles (Polity)
- Foundation For: Understanding India’s development timeline, chronological events in modern Indian history, evolution of Indian Railways
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