70. Who won two gold medals in archery at the 2023 Asian Para Games, achieving a landmark for an Indian woman?
[SSC MTS, 14 Oct 2024, Shift 3]
A) Sheetal Devi
B) Neema Rani
C) Sarita Devi
D) Disha Dhayal
Answer: A) Sheetal Devi
Explanation: Para-archer Sheetal Devi won two gold medals at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, one in the individual event and another in mixed team competition. Her results became a major landmark for Indian para-archery.
69. Who became the first Indian woman to win an under-20 world wrestling title?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 24 Sep 2024, Shift 3]
A) Antim Panghal
B) Priyanka Nayak
C) Swati Sanjay
D) Hina Khalifa
Answer: A) Antim Panghal
Explanation: Antim Panghal won the women’s under-20 world wrestling championship in the 53-kg category in 2022. She became the first Indian woman to win that title and later strengthened India’s reputation in international wrestling.
68. Who was India’s first woman chess grandmaster in the Woman Grandmaster category?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 23 Sep 2024, Shift 3]
A) Harika Dronavalli
B) S. Vijayalakshmi
C) Tania Sachdev
D) R. Vaishali
Answer: B) S. Vijayalakshmi
Explanation: S. Vijayalakshmi became the first Indian to receive the Woman Grandmaster title in 2001. The title is distinct from the unrestricted Grandmaster title. She also became a leading figure in Indian women’s chess and earned the Arjuna Award.
67. Ranjana Prakash Desai, the first woman Press Council of India chairperson, previously served in which branch of government?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 18 Sep 2024, Shift 3]
A) Legislature
B) Judiciary
C) Vigilance
D) Executive
Answer: B) Judiciary
Explanation: Ranjana Prakash Desai is a former Supreme Court judge and became the first woman to chair the Press Council of India. Her career was principally in the judiciary, so the question connects a historic appointment with her professional background.
66. Anna Chandy, the first Indian woman appointed a High Court judge, served in which High Court?
[SSC CGL Tier-I, 11 Sep 2024, Shift 2]
A) West Bengal
B) Kerala
C) Tamil Nadu
D) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: B) Kerala
Explanation: Justice Anna Chandy was appointed a judge of the Kerala High Court in 1959. Having earlier worked in the judicial service, she became the first Indian woman appointed to a High Court bench and served until 1967.
65. In what year did a woman hockey player first receive the Arjuna Award?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 8 Jul 2024, Shift 3]
A) 1964
B) 1963
C) 1962
D) 1961
Answer: D) 1961
Explanation: Anne Lumsden received the Arjuna Award in hockey in 1961, becoming the first woman hockey player honoured with the award. The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 to recognise outstanding sporting achievements.
64. Captain Shiva Chouhan became the first woman Army officer deployed at which high-altitude battlefield?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 1 Jul 2024, Shift 4]
A) Leh
B) Siachen
C) Kargil
D) Dras
Answer: B) Siachen
Explanation: Captain Shiva Chouhan became the first woman officer operationally deployed at the Siachen Glacier in 2023. The area is one of the world’s highest military deployments and requires specialised preparation for extreme altitude and cold.
63. Who became the first woman to command an Indian Army unit near the China border in Ladakh?
[SSC Selection Post (Matriculation), 24 Jun 2024, Shift 4]
A) Colonel Geeta Rana
B) Colonel Shuchita Shekhar
C) Lieutenant General Punita Arora
D) Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar
Answer: A) Colonel Geeta Rana
Explanation: Colonel Geeta Rana became the first woman officer to command an Indian Army unit in a strategically sensitive forward area near the China border. Her appointment reflected the opening of more command opportunities to women officers.
62. Who became the first woman chairperson of the Railway Board?
[SSC GD, 28 Feb 2024, Shift 4]
A) Kalyani Chadha
B) Manju Gupta
C) Jaya Varma Sinha
D) M. Kalavathy
Answer: C) Jaya Varma Sinha
Explanation: Jaya Varma Sinha took charge as the Railway Board’s first woman chairperson in September 2023. The board is India’s apex railway administrative body and oversees policy, operations and management across the national railway network.
61. In which year did Sarojini Naidu preside over the Indian National Congress?
[SSC GD, 21 Feb 2024, Shift 1]
A) 1925
B) 1935
C) 1931
D) 1921
Answer: A) 1925
Explanation: Sarojini Naidu presided over the Congress’s Kanpur session in 1925. She became the first Indian woman president of the party, following Annie Besant, who had been its first woman president in 1917.
