30. Who became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal?
[SSC CHSL 2020 official paper, held 12 Apr 2021, Shift 2]
A) Vinesh Phogat
B) Kavita Devi
C) Babita Kumari
D) Sakshi Malik
Answer: D) Sakshi Malik
Explanation: Sakshi Malik won bronze in women’s freestyle wrestling at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She became India’s first woman Olympic medallist in wrestling, creating a breakthrough for the sport at the Olympic level.
29. Rashmi Samant became the first Indian woman elected president of which university student union in 2021?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 27 Mar 2021, Shift 1]
A) Cambridge
B) Cardiff
C) Westminster
D) Oxford
Answer: D) Oxford
Explanation: Rashmi Samant was elected president of the Oxford University Student Union in February 2021. The result received attention because she was the first Indian woman elected to that role, although her time in office was brief.
28. Who was the first woman of Indian origin to go into space?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 27 Mar 2021, Shift 1]
A) Sunita Williams
B) Yamuna Krishnan
C) Shawna Pandya
D) Kalpana Chawla
Answer: D) Kalpana Chawla
Explanation: Kalpana Chawla travelled into orbit on Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-87 flight in 1997. She was the first woman of Indian origin in space, and her later death in the 2003 Columbia disaster prompted numerous tributes.
27. Who was the first Indian woman to preside over the Indian National Congress?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 8 Mar 2021, Shift 2]
A) Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
B) Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
C) Annie Besant
D) Sarojini Naidu
Answer: D) Sarojini Naidu
Explanation: Sarojini Naidu led the Congress at Kanpur in 1925, becoming its first Indian woman president. Annie Besant had chaired the party earlier, in 1917, but was of British origin. The distinction is frequently tested in competitive examinations.
26. Who became the first Indian woman to win a World Universiade gold medal in 2019?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 27 Feb 2021, Shift 1]
A) Sania Mirza
B) Mary Kom
C) Dutee Chand
D) Saina Nehwal
Answer: C) Dutee Chand
Explanation: Dutee Chand won the women’s 100 metres at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples. It was the first gold medal for an Indian woman in a track event at the World University Games.
25. Who was the first woman President of the Astronomical Society of India?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 23 Feb 2021, Shift 1]
A) Mithali Raj
B) G. C. Anupama
C) H. Helina
D) R. Hemlata
Answer: B) G. C. Anupama
Explanation: Astrophysicist G. C. Anupama became the first woman President of the Astronomical Society of India. The society represents the professional astronomy community and supports scientific meetings, research exchanges and astronomy outreach.
24. Which Indian scientist became the first Indian woman elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2019?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 16 Feb 2021, Shift 2]
A) Tessy Thomas
B) Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
C) Indira Hinduja
D) Gagandeep Kang
Answer: D) Gagandeep Kang
Explanation: Clinical scientist Gagandeep Kang was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2019, becoming the first Indian woman scientist to receive that honour. Her research has included enteric infections, childhood health and vaccine development.
23. Who became the first Indian woman elected to the International Olympic Committee?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 11 Feb 2021, Shift 1]
A) Sonia Gandhi
B) Sumitra Mahajan
C) Nita Ambani
D) Supriya Sule
Answer: C) Nita Ambani
Explanation: Nita Ambani became the first Indian woman elected as an individual member of the International Olympic Committee in 2016. The IOC oversees the Olympic movement globally, and her election was an important milestone in Indian sports administration.
22. Who was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 18 Jan 2021, Shift 2]
A) R. Bhanumathi
B) M. Fathima Beevi
C) Indira Banerjee
D) Indu Malhotra
Answer: B) M. Fathima Beevi
Explanation: Justice M. Fathima Beevi joined the Supreme Court in October 1989, becoming its first woman judge. She later served as Governor of Tamil Nadu and remains an important figure in the history of women in Indian law.
21. Who was the first Indian woman appointed to the ICC panel of international match referees?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 13 Jan 2021, Shift 1]
A) G. S. Lakshmi
B) Jhulan Goswami
C) Mithali Raj
D) Harmanpreet Kaur
Answer: A) G. S. Lakshmi
Explanation: G. S. Lakshmi became the first woman appointed to the International Cricket Council’s International Panel of Match Referees in 2019. Her appointment opened a new administrative and officiating pathway in cricket for women.
