60. Who was the first Indian to swim the English Channel from Dover to Calais in 1958 and also accomplish five notable intercontinental swims in 1966?
[SSC GD (10 Jan 2023, Shift 1)]
A) Mihir Sen
B) Ramanathan Krishnan
C) Ajit Patel
D) Khashaba Jadhav
Answer: A) Mihir Sen
Explanation: Mihir Sen became the first Indian man to swim across the English Channel in 1958. He subsequently completed several historic long-distance swims in 1966. Arati Saha later became the first Asian woman to swim the Channel, in 1959.
59. Who was appointed the first Raj Pramukh of Rajasthan?
[RPSC RAS Prelims 2023]
A) Maharaja Umed Singh of Jodhpur
B) Maharaja Karni Singh of Bikaner
C) Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur
D) Maharana Bhagwat Singh of Udaipur
Answer: C) Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur
Explanation: Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur became the first Rajpramukh of the enlarged Rajasthan during the integration of princely states in 1949. A Rajpramukh functioned as the constitutional head of certain former princely-state unions before reorganisation.
58. Who was the first Dalit to hold the office of President of India?
[CLAT UG 2023 (held 18 Dec 2022)]
A) Ram Nath Kovind
B) V. V. Giri
C) Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
D) K. R. Narayanan
Answer: D) K. R. Narayanan
Explanation: K. R. Narayanan took office in 1997 as India’s tenth President and its first President from a Dalit background. Before that, he was Vice-President and had served in India’s diplomatic service. His presidency followed that of Shankar Dayal Sharma.
57. Who among the following was the first Indian to win a Grammy Award?
[SSC CGL Tier I (3 Dec 2022, Shift 3)]
A) Ravi Shankar
B) Shivkumar Sharma
C) Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
D) Zakir Hussain
Answer: A) Ravi Shankar
Explanation: Sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar is generally credited as the first Indian to win a Grammy Award, for the album West Meets East with violinist Yehudi Menuhin. The honour helped bring Indian classical music to an international recording audience.
56. Who was the first Indian recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1958?
[OSSC CGL (17 Oct 2022, Shift 2)]
A) Arvind Kejriwal
B) Kiran Bedi
C) Bindeshwar Pathak
D) Vinoba Bhave
Answer: D) Vinoba Bhave
Explanation: Vinoba Bhave received a Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1958 in the Community Leadership category, becoming one of the earliest Indian recipients and the first Indian recipient in that category. He was known for the Bhoodan land-gift movement.
55. Who became permanent President of the Constituent Assembly after the first meeting presided over by Sachchidananda Sinha?
[Punjab Police SI (16 Oct 2022)]
A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) B. R. Ambedkar
C) Rajendra Prasad
D) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: C) Rajendra Prasad
Explanation: Dr Rajendra Prasad became the permanent President of the Constituent Assembly in December 1946. Sachchidananda Sinha had chaired its opening meeting temporarily. The Assembly framed the Constitution and later functioned as the provisional Parliament.
54. Who was free India’s first Indian Governor-General?
[UPSSSC PET (15 Oct 2022, Shift 2)]
A) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
B) Maulana Azad
C) C. Rajagopalachari
D) Sardar Patel
Answer: C) C. Rajagopalachari
Explanation: C. Rajagopalachari succeeded Lord Mountbatten as Governor-General in June 1948 and was the first and only Indian to hold that post. The office ended when India became a republic on 26 January 1950, with Rajendra Prasad as President. The important distinction is the inaugural achievement, not later national fame or service in a related position.
53. Who was the first Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces?
[CUET General Test (6 Oct 2022)]
A) K. M. Cariappa
B) Manoj Mukund Naravane
C) Bipin Rawat
D) Manoj Pande
Answer: C) Bipin Rawat
Explanation: General Bipin Rawat took office as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff on 1 January 2020. The position was established to improve coordination between the Army, Navy and Air Force and to advise on joint military matters.
52. Who became the first Indian to win a medal at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in 2022?
[RRB Group D (27 Sept 2022, Shift 2)]
A) Akram Shah
B) Kapil Parmar
C) Avtar Singh
D) Navjot Chana
Answer: B) Kapil Parmar
Explanation: Judoka Kapil Parmar won India’s first medal at an IBSA Judo Grand Prix in 2022, a significant breakthrough for Indian visually impaired judo. The event belongs to the international blind-sports competition structure rather than the standard Olympic judo programme.
51. Who was awarded the first Param Vir Chakra?
[Telangana High Court Junior Assistant (11 Sept 2022)]
A) Dhan Singh Thapa
B) Jadunath Singh
C) Karam Singh
D) Somnath Sharma
Answer: D) Somnath Sharma
Explanation: Major Somnath Sharma was the first recipient of India’s Param Vir Chakra, awarded posthumously for gallantry in the 1947 battle of Badgam in Kashmir. The Param Vir Chakra recognises exceptional bravery in the presence of the enemy.
