Firsts in India

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First Governor General, President and Vice President

First Governor General of Independent India:
Lord Louis Mountbatten was the first Governor General of independent India. He was also the last Viceroy of the British in India. He took over as the Viceroy in February 1947 and held it till 15 August 1947. On 15 August 1947, he became the first Governor General of independent India, a position he held till 21 June 1948.

First Indian Governor General of India:
The first Indian to be appointed the Governor General of India was Shri C. Rajagopalachari. He was the Governor General from 21 June 1948 to 26 February 1950 when India became a republic and the post was abolished. He also became the second Home Minister of India after the death of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

First President of India:
The first President of independent India was Dr. Rajendra Prasad who became the President on 26 January 1950 and remained in position till 13 May 1962.

First Vice President of India:
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first Vice-President of independent India. He was appointed to the post on 13 May 1952 and he remained in position till 12 May 1962, after which he was elected the President of India.


First Cabinet Ministers of Independent India

First Prime Minister of Independent India
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India from 15 August 1947 till his death on 27 May 1964.

First Home Minister:
The first Home Minister of India was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who was in the position till his death on 15 December 1950. He was also the first Deputy Prime Minister of India.

First Railway Minister
John Mathai was the first Railway Minister of India from 15 August 1947 to 22 September 1948. He then became the third Finance Minister of independent India. He was also the first Chairman of State Bank of India from 01 July 1955 to 30 September 1956.

First Defence Minister:
Sardar Baldev Singh was the first Defence Minister of independent India from 15 August 1947 to 13 May 1952.

First Finance Minister:
Shri RK Shanmugam Chetty was the first Finance Minister of independent India from 15 August 1947 to 17 August 1948.

First External Affairs Minister:
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India also held the post of the first External Affairs Minister till his death in 1964, after which the post was held by Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. It may be noted that Shri Swaran Singh was the first person to be separately appointed as the External Affairs Minister on 18 July 1964.

First Law and Justice Minister:
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the first Law and Justice Minister of independent India from 15 August 1947 to 11 October 1951.

First Education Minister:
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the first Education Minister of independent India from 15 August 1947 to 22 February 1958. His birthday 11 November is observed as National Education Day in India.


First in Judicial Appointments

First Chief Justice of India
Justice Hiralal Jekisundas Kania was the first Chief Justice of India from 26 January 1950 till his death on 06 November 1951. From 14 August 1947 to 25 January 1950 he was the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of India.* He was succeeded by Justice Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri.

First Attorney General of India:
Shri M.C. Setalvad was the first and longest serving Attorney General of India who held the post from 28 January 1950 to 01 March 1963. He was also the Chairman of the first Law Commission established by the Central Government in 1955. He was also the first Chairman of the Bar Council of India formed in 1962.

First Solicitor General of India
Shri Chander Kishan Daphtary was the first Solicitor General of India, appointed on 28 January 1950 and held the post till 01 March 1963 when he was appointed the second Attorney General of India.

First Chairperson of Lokpal:
Retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was the first Chairperson of Lokpal constituted under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. He held the charge from 23 March 2019 to 27 May 2022.


First in Army Appointments

First Commander in Chief of Indian Army
General Sir Robert MM Lockhart was the first Commander in Chief of Indian Army from 15 August 1947 to 31 December 1947. He handed over the charge to Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher who held the post upto 14 January 1949.

First Indian Commander in Chief of Indian Army:
Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa was the first Indian to hold the post of Commander in Chief of Indian Army, a post he held till 14 January 1953. He was conferred the rank of Field Marshal in 1986.

First Chief of Army Staff
General Maharaj Rajendra Singhji was the first to be designated as the Chief of Army Staff. He held the position from 01 April 1955 to 14 May 1955.

First Chief of Defence Staff:
General Bipin Rawat was the first Chief of Defence Staff, a new post created on 01 January 2020. He held the position till his death on 08 December 2021.


First in Navy Appointments

First Commander in Chief of Royal Indian Navy
Rear Admiral John Talbot Savignac Hall was the first Commander in Chief of Indian Navy from 15 August 1947 to 20 June 1948. He then became the Commander in Chief and the Chief of Naval Staff of Royal Indian Navy. Vice Admiral Sir William Edward Parry took over from him and was in position till 25 January 1950. On 26 January 1950, the prefix Royal was dropped and he became the Commander in Chief and Chief of Naval Staff of Indian Navy.

1st Chief of the Naval Staff of Indian Navy:
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey became the first Chief of Naval Staff of Indian Navy on 01 April 1955.

First Indian Chief of Naval Staff
Vice-Admiral Ram Dass Katari was the first Indian to be designated as the Chief of Naval Staff. He held the position from 22 April 1958 to 14 June 1962.


First in Air Force Appointments

First Air Marshall Commanding of the Royal Indian Air Force
Air Marshall Thomas Elmhirst was the first Air Marshall Commanding of the Royal Indian Air Force from 15 August 1947 to 21 June 1948. He then became the first Chief of Air Staff and Commander in Chief of Royal Indian Air Force. On 26 January 1950, the prefix Royal was dropped and he became the first Chief of Air Staff and Commander in Chief.

First Indian Commander in Chief and Chief of Air Staff
Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee was the first Indian Commander in Chief and Chief of Air Staff. He held the position from 01 April 1954 to 31 March 1955. The post was redesignated on 01 April 1955 as the Chief of Air Staff.


Other Important Appointments

First Chief Election Commissioner of India
Shri Sukumar Sen, a civil services officer, was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India who held the position from 21 March 1950 to 19 December 1958. It may be noted that the post was created under Article 324(2) of the Indian Constitution which came into effect on 26 January 1950.

First Central Vigilance Commissioner
Shri N Srinivasa Rau was the first Central Vigilance Commissioner from 19.02.1964 to 23.08.1968. The Central Vigilance Commission was established in 1964 on the recommendation of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by K. Santhanam.

First Chief Information Commissioner
Shri Wajahat Habibullah was the first Chief Information Commissioner from 26.10.2005 to 19.09.2010. The Central Information Commission was set up in 2005 under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

First Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Shri G.V. Mavalankar was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 15.05.1952 to 27.02.1956. The first Lok Sabha commenced its operations from 13.05.1952.



List of All Firsts in India

1st Governor General of Independent IndiaLord Mountbatten
1st Indian Governor GeneralC Rajagopalachari
1st PresidentDr. Rajendra Prasad
1st Vice-PresidentDr. S Radhakrishnan
1st Prime MinisterPt Jawaharlal Nehru
1st Home MinisterVallabhbhai Patel
1st Railway MinisterJohn Mathai
1st Defence MinisterSardar Baldev Singh
1st Finance MinisterRK Shanmugam Chetty
1st External Affairs MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
1st Law MinisterDr. B.R. Ambedkar
1st Education MinisterMaulana Abul Kalam Azad
1st Speaker of Lok SabhaG.V. Mavalankar
1st Chief Election CommissionerSukumar Sen
1st Chief Information CommissionerWajahat Habibullah
1st Central Vigilance CommissionerN Srinivasa Rau
1st Comptroller and Auditor GeneralV. Narahari Rao
1st Cabinet SecretaryN.R. Pillai
1st Leader of the House in Rajya SabhaNarasimha Gopalaswami Ayyangar
1st Chief Justice of IndiaHiralal Jekisundas Kania
1st Attorney GeneralM.C. Setalvad (from 28.01.1950)
1st Solicitor GeneralC.K. Daphtary (from 28.01.1950)
1st LokpalPinaki Chandra Ghose (from 23.03.2019)
1st Commander in Chief of Indian ArmyGeneral Sir Robert MM Lockhart
1st Indian Commander in Chief of Indian ArmyField Marshal K.M. Cariappa
1st Chief of Army StaffGen Rajendra Singhji
1st Air Marshall Commanding of the Royal Indian Air ForceAir Marshall Thomas Elmhirst
1st Chief of the Air Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Air ForceAir Marshall Thomas Elmhirst
1st Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air ForceAir Marshall Thomas Elmhirst
1st Indian Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air ForceAir Marshall Subroto Mukherjee
1st Commander in Chief of Royal Indian NavyRear Admiral John Talbot Savignac Hall
1st Chief of the Naval Staff of Indian NavyVice-Admiral Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey
1st Indian Chief of Naval Staff of Indian NavyVice-Admiral Ram Dass Katari
1st Chief of Defence StaffGeneral Bipin Rawat

TEST YOURSELF

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Select the right answer

1. In which year did Dr. Radhakrishnan become the first Vice-President of India?

2. Shri M.C. Setalvad was India's first -

3. In which year was India's first Chief Information Commissioner appointed?

4. Which service of the Indian armed forces had its first Indian Chief of Staff?

5. Who was independent India's first Defence Minister?

6. In which year did General Bipin Rawat take over as the Chief of Defence Staff?

7. Who was India's first Solicitor General?

8. Who was India's first Railway Minister?

9. Who was India's first Chief Vigilance Commissioner?

10. Who was the first Speaker of Lok Sabha?