First in India: Part I

Awards and titles:

• Mr. Universe: Manohar Aich (1952)
• Miss World: Reita Faria (1966)
• Miss Asia Pacific: Zeenet Aman (1970)
• International Teen Princess: Radha Bartake (1974)
• Bharat Ratna: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C Rajgopalachari, C V Raman (1954)
• Padma Vibhushan: Satyrenath Bose, Nandlal Bose, Zakir Hussain, Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, Jigme Dorji
• Magsaysay award: Vinoda Bhave (1958)
• Nishan-e-Pakistan: Morarji Desai (1990)

Defense (in the Republic of India):

• First President of Indian Republic: Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• First Vice President of Indian Republic: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
• First Defense Minister of India: Baldev Singh
• Commander in Chief of Free India: General Sir Roy Bucher
• Indian Commander in Chief of Free India: General Karippa (1949)
• Indian Chief of staff: General Karippa (1947)
• Chief of Air Staff: Air Marshal Thomas Elmhirst
• Chief of Naval Staff: Vice Admiral R D Katari
• Field Marshal: Sam Manekshaw (1973)
• First Param Vir Chakra Winner: Major Somnath Sharma
• First female jawan in the Army: Sapper Shanti Tigga

Economy:

• First power in India with Soviet Collaboration: Neyevli Lignite Corporation (1962)
• First central PSU to be privatized: Modern Food Industries (2000)

Exploration:

• First person to fly in balloon and land in a parachute: Ramchandra Chatterjee
• First women to scale Mt. Everest: Bachendri Pal (23 May 1984)
• First person to reach South Pole: Col Jatinder Kumar Bajaj
• First women to reach south pole: Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu

Film and entertainment:

• First film to be made in India: Raja Harishchandra (1913 by Dadasaheb Falke)
• Sound film: Alam Ara (1931)
• Color film: Kisan Kanya (1937)
• First actress of Indian Cinema: Durgabai Kamat (1918)
• Dadasaheb Falke award: Devika Rani (1969)
• First government award for films: Bengal Film Journalists Association Awards (1937)
• First Indian film maker to get Bharat Ratna: Satyajit Ray (1992)
• Oscar for Lifetime Achievement: Satyajit Ray (1992)
• First National film award for cinema: Shyamchi Aai (1954)
• First sponsored TV serial: Hum Log (started 7 July 1984)
• Actor to enact 10 roles: Kamal Haasan (Dashavtar)