First in Indian Politics & Constitution

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first Vice President of India (1952–1962). He later served as the second President of India (1962–1967). His birthday, September 5, is celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1950. He is credited with integrating over 500 princely states into the Indian Union and is called the 'Iron Man of India'.

India's first general elections were held in 1951–52 (from October 1951 to February 1952). The Indian National Congress, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, won a landslide victory in the 514-seat Lok Sabha.

Andhra Pradesh was carved out of Madras State in 1953 as the first state formed on a linguistic basis, following the death of Potti Sriramulu who fasted unto death demanding a separate Telugu-speaking state.

M.C. Setalvad (Motilal Chimanlal Setalvad) was the first Attorney General of India, serving from 1950 to 1963. He played a crucial role in establishing India's legal framework after independence.

Punjab became the first state to be placed under President's Rule in June 1951. The provision under Article 356 (President's Rule) has since been invoked over 100 times across various states.

V. Narahari Rao was the first Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, serving from 1948 to 1954. The CAG is the supreme audit institution of India under Article 148 of the Constitution.

The First Constitutional Amendment (1951) added the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution, restricted absolute freedom of speech and expression, and made provisions for land reform laws to curb judicial review of certain laws.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the first Indian (and first woman) to serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1953. She was also the sister of PM Jawaharlal Nehru.

Kerala became the first state in India (and one of the first places in the world) to elect a communist government by popular vote in 1957. E.M.S. Namboodiripad became the first communist Chief Minister.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were first used in India during a by-election in the North Paravur constituency of Kerala in 1982. However, large-scale deployment across a state first happened in Goa in 1999.

Leila Seth was the first woman to become Chief Justice of a High Court in India. She was appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 1991.

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, serving from 1952 to 1962 in his capacity as Vice President of India. The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Rajasthan was among the first states to introduce RTI legislation in 2000, along with Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh. The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) in Rajasthan played a pioneering role in the RTI movement.

Kamalesh Sharma became the first Indian to serve as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations (2008–2016). He succeeded Don McKinnon of New Zealand.

Bombay State was bifurcated into Maharashtra and Gujarat on May 1, 1960 (Maharashtra Day), following demands for a separate Marathi-speaking state. This was the first major bifurcation after the 1956 reorganisation.

Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort on August 15, 1947, marking India's first Independence Day. The tradition of the Prime Minister hoisting the flag at Red Fort has continued since then.

Himachal Pradesh became the first Union Territory to be elevated to full statehood, achieving this in January 1971. It was carved out from Punjab after the States Reorganisation Act.

Dr. Homi J. Bhabha was the first Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India (established 1948) and also the first Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). He is considered the father of India's nuclear programme.

The first National Emergency in India was declared in 1962 during the India-China War. In total, India has had three National Emergencies — 1962 (China War), 1971 (Bangladesh War), and 1975 (Internal Emergency under Indira Gandhi).