First Women's University
Maharshi Karve started SNDT University in Pune with five students in 1916.
First Woman to hold a Union Cabinet post
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (Pre-Independence)
First Woman to hold a Union Foreign Minister's post
Sushma Swaraj(2014)
First Woman and youngest minister of a state
Sushma Swaraj (She became the cabinet minister of Haryana when she was only 25 years old)
First Woman Governor of Independent India
Sarojini Naidu, in charge of United Provinces
First Woman President of the UN General Assembly
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1953)
First Woman Prime Minister of India
Indira Gandhi (1966)
First Woman IPS Officer of India
Kiran Bedi (1972)
First Woman to win Nobel Peace Prize
Mother Teresa (1979)
First Indian Woman to climb Mount Everest
Bachendri Pal (1984)
First Indian Woman to win Booker Prize
Arundhati Roy (1997)
First Woman President
Pratibha Patil (2007)
First Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha
Meira Kumar (2009)
First Indian Woman to become "Miss World"
Rita Faria
First Woman judge in Supreme Court
Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi
First Woman Ambassador
Miss C. B. Muthamma
First Woman to Climb Mount Everest twice
Santosh Yadav
First Woman President of the Indian National Congress
Mrs. Annie Besant
First Woman Chief Minister of an Indian State
Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani
First Woman Chairman of Union Public Service Commission
Roze Millian Bethew
First Woman Director General of Police (DGP)
Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
First Woman Lieutenant General
Puneeta Arora
First Woman Air Vice Marshal
P. Bandopadhyay
First Woman Chairperson of Indian Airlines
Sushama Chawala
The First & Last Muslim Woman ruler of Delhi
Razia Sultana
First Woman to receive Ashoka Chakra
Niraja Bhanot
First Woman to cross the English Channel
Arati Saha
First Woman to receive Bharat Ratna
Indira Gandhi
First Woman to receive Gyanpith Award
Ashapurna Devi
First Woman Headmistress in school
Savitribai Phule
First Indian woman who reached Antarctica
Mahel Musa
First Indian woman who become an individual member of the International Olympic Committee
Nita Ambani (2016)
First Indian woman mountaineer to scale the seven continental peaks
Premlata Agrawal
First woman amputee to scale Everest
Arunima Sinha
First twins ever to conquer Mount Everest
Tashi and Nancy Malik
First Indian woman scientist selected as a fellow in London's Royal Society
Gagandeep Kang
First woman defense Minister of India (full-time)
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman
First woman Finance Minister of India
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman
First woman Chief Minister of Delhi
Smt. Sushma Swaraj
First Visually Impaired Women IAS Officer
Pranjal Patil
First woman DIG in Indian Coast Guard
Nupur Kulshrestha
First woman Chief Election Commissioner of India
Smt V. S. Rama Devi(26 November 1990-11 December 1990)
First woman Cabinet Minister of India
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (Post-Independence), became the Cabinet Minister for Health during the first Lok Sabha (1952-57).
First Indian woman to win a Paralympic Gold medal
Avani Lekhara becomes the first Indian woman in history to win a Paralympic Gold medal in shooting for the country
First Woman Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly
Biju Janata leader Pramila Mallik was elected as the new speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly unopposed on September 22, 2023.
First woman chairman of the Indian Railway Board
Jaya Verma Sinha
First woman Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
Nina Singh
First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting
Manu Bhaker
First Indian woman in independent India to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games
Manu Bhaker
First woman Director General Medical Services (Army)
Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair