First in India – Awards & Honors
This post list the Awards section of the First in India Series. First in India is an important section for many competitive exams like IBPS, RBI, RRB, UPSC, IAS, KAS, PSC, etc, so we'll be updating these sections based on the current affairs.  

International

Nobel Prize

  • First Nobel Prize Winner – Rabindra Nath Tagore (1913).
  • First Nobel Prize in Physics – C. V. Raman (1930).
    • First Indian Scientist to get Nobel Prize – C. V. Raman (1930).
  • First Nobel Peace Prize – Mother Theresa (1979, Albanian Origin).
  • First Nobel Prize in Economics – Amartya Sen (1998).
  • First Person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Peace Prize – Kailash Satyarthi (2014).
  • First Person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Medicine – Dr. Har Govind Khurana (1968, USA).
  • First Person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Physics – S. Chandrasekhar (1983, USA).
  • First Person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009, UK-USA).
  • First Person of Indian descent to win Nobel Prize in Literature – V.S. Naipaul (2001). 

Oscar Awards

  • First Oscar Winner – Bhanu Athaiya (Best Costume Design, Gandhi (film), 1982).
  • First Indian to be nominated for Oscar Awards – Mehboob Khan (Mother India, 1958).
  • First Indian to win Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award – Satyajit Ray (1992).
  • First Indian to win Oscar Award in Sound Mixing – Resul Pookutty (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009).
  • First Indian to win Oscar Award two times – A.R. Rahman.
    • First Indian to win Oscar Award for Best Original Song – A.R. Rahman & Gulzar (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009).
    • First Indian to win Oscar Award for Best Original Music Score – A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009).

Miscellaneous

  • First Magsaysay Award Winner – Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1958).
  • First Grammy Award Winner – Pt. Ravi Shankar (1968).
  • First Indian to be awarded Sri Lanka Rathna – N. Ram (2001). 
  • First Indian to receive Nishan-e-Pakistan – Morarji Desai (1990).
  • First Indian to receive Stalin Peace Prize – Saifuddin Kitchlu (1952).
  • First Indian to be awarded the Victoria Cross – Khudadad Khan (1914).
  • First and the only recipient of the Legion of Honour from India – Satyajit Ray (1987).
  • First Indian to be honored with Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) – Sivaji Ganesan (1995).
  • First Indian to be awarded the Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters – Mrinal Sen (1985).
  • First Indian author to get Anderson Essay Prize – Ruskin Bond (1948).
  • First Indian author to win the Man Booker Prize – Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things, 1997).

National

  • First Indians to receive Bharat Ratna – Dr. Radhakrishnan, C. Rajagopalachari, C. V. Raman & Bhagwan Das (1954).
  • First Indian to receive Bharat Ratna Posthumously – Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966).
  • First Woman awarded with Bharat Ratna – Indira Gandhi (1971).
  • First Foreigner to win Bharat Ratna – Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (1987).
  • First Indian Musician to get Bharat Ratna – M. S. Subbulakshmi (1998).
  • First Sportsperson to receive Bharat Ratna – Sachin Tendulkar (2014).
  • First Sportspersons to receive Padma Bhusan –  Dhyan Chand (Hockey) & C. K. Nayudu (Cricket), (1956).
  • First persons to win Padma Vibhushan – Satyendra Nath Bose, Nand LalBose, Zakir Hussain, Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, V. K. Krishna Menon (1954).
  • First Actress to win Padma Shri Award – Nargis Dutt (1958).
  • First Person to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award – Devika Rani (1969).

Literature

  • First Person to receive Jnanpith Award – G. Shankar Kurup (1965).
  • First Woman to receive Jnanpith Award – Ashapoorna Devi (1976).
  • First Person awarded Bhartiya-Gyan-Peeth Puraskar – G. Shankar Kurup (1965).
  • First Woman awarded with Bhartiya-Gyan-Peeth Puraskar – Ashapurna Devi (1976).
  • First Person (Hindi Literature ) to be awarded Bhartiya Gyan Peeth Puraskar – Sumitra Nandan Pant (1968).
  • First Person to get Murti Devi Purskar – C. K. Nagraj Rao (1993).
  • First Writer who was awarded Vyas Samman – Ramvilas Sharma (1991).

Gallantry Awards

Wartime Awards

  • First Person to get Param Vir Chakra – Major Somnath Sharma (1947).
  • First Person to receive Mahavir Chakra Twice – Jag Mohan Nath (Airforce, 1962 & 1965).
  • Only Army Chief to be awarded Mahavir Chakra Twice – Gen. A. S. Vaidya (1965 & 1971).
  • First Person who was honored with Vir Chakra – Tirath Singh Oberoi (Army, 1950).

Peacetime Awards

  • First Civilian to get Asoka Chakra – Neerja Bhanot (1987).
  • First & the Only Soldier to be awarded both the Kirti Chakra and the Ashok Chakra – Col N. J. Nair.
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📝 SideNotes:

  • Nishan-e-Pakistan – Highest Civilian Award of Pakistan.
  • Order of Arts and Letters –  
    • Before the creation of this order in 1957, the Legion of Honor was an award given by the French Govt.
    • The Order of Arts and Letters consists of three ranks – Chevalier, Officier & Commandeur.
    • First Malayali received the French Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters Award – Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
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