First Women in India – Administration, Governance & Judiciary

Mar 2020|🟢Current|4 min read|58 entries

First in India India Indian History Static GK

Key Takeaway

Contrary to popular notions of patriarchy where women were oppressed, below is the list of extraordinarily brave Indian women who have broken gender barriers and made their mark in history in mul...

Last verified: 12 Feb 2026·Source: www.pscarivukal.com

First Women in India – Administration, Governance & Judiciary(58)

Item	Detail
Administration & GovernanceFirst Woman Prime Minister of India	Indira Gandhi(1966)*
First Woman President of India	Pratibha Devi Singh Patil (2007)*
First Woman to contest in a Presidential election	Manohara Holkar (4th presidential election in 1967, no votes)
First & Last Muslim Woman ruler of Delhi	Razia Sultana (1236 –1240, Slave Dynasty)
First & Only Muslim woman to be elected in the Constituent Assembly of India drafted the Constitution of India	Begum Aizaz Rasul(1946)
First Woman to hold a Union Cabinet Portfolio	Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit(1937)
First Indian Woman President of UN General Assembly	Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1953)*
First Woman Governor of Independent India	Sarojini Naidu, in charge of United Provinces (Uttar Pradesh, 15 August 1947 - 2 March 1949)*
First Indian Woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress	Annie Besant (1917)*
First Woman President of Indian origin to preside over Indian National Congress	Sarojini Naidu (1925)*
First Woman Chief Minister of an Indian State	Sucheta Kripalani(Uttar Pradesh, 1963 - 1967)*
First Dalit Woman to becomeChief Minister of an Indian State	Mayawati(Uttar Pradesh, 1995)*
First Woman Central Minister of India	Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (1947 - 1957, Health Minister)
First Woman nominated to Rajyasabha	Rukmini Devi Arundale (1952, Bharatanatyam dancer)
First Woman member of the council of states (Rajya Sabha) pre-independent India	Radhabai Subbarayan (1938)
First (and only) Woman Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha	V. S. Rama Devi (1 July 1993 - 25 September 1997)
First Indian Woman to become Chief Election Commissioner of India	V.S. Ramadevi (1990)*
First Woman Full-timeDefense Minister of India	Nirmala Sitharaman.*First Indian Woman to becomeFinance Minister of India–Nirmala Sitharaman
First Woman Railways Minister of India	Mamata Banerjee(13 October 1999 - 15 March 2001)
First Woman Full-time External Affairs Minister of India	Sushma Swaraj.*Sushma SwarajYoungest Woman Minister of a state (She became the cabinet minister of Haryana when she was only 25 yrs old)
First Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha	Meira Kumar (2009)*
First Indian Woman to be appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner	Deepak Sandhu (2013)
First Woman Mayor	Tara Cherian (Chennai, 1957)
First Woman to become Mayor of Delhi	Aruna Asaf Ali(1958)
First Woman Ambassador	C. B. Muthamma (Ambassador to Hungary, 1970)
First Woman Foreign Secretary	Chokila Iyer (2001)*
First Woman Chief Secretary	Nirmala Buch (Madhya Pradesh)
First Woman Secretary of a State	Lakshmi Pranesh(Tamil Nadu)*
First Woman IAS Officer of India	Anna Malhotra (1951)
First Woman ICS officer of British India	Isha Basant Joshi
First Woman Chairman of Union Public Service Commission	Roze Millian Bethew (1992)*
First Indian Woman to become President of India’s Apex Chamber of Commerce, ASSOCHAM	Dr. Swati Piramal*
First Woman President of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry)	Naina Lal Kidwai*
First Woman Chairperson of Indian Airlines	Sushama Chawala*
First Indian Woman Chairperson of State Bank of India	Arundhati Bhattacharya*
First Indian Woman to head a Navratna PSU company	Nishi Vasudeva
First Woman director-general of ICMR	G. V. Satyavati
First Woman Chairperson of Import-Export Bank	Tarjani Vakil*
First Woman Chairperson of the National Women Commission	Jayanti Patnaik*
First Woman Customs & Central Excise Commissioner	Kaushalya Narayan
First(& only)Indian Prime Minister to die in office	Indira Gandhi (1984)*
First Woman Chief Minister to die in office	J. Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu*
First Woman Chairman of Steel Authority of India (SAIL)	Soma Mondal.*First Woman MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE)–Chitra Ramakrishna
First Woman Chairperson of SEBI	Madhabi Puri Buch*
JudiciaryFirst Woman Lawyer of India	Cornelia Sorabji (1892)
First Female legislator in India	Muthulakshmi Reddy(1926)
First Woman Judge	Anna Chandy(1937,District Judge (munsif) Travancore by the Dewan Sir CP Ramaswami Iyer)
First Woman High court Judge	Anna Chandy (February 1959 - April 1967, Kerala)
First Woman Chief Justice of High Court	Leila Seth (Himachal Pradesh)*
First Woman to be appointed as the judge of the Supreme Court	Justice Meera Sahib Fatima Beevi (1989, Apex Court judges)
First Woman lawyer who was directly appointed as the judge of the Supreme Court	Indu Malhotra (2018)
First Woman to be appointed as Magistrate	Omana Kunjamma.*updated according to current statistics.📝 SideNotes:Sarojini Naidu's birthday is celebrated asNational Women's dayin India onFebruary 13
Autobiography of Anna Chandy	Atmakatha (1973)
First Women's Court in India	Malda, West Bengal
First Women's University	Maharshi Karve starts SNDT University in Pune with five students in 1916
First External Affairs Minister	Indira Gandhi also held the additional charge as Minister of External Affairs while being the Prime Minister of India
First Female Employment Office	Jaipur
Nirmala Sitharaman	Although Nirmala Sitharaman is the first full-fledged defense minister, the reality is that it wasIndira Gandhiwhen she took the ministry of defense portfolio under her tenure in office as prime minister in 1975

Administration & GovernanceFirst Woman Prime Minister of India*

Indira Gandhi(1966)

First Woman President of India*

Pratibha Devi Singh Patil (2007)

First Woman to contest in a Presidential election

Manohara Holkar (4th presidential election in 1967, no votes)

First & Last Muslim Woman ruler of Delhi

Razia Sultana (1236 –1240, Slave Dynasty)

First & Only Muslim woman to be elected in the Constituent Assembly of India drafted the Constitution of India

Begum Aizaz Rasul(1946)

First Woman to hold a Union Cabinet Portfolio

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit(1937)

First Indian Woman President of UN General Assembly*

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1953)

First Woman Governor of Independent India*

Sarojini Naidu, in charge of United Provinces (Uttar Pradesh, 15 August 1947 - 2 March 1949)

First Indian Woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress*

Annie Besant (1917)

First Woman President of Indian origin to preside over Indian National Congress*

Sarojini Naidu (1925)

First Woman Chief Minister of an Indian State*

Sucheta Kripalani(Uttar Pradesh, 1963 - 1967)

First Dalit Woman to becomeChief Minister of an Indian State*

Mayawati(Uttar Pradesh, 1995)

First Woman Central Minister of India

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (1947 - 1957, Health Minister)

First Woman nominated to Rajyasabha

Rukmini Devi Arundale (1952, Bharatanatyam dancer)

First Woman member of the council of states (Rajya Sabha) pre-independent India

Radhabai Subbarayan (1938)

First (and only) Woman Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha

V. S. Rama Devi (1 July 1993 - 25 September 1997)

First Indian Woman to become Chief Election Commissioner of India*

V.S. Ramadevi (1990)

First Woman Full-timeDefense Minister of India

Nirmala Sitharaman.*First Indian Woman to becomeFinance Minister of India–Nirmala Sitharaman

First Woman Railways Minister of India

Mamata Banerjee(13 October 1999 - 15 March 2001)

First Woman Full-time External Affairs Minister of India

Sushma Swaraj.*Sushma SwarajYoungest Woman Minister of a state (She became the cabinet minister of Haryana when she was only 25 yrs old)

First Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha*

Meira Kumar (2009)

First Indian Woman to be appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner

Deepak Sandhu (2013)

First Woman Mayor

Tara Cherian (Chennai, 1957)

First Woman to become Mayor of Delhi

Aruna Asaf Ali(1958)

First Woman Ambassador

C. B. Muthamma (Ambassador to Hungary, 1970)

First Woman Foreign Secretary*

Chokila Iyer (2001)

First Woman Chief Secretary

Nirmala Buch (Madhya Pradesh)

First Woman Secretary of a State*

Lakshmi Pranesh(Tamil Nadu)

First Woman IAS Officer of India

Anna Malhotra (1951)

First Woman ICS officer of British India

Isha Basant Joshi

First Woman Chairman of Union Public Service Commission*

Roze Millian Bethew (1992)

First Indian Woman to become President of India’s Apex Chamber of Commerce, ASSOCHAM*

Dr. Swati Piramal

First Woman President of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry)*

Naina Lal Kidwai

First Woman Chairperson of Indian Airlines*

Sushama Chawala

First Indian Woman Chairperson of State Bank of India*

Arundhati Bhattacharya

First Indian Woman to head a Navratna PSU company

Nishi Vasudeva

First Woman director-general of ICMR

G. V. Satyavati

First Woman Chairperson of Import-Export Bank*

Tarjani Vakil

First Woman Chairperson of the National Women Commission*

Jayanti Patnaik

First Woman Customs & Central Excise Commissioner

Kaushalya Narayan

First(& only)Indian Prime Minister to die in office*

Indira Gandhi (1984)

First Woman Chief Minister to die in office*

J. Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu

First Woman Chairman of Steel Authority of India (SAIL)*

Soma Mondal.**First Woman MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE)–Chitra Ramakrishna

First Woman Chairperson of SEBI*

Madhabi Puri Buch

JudiciaryFirst Woman Lawyer of India

Cornelia Sorabji (1892)

First Female legislator in India

Muthulakshmi Reddy(1926)

First Woman Judge

Anna Chandy(1937,District Judge (munsif) Travancore by the Dewan Sir CP Ramaswami Iyer)

First Woman High court Judge

Anna Chandy (February 1959 - April 1967, Kerala)

First Woman Chief Justice of High Court*

Leila Seth (Himachal Pradesh)

First Woman to be appointed as the judge of the Supreme Court

Justice Meera Sahib Fatima Beevi (1989, Apex Court judges)

First Woman lawyer who was directly appointed as the judge of the Supreme Court

Indu Malhotra (2018)

First Woman to be appointed as Magistrate*

Omana Kunjamma.**updated according to current statistics.📝 SideNotes:Sarojini Naidu's birthday is celebrated asNational Women's dayin India onFebruary 13

Autobiography of Anna Chandy

Atmakatha (1973)

First Women's Court in India

Malda, West Bengal

First Women's University

Maharshi Karve starts SNDT University in Pune with five students in 1916

First External Affairs Minister

Indira Gandhi also held the additional charge as Minister of External Affairs while being the Prime Minister of India

First Female Employment Office

Jaipur

Nirmala Sitharaman

Although Nirmala Sitharaman is the first full-fledged defense minister, the reality is that it wasIndira Gandhiwhen she took the ministry of defense portfolio under her tenure in office as prime minister in 1975

* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information

First Women in India – Administration, Governance & Judiciary

Key Takeaway

First Women in India – Administration, Governance & Judiciary(58)

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