PrepMaticTamil Nadu GK · Culture, people & symbols
Tamil Nadu firsts: people, places and policies
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Tamil was the first language declared classical by the Government of India (2004). Madras had India's first municipal corporation (1688), the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was India's first (1986), Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy was India's first woman legislator (1927), and C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan and C. V. Raman were among the first Bharat Ratna recipients (1954). The tables below sort these "first" facts by kind so you can revise them fast.
Firsts in governance, law and society
| First | Detail |
|---|---|
| First Indian Governor-General of independent India | C. Rajagopalachari (1948 to 1950) |
| First woman legislator in India | Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy, Madras Legislative Council, 1927 |
| First woman Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | Janaki Ramachandran (1988) |
| First woman Mayor of Madras | Tara Cherian (1957) |
| First municipal corporation in India | Madras Corporation, 1688 |
| Midday meals for schoolchildren | Introduced in Madras corporation schools in the 1920s under the Justice Party's Theagaraya Chetty; expanded by Kamaraj in the 1950s and made a statewide programme by M. G. Ramachandran in 1982 |
| First state to set up a Transgender Welfare Board | Tamil Nadu, in 2008 |
| First May Day celebrated in India | Madras, 1923, led by M. Singaravelar |
| First reservation order for non-Brahmins in the south | The Communal G.O., 1921 |
| First Chief Minister after the renaming | C. N. Annadurai (Tamil Nadu from 14 January 1969) |
See Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu reservation system for the full sequences.
Firsts in language, education and institutions
| First | Detail |
|---|---|
| First language declared classical in India | Tamil, October 2004 |
| First Tamil dictionary | Chaturagarathi, by Beschi, 1732 |
| First Tamil Jnanpith winner | P. V. Akilan, 1975 |
| Early universities | University of Madras, established 1857, one of the first three in India, with Calcutta and Bombay |
| Government Museum, Chennai | Established 1851, among the oldest museums in India |
| First railway line in South India | Royapuram to Wallajah Road, opened in 1856 |
| Chartered High Courts of 1862 | Madras, with Calcutta and Bombay |
Firsts in nature and heritage
| First | Detail |
|---|---|
| First Biosphere Reserve in India | Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, 1986 |
| First site in Tamil Nadu on the UNESCO list | Mahabalipuram, 1984 |
| First dugong conservation reserve in India | Palk Bay, notified in 2022 |
| UNESCO Creative Cities Network | Chennai joined as a City of Music in 2017 |
Honours: Bharat Ratna and Nobel from Tamil Nadu
| Honour | Person | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bharat Ratna 1954 | C. Rajagopalachari | Among the first three recipients |
| Bharat Ratna 1954 | S. Radhakrishnan | Born at Tiruttani; Vice-President and then President |
| Bharat Ratna 1954 | C. V. Raman | Born at Tiruchirappalli |
| Bharat Ratna 1976 | K. Kamaraj | Awarded after his death |
| Bharat Ratna 1988 | M. G. Ramachandran | Awarded after his death |
| Bharat Ratna 1997 | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | Born at Rameswaram; President of India 2002 to 2007 |
| Bharat Ratna 1998 | C. Subramaniam and M. S. Subbulakshmi | Subramaniam is linked with the Green Revolution |
| Nobel Prize in Physics, 1930 | C. V. Raman | First Asian to win a Nobel Prize in science |
| Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2009 | Venkatraman Ramakrishnan | Born at Chidambaram |
R. Venkataraman, born at Rajamadam in Thanjavur district, was President from 1987 to 1992. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and S. Radhakrishnan also held the office, so Tamil Nadu has produced three Presidents of India.
How to use this list
- Learn each row as a pair: the "first" and the year. Most questions ask for one half.
- Watch for "first in India" vs "first in the world" vs "first in Tamil Nadu". Raman's Nobel was the first by an Asian in science, but Madras Corporation is described as the first municipal corporation in India.
- Cross-check with the topic lists: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tamil Nadu and Tamil literary awards.
Frequently asked questions
Which was the first language to get classical status in India?
Tamil, in 2004.
Who was the first woman legislator in India?
Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy, who joined the Madras Legislative Council in 1927.
Which is the first biosphere reserve in India?
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, designated in 1986.
Who was the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize in science?
C. V. Raman, in Physics, 1930.
How does the TNPSC paper ask about firsts?
As one-line GK or "match the following" questions in the Tamil Nadu unit. Use the TNPSC Tamil Nadu history and culture guide to see how to organise that unit.
Official sources
- Tamil Nadu Government portal: state profile and notable people.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre and UNESCO MAB programme: biosphere reserves and heritage lists.
- The Nobel Prize: laureate pages.
"First" claims are often disputed or have qualifiers, so revise them as stated in the Samacheer Kalvi textbooks.
Find your weak TNPSC units before the exam does
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- State symbols of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu state symbols list: Nilgiri tahr, emerald dove, glory lily, palmyra, jackfruit, Tamil Yeoman, Bharatanatyam, kabaddi, emblem and Tamil Thai Vazhthu.
- Chief Ministers of Tamil NaduList of Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers from 1947 with terms and parties, plus firsts and records: Kamaraj, Annadurai, Karunanidhi, MGR, Jayalalithaa and Stalin.
- UNESCO sites in Tamil NaduTamil Nadu's UNESCO World Heritage Sites with year of inscription: Mahabalipuram, Great Living Chola Temples, Nilgiri Railway, Western Ghats and Senji Fort.
- Tamil literary awards and JnanpithTamil writers who won the Jnanpith (Akilan 1975, Jayakanthan 2002), early Sahitya Akademi winners, Tamil Nadu's own awards and the 2004 classical status.
- TN history and cultureTNPSC Tamil Nadu history, culture and heritage: the Unit VI syllabus, Sangam age to social reform, key sites and leaders, and a study order for Group 4 and Group 2.
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