Category Archives: Leaders

First Indian-American & First South Asian to be Confirmed Key U.S. Pivotal Post in South Asia. October 2013 .

Nisha Desai Biswal was unanimously confirmed by the U.S.Senate, as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia.

This makes Nisha Biswal the first South Asian American to hold that diplomatic position. She is the first Indian-American to hold a top diplomatic position in the bureau, which overseas US foreign policy and relations with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan.

She was earlier assistant administrator for Asia at the U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID).

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India’s First Woman Bishop elected by Church of South India (CSI). September 2013 .

In a first for the Indian manistream church, the Church of South India (CSI) created history by appointing Rev.Eggoni Pushpalalitha as its first woman bishop in India.  September 25th, 2013 .

The bishop-designate E.Pushpalalitha is to be installed at a consecration ceremony to be held at the historic Anglical cathedral at Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh on Monday – September 30th, 2013. The moderator of the Church Rev. Devakataksham will adminster the oath and grace the occasion alongwith other dignitaries of the church. She will assume charge as Bishop of Nandyal diocese which is spread over 5 districts in Rayalaseema and part of Prakasam with a membership of over 90,000 people.

She is the first amongst 3 surviving children and was born to a family of agriculturists in a small village Diguvapudu in Kurnool district in 1956. She became a pastor in 1984. Rev. E. Pushpalalitha earned her B.A. degree from Andhra University and then went on to do BD from the Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad. She also attended a few courses in theology in UK and USA.

Rev. E. Pushpalalitha is the second woman to become bishop among all churches of the country. The Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Mission located in Bhadrachalam appointed Rev. A. Katakshamma as their bishop in 1996.

The Church of South India ( CSI): Inaugrated in 1947 is one of the 38 member Churches of the Anglican communion. It is a ‘United’ church – the result of the Union of Churches of varying traditions Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian and Reformed.

The CSI has 22 bishops across all dioceses in the country and Sri Lanka. The mission has over 3,000 presbyters of which around 120 are women.

In India, the Anglican family of churches, include Church of South India, Church of North India, Methodist Church and Marthoma Church amongst others.

 

The First Indian Woman & The First Woman ‘ President of the United Nations – UN General Assembly ‘. 1953 .

Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit was the First Woman President of the UN General Assembly. She was not only the First Indian Woman and but was also the First Woman elected as the President of the ‘ United Nations General Assembly ‘at the 8th session of the Assembly in 1953.

Since then till date, there have been only 2 other women appointed as the President of the UN General Assembly – in the 24th session and more recently in the 61st session.

She was an Indian Diplomat and Politician. She was the sister of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, aunt of Indira Gandhi and the great-aunt of Rajiv Gandhi, all of whom served as Prime Minister of India.

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Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit was also the First Indian Woman to hold a Cabinet post.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was born in Allahabad, August 18th, 1900 and passed away on December 01st, 1990.

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Independent India’s First Finance Minister . 1947 .

Sir Ramasamy Chetty Kandasamy Shanmukham Chetty ( R.K. Shanmukhan Chetty)was the first Finance Minister of Independent India.

He was Finance Minister when the country’s first budget was tabled in the Parliament on November 26th, 1947. He held the portfolio for the period 1947 – 1949.

R.K.Shanmukham Chetty was a lawyer, economist and legislator.

Born in Coimbatore (Madras Presidency)on October 17th, 1892 and expired at the age of 60 on March 05th, 1953.

More Info……Coming Up.

First Indian to Receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. 1913 .

Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to receive the Nobel prize for Literature . He was also the first Asian and simultaneously the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel for Literature. December 19th, 1913.

He was awarded the prize for Gitanjali, a collection of songs and poems. Tagore himself had translated the poems into English in 1912 with an introduction by W.B.Yeats who won the Nobel for literature a decade after his Indian friend in 1923.

This year (2013) marks the 100th anniversary of Tagore winning the Nobel prize in 1913.

More Info….Coming Up.

First Chief Justice of India (CJI) . 1947 .

Sir Harilal Jekisundas Kania ( H J Kania) took oath of office on August 14th, 1947 as the First Chief Justice of Independent India and held the post until November 06th, 1951.

H.J. Kania was conferred Knighthood in 1943.

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the highest-ranking Judge in the Supreme Court of India and thus holds the highest Judicial position in India.

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First Woman ‘ Chief Information Commissioner ‘ (CIC) of India . September 2013 .

Deepak Sandhu was sworn-in as India’s first woman Chief Information Officer (CIC) of the Central Information Commission. Thursday – September 03rd, 2013.

The oath of office was administered by President Pranab Mukherjee at a function in the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Attending amongst many others was Vice President Hamid Ansari.

More Info…….Coming Up…..

India’s First ‘ Chief Election Commissioner ‘. 1951

Sukumar Sen served as the First Chief Election Commissioner of India for the period March 21st, 1950 to December 19th, 1958.

Under his leadership the Election Commission successfully administered and oversaw Independent India’s first two general elections in 1951-51 and subsequently in 1957.

More Info….Coming Up.