SSC
Who is the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi?
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Answer: Option D — Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit
Detailed Solution
Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in February 2022, becoming the first woman to head the university since it was founded. Before this, she was a professor of political science at Savitribai Phule Pune University. She is herself an alumna of JNU, where she studied international relations at the School of International Studies.
About JNU:
- It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1966 (the Jawaharlal Nehru University Act) and began functioning in 1969.
- It is named after India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Its first Vice-Chancellor was G. Parthasarathi.
It is known for research in the social sciences, international studies, languages and sciences, and regularly ranks among the top universities in India in the government's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
Its campus is in the Aravalli hills in south Delhi.
Some other women "firsts" in Indian universities:
- Najma Akhtar became the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019.
- Hansa Mehta was the first woman Vice-Chancellor of a co-educational university in India, at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (1949).
- Naima Khatoon became the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University in 2024.
In India, the President of India is the "Visitor" of central universities, which means the President has a role in the appointment of their Vice-Chancellors. In state universities, the Governor is usually the Chancellor.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Najma Akhtar was the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia.
- ✗Romila Thapar is a famous historian and Professor Emerita of JNU, but she was not its Vice-Chancellor.
- ✗Shobha Rani is not linked with this appointment.
Quick tip
Remember: First woman VC of JNU = Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit (2022); Jamia = Najma Akhtar (2019); AMU = Naima Khatoon (2024); Hansa Mehta = Baroda (1949).
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.