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Who was the first President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)?
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Answer: Option C — Sir Dorabji Tata
Detailed Solution
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was formed in 1927, and Sir Dorabji Tata was its first President, with Dr A.G. Noehren as its first Secretary-General. The IOA is the body responsible for India's participation in the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and other international multi-sport events. It is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
Sir Dorabji Tata (1859-1932) was the elder son of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group. He became Chairman of the Tata Group after his father's death in 1904. Under his leadership, the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO, now Tata Steel) was set up at Jamshedpur in 1907, and Tata Power was established. He also helped realise his father's dream of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru (founded in 1909). The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, which he created, funds education, health and research.
Dorabji Tata was a keen sportsman and played a key role in Indian sports. He personally financed the four athletes and two wrestlers who represented India at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. This is regarded as the first time an Indian team took part in the Olympics, though Norman Pritchard had won two silver medals in athletics for India at the 1900 Paris Olympics. Dorabji also became a member of the International Olympic Committee.
India's men's hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal at Amsterdam in 1928, the year after the IOA was formed. The present President of the IOA, elected in 2022, is P.T. Usha, the first woman to hold the post.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala was the second President of the IOA.
G.D. Sondhi was a founder of the Asian Games and a Secretary of the IOA.
Jamsetji Tata, Dorabji's father, founded the Tata Group.
Quick tip
Remember: IOA = formed 1927, first President Sir Dorabji Tata, financed India's team at Antwerp 1920; P.T. Usha = first woman President (2022).
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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.