Railway
Who was the first woman jawan to join the 969 Railway Engineer Regiment of the Territorial Army?
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Answer: Option C — Sapper Shanti Tigga
Detailed Solution
Shanti Tigga became the first woman jawan (soldier in the ranks) of the Indian Army when she joined the 969 Railway Engineer Regiment of the Territorial Army in 2011. "Sapper" is the rank of a soldier in the Corps of Engineers, equal to a sepoy.
About Shanti Tigga:
- She was from the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal and belonged to a tribal community.
- She was a mother of two and was already working in the Railways as a pointswoman at Chalsa station in Jalpaiguri, before joining the Territorial Army.
During her physical recruitment test, she impressed everyone by completing the 1.5 km run five seconds faster than her male competitors. She also showed excellent shooting skills during training, earning the title of "best trainee".
Sadly, she died in 2013 under mysterious circumstances.
About the Territorial Army (TA):
It is a part of the regular Indian Army, made up of volunteers who serve part-time while continuing their civilian jobs. It is often called the "second line of defence".
It was set up in 1949 under the Territorial Army Act, 1948. 9 October is celebrated as Territorial Army Day.
Its units include departmental units (Railway Engineer, Oil Sector and others) and non-departmental (infantry and ecological task force) units.
Famous members have included the cricketers M. S. Dhoni and Kapil Dev, and the actor Mohanlal, who were given honorary ranks.
Other women "firsts" in the armed forces:
- Priya Jhingan: first woman cadet to join the Indian Army as an officer (1993).
- Punita Arora: first woman to become a Lieutenant General (2004).
- Mitali Madhumita: first woman officer to receive the Sena Medal for gallantry (2011).
- In 2019-2022, the Army began recruiting women as soldiers in the Corps of Military Police.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Priya Jhingan was the first woman officer cadet (1993).
- ✗Punita Arora was the first woman Lieutenant General.
- ✗Mitali Madhumita was the first woman officer to win the Sena Medal (gallantry).
Quick tip
Remember: First woman jawan = Sapper Shanti Tigga (969 Railway Engineer Regiment, Territorial Army, 2011); Territorial Army = "second line of defence", TA Day 9 October.
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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.