India GK one liner - Most Important Personalities of India

Ancient Rulers Thinkers

• Who founded the Mauryan Empire in India in 322 BC? - Chandragupta Maurya
• Who was the author of 'Arthashastra', also known as Kautilya and Vishnugupt? - Chanakya
• Who was the great Mauryan Emperor who held the titles 'Devanampriya' and 'Priyadarshi'? - Emperor Ashoka
• Who was the ancient scholar and author of the famous grammar text 'Ashtadhyayi'? - Panini
• Who was the author of 'Yogasutra' and the proponent of Yoga philosophy? - Maharishi Patanjali
• Who was the great Gupta Emperor known as the 'Napoleon of India'? - Samudragupta
• Who was the Gupta King who assumed the title 'Vikramaditya' and patronized the Navaratnas? - Chandragupta II
• In whose reign did the Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visit India? - Emperor Harshavardhana
• Who was the great Gupta mathematician who invented zero and provided the accurate value of Pi (π)? - Aryabhata
• Who was the great Ayurvedic scholar considered the father of surgery in ancient times? - Maharishi Sushruta
• Who was the author of the famous Ayurvedic text 'Charaka Samhita'? - Maharishi Charaka
• Who was the greatest ruler of the Kushan dynasty who started the Shaka Samvat in 78 AD? - Kanishka
• Who was the Gupta ruler who established Nalanda University? - Kumaragupta I
• Mahakavi Kalidasa was one of the Navaratnas in whose court? - Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)
• Who was the author of the famous moral fables of 'Panchatantra'? - Vishnu Sharma
• Who was the author of the Tamil epic 'Tirukkural', often called the 'Tamil Veda'? - Saint Thiruvalluvar
• Who was the most powerful king of the Satavahana dynasty who assumed the title 'Dakshinapathapati'? - Gautamiputra Satakarni
• Who was the author of the famous ancient Indian political play 'Mudrarakshasa'? - Vishakhadatta
• Who was the great king of the Chalukya dynasty who defeated Harshavardhana on the banks of the Narmada river? - Pulakeshin II
• Who was the author of 'Rajatarangini', a book based on the ancient history of Kashmir? - Kalhana

Medieval Rulers Queens

• Who was the last Hindu ruler of Delhi who fought Muhammad Ghori in the famous battles of Tarain (1191 and 1192)? - Prithviraj Chauhan (Prithviraj III)
• Who was the first and last female Muslim ruler of the Delhi Sultanate? - Razia Sultan
• Who was the greatest and most powerful emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire in whose court the 'Ashtadiggajas' lived? - Maharaja Krishnadevaraya
• Who was the great Rajput warrior of Mewar who faced Akbar's army in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576? - Maharana Pratap
• Who was the founder of the Maratha Empire and the great Hindu ruler who held the title of 'Chhatrapati'? - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
• Who was the founder of the Mughal Empire who won the First Battle of Panipat in 1526? - Babur
• Which Mughal Emperor started the 'Din-i-Ilahi' faith and built Fatehpur Sikri? - Emperor Akbar
• Which Mughal Emperor's reign is called the 'Golden Age of Architecture' and built the Taj Mahal and Red Fort? - Shah Jahan
• Which Mughal Emperor's reign is called the 'Golden Age of Painting'? - Jahangir
• Who was the great Queen of Garha Mandla who died fighting Akbar's army? - Rani Durgavati
• Who was the Afghan ruler who built the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road) and introduced the coin called 'Rupaya'? - Sher Shah Suri
• Who was the brave Muslim Queen of Ahmednagar who defended her kingdom from Akbar's army? - Chand Bibi
• Who was the daughter of Chhatrasal Bundela during the time of Peshwa Bajirao I in the Maratha Empire? - Mastani
• What was the real name of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi who challenged the British in the 1857 struggle? - Manikarnika (Manu)
• Who was the founder of the Bahmani Kingdom? - Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (Hasan Gangu)
• Which two brothers founded the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336 AD? - Harihara and Bukka
• Who was the musical Queen of the famous Malwa ruler Baz Bahadur? - Rani Roopmati
• Who was the king who founded the city of Jaipur and built 5 astronomical observatories (Jantar Mantar)? - Sawai Jai Singh II
• Who was the great ruler of the Sikh Empire known as 'Sher-e-Punjab'? - Maharaja Ranjit Singh
• Who was the last Mughal Emperor whom the British exiled to Rangoon after the 1857 revolt? - Bahadur Shah Zafar

Bhakti Sufi Saints

• Who was the founder of Sikhism and the first Guru of the Sikhs? - Guru Nanak Dev Ji
• Who was the great saint who propounded the 'Advaita Vedanta' philosophy and established four peethas in all four directions? - Adi Shankaracharya
• Who was the saint who popularized the Bhakti movement in North India and was the Guru of Kabir Das and Ravidas? - Swami Ramananda
• Who was the famous saint-poet of the Nirguna Bhakti tradition and author of the 'Bijak' text? - Saint Kabir Das
• Who was the great devotee-poet and author of 'Ramcharitmanas' and 'Vinayapatrika'? - Goswami Tulsidas
• Who was the famous Krishna-devotee poetess from Rajasthan who remained absorbed in the devotion of Lord Krishna? - Mirabai
• Who was the great Krishna-devotee Ashtachhap poet of Braj Bhasha and author of 'Sursagar'? - Surdas
• Who was the great saint of the Chishti Sufi order with a famous dargah in Ajmer? - Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
• Who was the great Sufi saint based in New Delhi, famously known as 'Mahbub-e-Ilahi'? - Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya
• Who was the great acharya of the Vaishnava sect and proponent of the 'Vishishtadvaita' philosophy? - Saint Ramanujacharya
• Who was the saint who started the 'Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya' and the Sankirtan tradition in Bengal? - Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
• Who was the great saint of Maharashtra and author of 'Jnaneshwari' (Marathi commentary on Gita)? - Saint Jnaneshwar
• Who was the saint in Maharashtra famous for 'Abhang' compositions and a contemporary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj? - Saint Tukaram
• Who was the Vaishnava saint and founder of 'Pushti Marg' (Shuddhadvaita)? - Saint Vallabhacharya
• Who was the tenth and last human Guru of the Sikhs who founded the 'Khalsa Panth' in 1699? - Guru Gobind Singh Ji
• Who was the fifth Guru of the Sikhs who built the Golden Temple and compiled the 'Adi Granth'? - Guru Arjan Dev Ji
• Who was the great saint who gave the maxim 'Man Changa To Kathauti Mein Ganga' (If the mind is pure, Ganges is in the tub)? - Saint Ravidas (Raidas)
• Who was the great saint and pioneer of the Neo-Vaishnavite religion and 'Sattriya' dance tradition in Assam? - Srimanta Sankardev
• Who was the disciple of Sufi saint Baba Farid and the poet called 'Tut-e-Hind' (Parrot of India)? - Amir Khusrau
• Who was the 12th-century saint who established the 'Veerashaiva Sampradaya' (Lingayat faith) in Karnataka? - Basaveshwara (Mahatma Basaveshwara)

19th Century Reformers

• Who is called the 'Father of Modern India' and 'Father of the Indian Renaissance'? - Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• Who established the 'Brahmo Samaj' in Kolkata in the year 1828? - Raja Ram Mohan Roy
• Who founded the 'Arya Samaj' in Mumbai in 1875 and gave the slogan "Back to the Vedas"? - Swami Dayananda Saraswati
• Who was the author of the famous book 'Satyarth Prakash'? - Swami Dayananda Saraswati
• Narendranath Datta, who founded 'Ramakrishna Mission' in 1897, became famous by which name? - Swami Vivekananda
• Who represented India at the 'Parliament of the World's Religions' held in Chicago, USA in 1893? - Swami Vivekananda
• Which scholar made the greatest contribution to the passing of the 'Widow Remarriage Act' in 1856 in India? - Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
• Who established the 'Satyashodhak Samaj' in Maharashtra in 1873 for the upliftment of oppressed castes? - Jyotirao (Jyotiba) Phule
• Who was the author of the book 'Gulamgiri' who strongly opposed caste-based oppression? - Jyotiba Phule
• Who was the first female teacher of India and a social reformer who opened the first school for girls? - Savitribai Phule
• Who started the 'Aligarh Movement' for the spread of modern education in the Muslim community? - Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
• Which reformer from Maharashtra played a key role in the establishment of 'Prarthana Samaj' (1867)? - Dr. Atmaram Pandurang and M. G. Ranade
• Who popularized the 'Theosophical Society' in India and was the founder of Banaras Central Hindu College? - Annie Besant
• Who was the revolutionary thinker who started the 'Young Bengal Movement'? - Henry Vivian Derozio
• Who was the social leader who started the 'Self-Respect Movement' in Tamil Nadu? - E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar)
• Who established the 'Servants of India Society' (Bharat Sevak Samaj - 1905)? - Gopal Krishna Gokhale
• Who was the founder of 'Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha' (1924) and 'Depressed Classes Mission'? - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
• Who was the saint in Kerala who gave the message of 'One Caste, One Religion, One God' for the rights of Dalits and backward classes? - Sri Narayana Guru
• Who founded the 'Depressed Classes Mission Society of India' (1906)? - Maharishi Vitthal Ramji Shinde
• Who was the key Indian associated with Governor-General Lord William Bentinck in declaring the Sati system illegal? - Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Early Nationalist Leaders

• Who is called the 'Grand Old Man of India'? - Dadabhai Naoroji
• Who first presented the 'Drain of Wealth Theory' in India? - Dadabhai Naoroji
• Who was the author of the book 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'? - Dadabhai Naoroji
• Who was the retired British officer who founded the Indian National Congress (INC) on 28 December 1885? - Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume)
• Who was the first president of the first session of the Indian National Congress (1885, Mumbai)? - Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee)
• Who was the first Muslim president of the Congress who presided over the 1887 Madras session? - Badruddin Tyabji
• Who was the first English president of the Congress who presided over the 1888 Allahabad session? - George Yule
• Who was the political guru of Mahatma Gandhi, known as Gopal Krishna Gokhale? - Gopal Krishna Gokhale
• Who was known as 'Rashtraguru' and the founder of the 'Indian Association' (1876)? - Surendranath Banerjee
• Who was the barrister known as 'Bombay Uncrowned King' and among the prominent founding leaders of the Congress? - Pherozeshah Mehta
• Who was the founder of 'Servants of India Society' and president of the 1905 Banaras Congress session? - Gopal Krishna Gokhale
• Who was appointed the constitutional advisor to the Constituent Assembly of India? - Sir B. N. Rau
• Who was the Governor who laid the foundation of civil services in India and implemented the Permanent Settlement? - Lord Cornwallis
• Which leader was known as 'The Unofficial Ambassador of India' raising India's voice in Britain? - Dadabhai Naoroji
• Who was the first Indian to be elected a member of the British Parliament (House of Commons)? - Dadabhai Naoroji (1892)
• Who was the editor of the 'Bengalee' newspaper, unlike 'Kesari' and 'Mahratta'? - Surendranath Banerjee
• Who was the first woman president of the Indian National Congress? - Annie Besant (1917, Kolkata)
• Who was the first Indian woman president of the Indian National Congress? - Sarojini Naidu (1925, Kanpur)
• Who was the main architect of the historic 'Lucknow Pact' (Congress and Muslim League unity) of 1916? - Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mohd. Ali Jinnah
• Who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India who conducted the first general elections in 1951-52? - Sukumar Sen

Revolutionaries Radical Leaders

• Who gave the historic slogan "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"? - Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Who was called the 'Father of Indian Unrest' by the British? - Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Who were the members of the famous radical trio 'Lal-Bal-Pal'? - Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal
• Which great freedom fighter was known as 'Punjab Kesari' and 'Sher-e-Punjab'? - Lala Lajpat Rai
• Which leader died after being injured in a police lathi charge during the protest against the Simon Commission in 1928? - Lala Lajpat Rai
• Which three great revolutionaries were hanged in Lahore Jail on 23 March 1931? - Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru
• Who was the great revolutionary who popularized the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad" across the country? - Bhagat Singh
• Who formed the 'Hindustan Socialist Republican Association' (HSRA) at Feroz Shah Kotla in 1928? - Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh
• Who was the revolutionary who attained martyrdom by shooting himself during an encounter with the British at Alfred Park (Prayagraj)? - Chandrashekhar Azad
• Who was the great leader who gave the slogans "Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom" and "Delhi Chalo"? - Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
• Who reorganized the 'Azad Hind Fauj' (INA) and established the 'Azad Hind Government' in Singapore? - Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
• Which party did Subhash Chandra Bose establish after resigning from the post of Congress President in 1939? - Forward Bloc
• Who shot Michael O'Dwyer, the former Governor of Punjab responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, in London? - Sardar Udham Singh
• Who was the author of 'The Indian War of Independence 1857' and founder of 'Abhinav Bharat'? - Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (V. D. Savarkar)
• Who founded the 'Ghadar Party' in San Francisco, USA in 1913? - Lala Hardayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna
• Who was the 'Masterda' who led the famous 'Chittagong Armoury Raid' in 1930? - Surya Sen
• Who was the revolutionary who threw a bomb along with Bhagat Singh in the Central Assembly on 8 April 1929? - Batukeshwar Dutt
• Who was the main protagonist of the Kakori Train Action (1925) who was hanged in Gorakhpur Jail? - Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil
• Who was the revolutionary who immortalized the lines "Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna Ab Hamare Dil Mein Hai"? - Ram Prasad Bismil
• Who was the revolutionary who established 'India House' in England in 1905? - Shyamji Krishna Varma

Mahatma Gandhi Associates

• Who was India's greatest freedom fighter honored with the titles 'Father of the Nation' and 'Mahatma'? - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
• Who gave the title 'Mahatma' to Mahatma Gandhi after the Champaran Satyagraha? - Rabindranath Tagore
• Who first addressed Mahatma Gandhi as the 'Father of the Nation'? - Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
• Who was Gandhi ji's spiritual/political successor and the founder of the 'Bhoodan Movement'? - Acharya Vinoba Bhave
• Whom did Gandhi ji choose as the first individual satyagrahi (1940) of India? - Acharya Vinoba Bhave (Second: Jawaharlal Nehru)
• Who was Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary who remained with him for a long time? - Mahadev Desai
• Which industrialist provided land and financial support for Gandhi ji's famous 'Sabarmati Ashram' and is called the 5th son of Gandhiji? - Jamnalal Bajaj
• Who was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India and a Gandhian leader famous as 'Rajaji'? - C. Rajagopalachari
• Who was the leader famous as 'Frontier Gandhi' and started the 'Red Shirt Movement' (Khudai Khidmatgar)? - Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
• Who was the first foreign national to be honored with the Bharat Ratna? - Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987)
• Who was Gandhi ji's wife who fully supported him in the freedom struggle? - Kasturba Gandhi (Ba)
• On what date was Gandhi ji, who made 'Satyagraha' and 'Non-violence' his main weapons, born? - 2 October 1869 (Porbandar, Gujarat)
• Where did Gandhi ji conduct his first successful satyagraha in India in 1917? - Champaran (Bihar)
• How many selected followers accompanied Gandhi ji during the 'Dandi March' (12 March to 6 April 1930)? - 78 followers
• During which movement did Gandhi ji give the famous slogan "Do or Die"? - Quit India Movement (1942)
• Who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi on 30 January 1948? - Nathuram Godse
• What is the name of Mahatma Gandhi's famous autobiography? - My Experiments with Truth
• What was the name of the ashram established by Gandhi ji in South Africa? - Tolstoy Farm and Phoenix Farm
• Who was the leader who popularized the concept of 'Sarvodaya' and was called 'Loknayak'? - Jayaprakash Narayan
• Which first President of India was known as 'Bihar Gandhi'? - Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Founding Fathers of India

• Who is called the 'Iron Man of India' and the 'Bismarck of India'? - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Who achieved the successful integration of more than 560 princely states of independent India into the Union of India? - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Who was given the title 'Sardar' by women after the success of the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) in Gujarat? - Vallabhbhai Patel
• Who was the first Deputy Prime Minister and first Home Minister of independent India? - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Whose is the 'Statue of Unity', the world's tallest statue built on the banks of the Narmada river in Gujarat? - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Who was the 'Architect of the Indian Constitution' and the Chairman of the Drafting Committee? - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
• By what name is Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's memorial site in Mumbai famous? - Chaitya Bhoomi
• Which minister did Dr. B. R. Ambedkar become in independent India's first cabinet? - Minister of Law and Justice
• Who was the first President of India and the permanent President of the Constituent Assembly? - Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• By what nicknames was Dr. Rajendra Prasad known? - Deshratna and Ajatshatru
• Who was the first Education Minister of independent India whose birth anniversary (11 November) is celebrated as 'National Education Day'? - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
• Who was the author of the book 'India Wins Freedom'? - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
• Who was the first Prime Minister of independent India who ruled for the longest period (16 years 9 months)? - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
• Who was the author of 'The Discovery of India' and 'Glimpses of World History'? - Jawaharlal Nehru
• By what name is Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's memorial site in New Delhi known? - Shantivan
• Which is the famous autobiography/book of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the President of the Constituent Assembly? - India Divided
• Who was chosen as the temporary President of the Constituent Assembly of India? - Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha
• Who was the first Finance Minister of India who presented independent India's first budget? - R. K. Shanmukham Chetty
• Who became the first Railway Minister of independent India? - Dr. John Matthai
• Who was the first Defense Minister of independent India? - Baldev Singh

Prime Ministers of India

• Who was the second Prime Minister of India who gave the immortal slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan"? - Lal Bahadur Shastri
• In which city did Lal Bahadur Shastri pass away mysteriously after the India-Pakistan war in 1966? - Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
• Who was the first Indian person to be honored with the Bharat Ratna posthumously? - Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966)
• Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India, known as the 'Iron Lady of India'? - Indira Gandhi
• Who was the Prime Minister of India during the 1971 India-Pakistan war and the independence of Bangladesh? - Indira Gandhi
• Who was the Prime Minister who implemented the national emergency in India in 1975? - Indira Gandhi
• Who became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India (Janata Party government 1977)? - Morarji Desai
• Who is the only Indian to receive the highest civilian honor of both India and Pakistan? - Morarji Desai
• Who was the Prime Minister of India who never faced the Parliament during his tenure? - Chaudhary Charan Singh
• Who was the youngest Prime Minister who introduced the computer revolution and digital era in India? - Rajiv Gandhi
• Who was the former Prime Minister who gave the slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan"? - Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• Who was the Prime Minister of India at the time of the Pokhran-2 nuclear tests in 1998? - Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• By what name is Atal Bihari Vajpayee's memorial site in New Delhi known? - Sadaiv Atal
• Who was the Prime Minister of India at the time of the historic economic reforms (LPG policy) of 1991? - P. V. Narasimha Rao
• Which famous economist served as Prime Minister continuously for 10 years from 2004 to 2014? - Dr. Manmohan Singh
• Who is the current Prime Minister who established 'NITI Aayog' (2015) in place of the Planning Commission? - Narendra Modi
• Who is the only Prime Minister of India whose birthday (29 February) comes once in four years? - Morarji Desai
• By what name is Lal Bahadur Shastri's memorial site in New Delhi known? - Vijay Ghat
• By what name is Indira Gandhi's memorial site in New Delhi known? - Shakti Sthal
• By what name is Rajiv Gandhi's memorial site in New Delhi known? - Veer Bhoomi

Presidents of India

• Who was the first President of India who served for two consecutive terms (1950-1962)? - Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• Who was the first Vice President and second President of India whose birth anniversary (5 September) is celebrated as 'Teachers' Day'? - Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
• Who was the first Muslim President of India who died while in office? - Dr. Zakir Husain
• Who was the only President of India to be elected unopposed? - Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
• Who was the 11th President of India famous as the 'Missile Man of India'? - Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
• Who was the author of 'Wings of Fire' and 'Ignited Minds'? - Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
• Who holds the honor of being the first woman President of India? - Pratibha Devisingh Patil (2007-2012)
• Who is the first tribal woman President and current President of India? - Droupadi Murmu
• What type of vote counting had to be done during the election of V. V. Giri? - Second-round counting
• Who became the first Dalit President of India? - K. R. Narayanan
• Who was the President of India who signed the declaration of emergency in 1975? - Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
• Which President of India used the 'Pocket Veto' on the Indian Post Office Amendment Bill? - Giani Zail Singh (1986)
• Who was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India who also became the acting President of India? - Justice M. Hidayatullah
• In which holy city of Tamil Nadu was Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam born? - Rameswaram
• Who is known as 'The Philosopher President'? - Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
• Who were the Presidents who received the Bharat Ratna before becoming the President of India? - Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Husain, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
• Who is the first President of India born in independent India? - Droupadi Murmu
• Which President of India's memorial site is called 'Mahaprayan Ghat' (Patna)? - Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• What is the minimum age limit for the post of President of India? - 35 years
• Who administers the oath of office and secrecy to the President? - Chief Justice of India (CJI)

Pioneers of Science Tech

• Who is called the 'Father of the Indian Nuclear Program'? - Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha
• Who is considered the 'Father of the Indian Space Program'? - Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
• Who was the scientist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' on light scattering? - Sir C. V. Raman
• Which day is celebrated on 28 February in memory of the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir C. V. Raman? - National Science Day
• Who was the great Indian mathematician whose birthday (22 December) is celebrated as 'National Mathematics Day'? - Srinivasa Ramanujan
• Who was the scientist who discovered life and sensations in plants and invented the 'Crescograph'? - Jagdish Chandra Bose (J.C. Bose)
• With which great scientist did 'Satyendra Nath Bose' formulate the 'Bose-Einstein statistics'? - Albert Einstein
• Which great Indian civil engineer's birthday (15 September) is celebrated as 'Engineers' Day'? - Sir M. Visvesvaraya
• Who was the scientist famous as the 'Missile Man of India' who developed the Agni and Prithvi missiles? - Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
• Who is called the 'Missile Woman of India' who led the Agni-IV project? - Tessy Thomas
• Who was the great agricultural scientist who made India self-sufficient in food grains through the Green Revolution? - Dr. M. S. Swaminathan
• Who is considered the father of the 'White Revolution' (Operation Flood) in India? - Dr. Verghese Kurien
• Who was the founder of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Kolkata and the architect of the Second Five-Year Plan? - P. C. Mahalanobis
• Which former Chairman of ISRO is known as the 'Rocket Man of India'? - K. Sivan
• Who was the Chairman of ISRO who played a key role in the launch of India's first indigenous satellite 'Aryabhata' (1975)? - Prof. Satish Dhawan
• Who is called the 'Rocket Woman of India' who led the Chandrayaan-2 mission? - Ritu Karidhal
• Who was the Indian-American scientist called the 'Father of Fiber Optics'? - Narinder Singh Kapany
• Who is considered the father of DNA Fingerprinting in India? - Dr. Lalji Singh
• For which discovery did 'Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar' receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983? - Chandrasekhar Limit (Life cycle of a star)
• Which industrialist's contribution led to the establishment of the 'Indian Institute of Science' (IISc) in Bengaluru? - Jamsetji Tata

Literary Figures Authors

• Who was the first Asian/Indian to win the Nobel Prize (1913), famous as 'Gurudev'? - Rabindranath Tagore
• For which famous poetic work did Rabindranath Tagore receive the Nobel Prize for Literature? - Gitanjali
• Who wrote India's national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' and Bangladesh's national anthem 'Amar Sonar Bangla'? - Rabindranath Tagore
• Who was the author of 'Godan', 'Gaban', 'Karmabhoomi', and 'Seva Sadan', known as 'Upanyas Samrat'? - Munshi Premchand
• What was the real name of Munshi Premchand? - Dhanpat Rai Srivastava
• Who was the author of 'Kurukshetra' and 'Urvashi', honored with the title 'Rashtrakavi'? - Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
• For which poetic work did Ramdhari Singh Dinkar receive the Jnanpith Award in 1972? - Urvashi
• Who was the famous author of 'Madhushala', 'Madhukalash', and 'Nisha Nimantran'? - Harivansh Rai Bachchan
• Who was the great poetess of Hindi literature known as 'Modern Meera'? - Mahadevi Varma
• For which famous poetic work did Mahadevi Varma receive the Jnanpith Award in 1982? - Yama
• Who is called the 'Pitamah of Hindi Literature' and the father of modern Hindi literature? - Bhartendu Harishchandra
• Who was the famous author of the epic 'Kamayani' and plays like 'Chandragupta' and 'Skandagupta'? - Jaishankar Prasad
• Who was the author of the national song 'Vande Mataram' and the novel 'Anandamath'? - Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
• Who was the famous author of the play 'Andha Yug' and the novel 'Gunahon Ka Devta'? - Dharamvir Bharati
• Who was the famous modern playwright of 'Ashadh Ka Ek Din' and 'Adhe Adhure'? - Mohan Rakesh
• Who received the first Jnanpith Award for Hindi language (1968) for the poetic work 'Chidambara'? - Sumitranandan Pant
• Who was the author of the famous Tamil epic 'Tirukkural'? - Saint Thiruvalluvar
• Who was the famous Punjabi poetess and author of the novel 'Pinjar'? - Amrita Pritam
• Which Indian author won the Booker Prize for 'The God of Small Things'? - Arundhati Roy
• Who was the author of the books 'My Experiments with Truth' and 'Hind Swaraj'? - Mahatma Gandhi

Art, Music, Cinema Culture

• Who was the Bharat Ratna musician who gave international recognition to 'Shehnai' playing in India? - Ustad Bismillah Khan
• Who was the world-famous Sitar player honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1999? - Pandit Ravi Shankar
• Which great singer was known as 'Swar Kokila' and 'Nightingale of India' (in singing)? - Lata Mangeshkar
• Who was the first musician of India to be honored with the Bharat Ratna? - M. S. Subbulakshmi (1998)
• Who is called the 'Father of Indian Cinema'? - Dadasaheb Phalke (Dhundiraj Govind Phalke)
• Which was the first silent feature film of India directed by Dadasaheb Phalke? - Raja Harishchandra (1913)
• Who was the director of India's first talkie film 'Alam Ara' (1931)? - Ardeshir Irani
• Who was the first Indian film director to receive the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the Oscars (Academy Award)? - Satyajit Ray (1992)
• Who was the first Indian woman to win an Oscar (for costume design in the film 'Gandhi')? - Bhanu Athaiya (1983)
• Who was the great Indian painter of famous oil paintings like 'Shakuntala' and 'Damayanti'? - Raja Ravi Varma
• Who is the famous Tabla player of India who received the 'Padma Vibhushan' and Grammy Awards? - Ustad Zakir Hussain
• Who is the famous Flute player honored with India's highest civilian awards? - Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia
• Who was the famous Santoor player who gave this folk instrument of Jammu and Kashmir a classical status? - Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
• Who was the classical singer famous as the 'Queen of Thumri'? - Girija Devi
• In which art field was 'M. F. Husain' (Maqbool Fida Husain) a famous Indian artist? - Modern Painting
• The artist who contributed to the promotion of Kerala's famous martial art 'Kalaripayattu' and Kathakali dance is from which state? - Kerala
• Who is the Indian musician who won an Oscar for the song 'Naatu Naatu'? - M. M. Keeravani
• Who is the world-famous Chhattisgarhi artist of the 'Pandavani' folk singing style? - Teejan Bai
• Who was the great dancer of the Lucknow gharana of 'Kathak' classical dance who passed away in 2022? - Pandit Birju Maharaj
• Who was the former director of the 'National School of Drama' (NSD) and famous theatre personality in India? - Ibrahim Alkazi

Social Human Rights Activists

• Who was the great social worker who established 'Anandwan' (Maharashtra) for the service and rehabilitation of leprosy patients? - Baba Amte (Murlidhar Devidas Amte)
• Which organization was founded by 'Mother Teresa', honored with the Nobel Peace Prize (1979) and Bharat Ratna (1980)? - Missionaries of Charity (Kolkata)
• Who is the Nobel Peace Prize (2014) winner who started the 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' for children's rights? - Kailash Satyarthi
• Who is the activist leading the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan' against large dams being built on the Narmada river? - Medha Patkar
• Who were the main pioneers of the 'Chipko Movement' (anti-deforestation movement in Uttarakhand)? - Sunderlal Bahuguna and Chandi Prasad Bhatt
• Who was the freedom fighter and poetess called the 'Nightingale of India'? - Sarojini Naidu
• Who was the personality who became the first woman Governor of any state (Uttar Pradesh) in independent India? - Sarojini Naidu
• Who was the heroine who hoisted the tricolor at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai during the Quit India Movement of 1942? - Aruna Asaf Ali
• Who is the founder of 'Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan' who led the movement for the Right to Information (RTI Act 2005) in India? - Aruna Roy
• Who is the environmentalist famous by the names 'Pani Panchayat' and 'Waterman of India'? - Dr. Rajendra Singh
• Who was the great ornithologist famous as the 'Birdman of India'? - Dr. Salim Ali
• Who is called the 'Father of the Milk Revolution' and 'Milkman of India'? - Dr. Verghese Kurien
• Who was the main pioneer of the 'Sharda Act' (1929) fighting against child marriage and for women's rights? - Harbilas Sarda
• With which award was 'Chandi Prasad Bhatt' honored for the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' and environmental conservation? - Ramon Magsaysay Award
• Who was the great thinker and social leader who gave the philosophy of 'Integral Humanism'? - Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya
• Who started the 'Gramdan Movement' for 'Sarvodaya' and 'Empowered Rural Development'? - Acharya Vinoba Bhave
• During which movement did 'Jayaprakash Narayan' receive the title 'Loknayak'? - Total Revolution Movement (1974)
• Who is the prominent Indian woman rights activist working for 'Pink Bus Service' and women's safety? - Subhashini Ali / Rekha Sharma
• Who is the founder of 'Goonj', an organization that won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for social service? - Anshu Gupta
• Who was the prominent Indian social reformer who worked in the field of education and Braille for the visually impaired? - Swami Sharanananda

Sports Legends of India

• Who was the player famous as the 'Wizard of Hockey' whose birthday (29 August) is celebrated as National Sports Day? - Major Dhyan Chand
• Who is the only player known as the God of Cricket and recipient of the 'Bharat Ratna'? - Sachin Tendulkar
• Who was the great Indian runner famous as the 'Flying Sikh'? - Milkha Singh
• Who is the great Indian female athlete famous as the 'Payyoli Express'? - P. T. Usha
• Who was the player who won India's first individual gold medal in the Olympics (2008 Beijing Shooting)? - Abhinav Bindra
• Who is the player who won India's first Olympic gold medal in athletics (Javelin Throw - 2020 Tokyo)? - Neeraj Chopra
• Who is the 6-time world boxing champion and Olympic medalist female boxer? - M. C. Mary Kom
• Who is India's first Grandmaster (1988) and 5-time world chess champion? - Viswanathan Anand
• Who was the first player of independent India to win an individual Olympic medal (Bronze in 1952 Helsinki Wrestling)? - K. D. Jadhav (Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav)
• Who was the captain of the Indian team who won the Cricket World Cup for the first time for India in 1983? - Kapil Dev
• Who is the first Indian woman player to win an Olympic silver medal in badminton? - P. V. Sindhu
• Who is the former Indian captain known as 'Lady Sachin' and the highest run-scorer in women's cricket? - Mithali Raj
• Which great cricketer is known as the 'Haryana Hurricane'? - Kapil Dev
• Who is the first Indian male boxer to win an Olympic medal (2008 Beijing)? - Vijender Singh
• Who is the player who gave tennis global recognition in India and won 18 Grand Slam titles? - Leander Paes
• What is the name of the famous autobiography of 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar? - Playing It My Way
• What is the name of Milkha Singh's famous autobiography? - The Race of My Life
• 'Ace Against Odds' is the autobiography of which famous Indian female tennis player? - Sania Mirza
• 'Unbreakable' is the autobiography of which famous Indian female boxer? - M. C. Mary Kom
• Who is the first Indian woman to become a member of the Athlete Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)? - P. T. Usha

Spiritual Leaders Philosophers

• Who was the saint of Dakshineswar and the Guru of Swami Vivekananda? - Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa
• Who was the great yogi who established 'Auroville' (Puducherry) and authored the epic 'Savitri'? - Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghosh)
• Who was the spiritual guru and famous author of 'Autobiography of a Yogi'? - Paramahansa Yogananda
• Who was the guru who popularized 'Transcendental Meditation' worldwide? - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
• Who is the modern guru and founder of the 'Isha Foundation' who started the 'Conscious Planet' campaign? - Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev)
• Who is the spiritual guru and founder of the 'Art of Living' organization? - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
• Who was the great commentator on the Bhagavad Gita and founder of the 'Chinmaya Mission'? - Swami Chinmayananda
• Who was the proponent of 'Swaminarayan Sampradaya' and the founder of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha? - Bhagwan Swaminarayan
• How is 'Mata Amritanandamayi' (Amma) known worldwide? - Hugging Saint
• Who spread the philosophical ideas of the 'Theosophical Society' and was the guardian of J. Krishnamurti? - Annie Besant and C. W. Leadbeater
• Who was the famous 20th-century philosophical thinker who gave many lectures on 'Education and Life'? - Jiddu Krishnamurti
• In which district of Maharashtra is the main residence of Sai Baba of Shirdi located? - Ahmednagar (Shirdi)
• Who led the 'Swadhyaya Parivar' movement and was a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner? - Pandurang Shastri Athavale
• Who was the social-spiritual leader associated with the establishment of 'Vishwa Hindu Parishad' and 'Paunar Ashram'? - Acharya Vinoba Bhave
• Where is the headquarters of the 'Ramakrishna Math' and 'Ramakrishna Mission' located? - Belur Math (West Bengal)
• Who was the acharya who established 'ISKCON' (Hare Krishna movement) in India? - A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Where is the main seat of 'Kabir Panth' located, where the Samadhi of Saint Kabir is? - Maghar (Uttar Pradesh)
• Who was the founder of the Ananda Marga sect? - Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (Shri Shri Anandamurti)
• Who is the modern guru and founder of 'Patanjali Yogpeeth' who brought yoga to the common people? - Swami Ramdev
• Who was the founder of 'Gayatri Pariwar' (Shantikunj, Haridwar)? - Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya

Industrialists Philanthropists

• Who is called the 'Father of Indian Industry' who laid the foundation of the Tata Group? - Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata
• Who was the first licensed pilot in India and started India's first commercial airline, 'Tata Airlines' (now Air India)? - J. R. D. Tata
• Who was the only industrialist in India to be honored with the 'Bharat Ratna'? - J. R. D. Tata (1992)
• Who was the industrialist and founder of 'Reliance Industries' who brought a stock market revolution to India? - Dhirubhai Ambani (Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani)
• Who is the philanthropist and founder of 'Wipro' who is among India's largest donors? - Azim Premji
• Who is the co-founder of 'Infosys', considered the father of the IT revolution in India? - N. R. Narayana Murthy
• Who was the industrialist and founder of the 'Birla Group' and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi? - Ghanshyam Das Birla (G. D. Birla)
• Who was the founder of the 'Bajaj Group' who considered Mahatma Gandhi his father? - Jamnalal Bajaj
• Who was the veteran of the steel industry in India and former Chairman of Tata known as the 'Steel Man of India'? - O. N. Srivastava and J. J. Irani
• Who is the respected industrialist of India who donated a large portion of his wealth through 'Tata Trusts'? - Ratan Tata
• Who is the founder of 'Biocon' and the first female biotech entrepreneur in India? - Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
• Who is the founder of 'HCL' and a major donor through the 'Shiv Nadar Foundation'? - Shiv Nadar
• Who was the entrepreneur who built the 'Hero MotoCorp' empire in India? - Brijmohan Lall Munjal
• Who is the founder of 'Bharti Airtel' and a leader of the telecom revolution in India? - Sunil Bharti Mittal
• Who was the founder of 'Amul' (Anand Milk Union Limited) and a hero of the cooperative movement? - Tribhuvandas Patel and Dr. Verghese Kurien
• Who was the Indian woman who served as the former global CEO of 'PepsiCo'? - Indra Nooyi
• Who is the founder of the 'Adani Group' and a major entrepreneur in India's infrastructure sector? - Gautam Adani
• Who was the entrepreneur honored with 'Padma Bhushan' who gave a new dimension to dairy cooperatives in India? - Dr. Verghese Kurien
• Who is the founder of 'Paytm' who brought a digital payment revolution to India? - Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Who is the founder of 'Zoho Corporation' who built a global software company from rural Tamil Nadu? - Sridhar Vembu

Jurists Legal Luminaries

• Who was the Chairman of the 'Drafting Committee' of the Indian Constituent Assembly? - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
• Who was the 'Constitutional Advisor' of the Constituent Assembly who prepared the first draft of the Constitution? - Sir B. N. Rau (Benegal Narsing Rau)
• Who became the first Chief Justice of India (CJI) of independent India's Supreme Court? - Justice H. J. Kania (Harilal Jekisundas Kania)
• Who holds the honor of becoming the first woman judge of the Supreme Court? - Justice M. Fathima Beevi (1989)
• Who was the former Chief Justice who popularized the concept of 'Public Interest Litigation' (PIL) in India? - Justice P. N. Bhagwati
• Who was the Chief Justice of India at the time of the famous 'Kesavananda Bharati case' (1973) for interpretation of the Indian Constitution? - Justice S. M. Sikri
• Who was the famous jurist and constitutional expert who wrote the book 'We, the People'? - Nani Palkhivala
• Who was the longest-serving Chief Justice of India (CJI) who served for 7 years and 4 months? - Justice Y. V. Chandrachud
• Who was the first Attorney General of India who served for the longest period? - M. C. Setalvad
• Who was appointed as the first Lokpal of India? - Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
• Who were the famous lawyers and members of the Constituent Assembly who played key roles in the making of the Indian Constitution? - Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer and K. M. Munshi
• Who was the famous Indian jurist who interpreted writs like 'Quo Warranto' and 'Habeas Corpus'? - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
• Who was the first Indian to become a judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ - Hague)? - Dr. Nagendra Singh
• Who is the current Indian judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)? - Justice Dalveer Bhandari
• Who was the first Chairman of the Law Commission of India during British times? - Lord Macaulay (1834)
• Who was the Chairman of independent India's first Law Commission (1955)? - M. C. Setalvad
• Who was the first Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission formed under the 'Protection of Human Rights Act 1993'? - Justice Ranganath Misra
• Who was the Chairman of the committee that recommended the formation of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) of India? - K. Santhanam
• Which former Chief Justice of India served as both the acting President and Vice President of India? - Justice M. Hidayatullah
• Who became the first Chairman of the 'National Green Tribunal' (NGT) in India? - Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta

Military Heroes Commanders

• Who was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the independent Indian Army? - Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa
• Who was the first 'Field Marshal' who led India to a historic victory in the 1971 India-Pakistan war? - Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw (Sam Bahadur)
• Who was the first martyred warrior to receive India's highest military honor 'Param Vir Chakra' (PVC)? - Major Somnath Sharma (1947 Kumaon Regiment)
• Who was the Captain and posthumous Param Vir Chakra recipient who gave the slogan 'Yeh Dil Maange More' in the 1999 Kargil War? - Captain Vikram Batra
• Who is the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra who captured Tiger Hill in the Kargil War? - Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav
• Who was the Lieutenant and posthumous Param Vir Chakra recipient who martyred while capturing bunkers in the Kargil War? - Manoj Kumar Pandey
• Who was the Param Vir Chakra winner who showed extraordinary bravery in the Battle of Rezang La (Ladakh) in the 1962 India-China War? - Major Shaitan Singh
• Abdul Hamid, who received the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for extraordinary bravery in the 1965 India-Pakistan War, belonged to which regiment? - Company Quartermaster Abdul Hamid (Grenadiers)
• Who was India's first 'Chief of Defence Staff' (CDS) who died in a helicopter crash in 2021? - General Bipin Rawat
• Who was the only Navy personnel to receive the Param Vir Chakra in the 1971 India-Pakistan War? - Lance Naik Albert Ekka
• Who is the only Air Force warrior to be awarded the highest military honor 'Param Vir Chakra'? - Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (1971)
• Who was the first and only 'Marshal of the Indian Air Force' ever created? - Arjan Singh
• Who was the first military officer from Himachal Pradesh to become the Chief of the Army Staff of independent India? - General V. N. Sharma
• Who was the hero of 'Operation Meghdoot' who established Indian control over the Siachen Glacier in 1984? - Lieutenant General P. N. Hoon
• Who was the senior military officer of the Northern Command at the time of the 2016 Surgical Strike? - Lieutenant General D. S. Hooda
• Who is considered the father of the Indian Navy, having built a strong naval fleet? - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
• Who was the hero of 'Jaswant Garh' who fought until his last breath on the Arunachal Pradesh border in the 1962 war? - Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat
• Who was the woman who prepared the design of the 'Param Vir Chakra' medal? - Savitri Khanolkar (Eva Yvonne Linda Maday-de-Maros)
• On what date is 'Armed Forces Flag Day' celebrated annually in India? - 7 December
• When is 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' celebrated annually to commemorate victory in the Kargil War? - 26 July

Famous Nicknames Titles

• Which freedom fighter is known as 'Punjab Kesari'? - Lala Lajpat Rai
• Who was the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, famous as 'Andhra Kesari'? - T. Prakasham
• Which great educationist and scholar was known as 'Bengal Kesari'? - Ashutosh Mukherjee
• The first Chief Minister of Bihar was known as 'Bihar Kesari', what was his name? - Dr. Sri Krishna Singh
• Who was the founder of the Swaraj Party famous as 'Deshbandhu' (Friend of the Nation)? - Chittaranjan Das (C. R. Das)
• To which British supporter did Mahatma Gandhi give the title 'Deenbandhu' (Friend of the Poor)? - C. F. Andrews (Charles Freer Andrews)
• Which great Total Revolution leader is known as 'Loknayak'? - Jayaprakash Narayan
• Which great radical nationalist leader was given the title 'Lokmanya' by the public? - Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Which former Chief Minister of Bihar is known as 'Jan Nayak' and was recently awarded the Bharat Ratna? - Karpoori Thakur
• Who is known as 'Gurudev' and 'Kavivar'? - Rabindranath Tagore
• Which great freedom fighter was known as 'Rajarshee'? - Purushottam Das Tandon
• Which great revolutionary's name is associated with the title 'Shaheed-e-Azam'? - Bhagat Singh
• Which medieval famous poet and musician was known as 'Tota-e-Hind' (Parrot of India)? - Amir Khusrau
• Who was called the 'Nightingale of India'? - Sarojini Naidu
• Which great singer was known as 'Swar Kokila'? - Lata Mangeshkar
• Who is known as 'Udanpari' and 'Payyoli Express'? - P. T. Usha
• Which player is known as the 'Wizard of Hockey'? - Major Dhyan Chand
• Which former Indian cricket captain is known as the 'Haryana Hurricane'? - Kapil Dev
• Who is called 'Master Blaster' besides 'Little Master' and Sunil Gavaskar? - Sachin Tendulkar
• Who is known as the 'Iron Man of India' and the 'Bismarck of India'? - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel