India's firsts.

India is a land of spice and variety in all senses - from the colourful attire to language, geography and culture and traditions. And yet, it is unique, knitted through a common thread to form an enriched entity that is very much Indian in its essence. Presenting some interesting facts on India's 'firsts' that will give you a flavour of the land.
 

  • The earliest school of medicine in the world was Ayurveda.
  • The world's first university is Takshashila (700 BC).
  • The first printing press was set up in Goa in 1556 by the Portuguese.
  • The first rupee in India was minted during the reign of Sher Shah Suri in 1542.
  • The first English newspaper in India was the Bengal Gazette printed in 1790 by James Augustus in Calcutta.
  • The oldest para-military force of India is the Assam Rifles (1835).
  • India's first oil well is at Digboi (1890).
  • The first postage stamp was issued in India in 1852 at Karachi (which was a part of India before partition).
  • The first railway line was opened on April 16, 1853 between Bombay and Thane. 
  • The first telegraph line was laid between Calcutta and Agra in 1854. This line was 1280 km long and extended up to Lahore in 1857.
  • The first telephone system was started in 1881 from Calcutta. 
  • The first veterinary college was opened in Parel in Bombay in 1885. It is still in existence and is the oldest veterinary college in Asia.
  • The first cinema house in India was built by J F Madan in 1907 in Calcutta.
  • The country's first general elections were held in 1952. 
  • The first hydroelectric project in India was started in Shivanasamudram, across the River Kaveri in 1902.
  • Bangalore along with Mysore, was the first city to get electricity in India.
  • The first Indian state to set up a women's court was Andhra Pradesh. 
  • The first marine national park was started in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
  • The first talkie film was Alam Ara (1931).
  • The first television reception center was based in Arvi, Maharashtra.
  • The highest airfield in the world is in Thoise, Ladakh.
  • India's first Antarctica expedition was on January 11, 1982. 
  • India's first satellite Aryabhatta was launched on April 19, 1975.
  • India's first indigenously built submarine was INS 'Shakti' (commissioned on February 7, 1992).