Firsts in Assam ( Male)

Achievement / Role

Name

Year / Details

First Prime Minister / Chief Minister (Pre-Independence)

Sir Syed Muhammad Saadulla

1937–1938

First Chief Minister of Assam (Post-Independence)

Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi

1946–1950

First President of India from Assam

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

5th President of India (1974–1977)

First Union Cabinet Minister from Assam

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

Cabinet portfolios including Food & Agriculture

First Assamese President of Indian National Congress

Devakanta Baruah

1975–1977

First Governor from Assam

Bishnuram Medhi

Governor of Madras State (1957–1964)

First Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly

Basanta Kumar Das

1937

First Assamese Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court

Haliram Deka

Appointed in 1961

First Supreme Court Judge from Assam

Parvati Kumar Goswami

Appointed in 1973

First Chief Justice of India from Assam

Ranjan Gogoi

46th Chief Justice of India (2018–2019)

First Chief Election Commissioner from Assam

Harishankar Brahma

19th CEC of India (2015)

Achievement / Role

Name

Year / Details

First Graduate & ICS (Civil Service) Officer

Anundoram Borooah (Anandaram Baruah)

Cracked ICS in 1872

First Assamese Male IPS Officer

Dhiren Choudhury

Post-independence service

First Assamese Barrister

Anundoram Borooah

Called to the Bar in London

First Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University

Krishna Kanta Handique

Served 1948–1957

First Assamese VC of a University Outside Assam

Sarat Kumar Dutta

Kurukshetra University

First Assamese to receive Ph.D. (London University)

Dr. Maidul Islam Bora

Ph.D. in Persian Literature

First Assamese to receive D.Litt. (London University)

Dr. Surjya Kumar Bhuyan

Noted historian and academician

First Assamese Director of AIIMS (New Delhi)

Dr. Ramesh Chandra Deka

Director of AIIMS

Achievement / Role

Name

Year / Details

First Assamese Film Director & Filmmaker

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala

Directed Joymoti (1935)

First Assamese Director in Hindi/Bengali Cinema

Pramathesh Barua

Directed iconic Devdas (1935)

First Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee from Assam

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Awarded in 1992

First Asom Ratna Recipient

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Awarded in 2009

First National Film Awardee for Best Film Critic

Utpal Borpujari

Awarded in 2002

First Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi from Assam

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Served 1998–2003

Achievement / Role

Name

Year / Details

First Recipient of Jnanpith Award in Assamese

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya

1979 (For the novel Mrityunjay)

First Sahitya Akademi Awardee in Assamese

Jatindranath Duwarah

1955 (For Bonphool)

First President of Asam Sahitya Sabha

Padmanath Gohain Baruah

1917 (Sivasagar Session)

First Assamese Short Story Writer

Lakshminath Bezbaruah

Published Surabhi (1909)

First Assamese Historical Novelist

Padmanath Gohain Baruah

Wrote Bhanumati (1890)

First Assamese Prose Writer

Bhattadeva (Baikunthanatha)

Authored Katha Gita

First Assamese Modern Playwright

Gunabhiram Baruah

Wrote Ram Navami (1857)

First Assamese Modern Sonnet Writer

Hemchandra Goswami

Wrote Priyotomar Sithi

First Assamese Lexicographer

Jaduram Deka Baruah

Compiled early dictionary (1839)

First Anglo-Assamese Dictionary Compiler

Hemchandra Barua

Compiled Hemkosh

First Assamese Printed Book Author

Atmaram Sarma

Translated Dharma Pustak (1813)

Achievement / Role

Name

Year / Details

First Bharat Ratna Awardee from Assam

Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi

Awarded posthumously in 1999

First Bharat Ratna in Performing Arts from Assam

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Awarded posthumously in 2019

First Padma Vibhushan Awardee from Assam

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Awarded posthumously in 2012

First Padma Bhushan Awardee from Assam

Krishna Kanta Handique

Awarded in 1967 (Nabakanta Baruah won in 1976)

First Padma Shri Awardee (Male) from Assam

Krishna Kanta Handique

Awarded in 1955

First Assam Valley Literary Award Winner

Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia

Awarded in 1990

First Srimanta Sankardeva Award Winner

Kirtinath Hazarika

Awarded in 1986

Achievement / Role

Name

Year / Details

First Asian Games Gold Medalist from Assam

Bhogeswar Baruah

1966 Bangkok Asian Games (400m)

First Arjuna Awardee from Assam

Bhogeswar Baruah

Awarded in 1966

First Assamese Olympian / Olympic Captain

Dr. Talimeren Ao

Captained Indian Football Team (1948 London Olympics)

First Assamese Person to Climb Mount Everest

Tarun Saikia

Climbed May 18, 2013

First Assamese Player in IPL

Abu Nechim Ahmed

Played for Mumbai Indians & RCB

First Assamese to debut for Senior Indian Men’s Cricket Team

Riyan Parag

Made T20I debut in July 2024

Achievement / Role

Name

Year / Details

First Commercial Native Tea Planter in Assam

Maniram Dewan

Established tea gardens at Cinnamara & Senglung

First Freedom Fighter & Martyr of 1857 Revolt in Assam

Maniram Dewan

Executed by British on Feb 26, 1858

First Assamese in Guinness World Records

Apuraj Barooah

2011 (Longest scratch art piece)