First Woman President of the Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded in 1885. Over its long history, it has had many distinguished presidents. One of the most frequently asked GK questions is: who was the first woman to become President of the INC?

Question (Click to Flip)

What year did Annie Besant become Congress President?

Answer

Annie Besant became President of the Indian National Congress in 1917, presiding over the Calcutta Session.

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Key Facts

Annie Besant founded the Theosophical Society's Indian headquarters at Adyar, Chennai, which still exists today. She started the newspaper 'New India' to promote the cause of Indian Home Rule.

Annie Besant — The First Woman President

Annie Besant (1847–1933) was the first woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress. She presided over the 1917 Calcutta Session of the Congress.

Who was Annie Besant?

She was an Irish-British social reformer, theosophist, and champion of Indian Home Rule.
She founded the Home Rule League in India in 1916, advocating for self-governance for India within the British Empire.
As a non-Indian woman becoming president of the leading Indian political body, her election was a remarkable and historic moment.

First Indian Woman President

While Annie Besant was the first woman president, she was British-Irish. The first Indian woman to become Congress President was:

Sarojini Naidu (the 'Nightingale of India'), who presided over the 1925 Kanpur Session of the INC. She was also the first woman Governor of an Indian state (Uttar Pradesh, 1947).

Questions and Answers

What year did Annie Besant become Congress President?+

Annie Besant became President of the Indian National Congress in **1917**, presiding over the Calcutta Session.

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