India was elected as a President of General Assembly of the United Nations in 1953. Who occupied the office on behalf of India?

S. Radha Krishnan
Gopalswamy Iyyengar
V. K. Krishna Menon
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

The correct answer is: D. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first woman to preside over the United Nations General Assembly. She was elected to the position in 1953, and served as president from September 1953 to September 1954.

Pandit was born in 1900 in Allahabad, India. She was the daughter of Motilal Nehru, a prominent Indian nationalist, and Swarup Rani Nehru. Her brother was Jawaharlal Nehru, who would become the first prime minister of India.

Pandit was educated in India and England. She married Ranjit Pandit, a lawyer, in 1921. The couple had three children.

Pandit entered politics in the 1930s. She was a member of the Indian National Congress, and served as a member of the Indian Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1947.

After India gained independence in 1947, Pandit served as India’s ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1949. She was also India’s ambassador to the United States from 1949 to 1952.

In 1953, Pandit was elected president of the United Nations General Assembly. She was the first woman to hold this position.

Pandit served as president of the General Assembly until 1954. After her term ended, she returned to India and served in various government positions. She was also a member of the Indian Parliament from 1964 to 1977.

Pandit died in 1990 at the age of 89. She was a respected figure in Indian politics and international affairs.