Who was the first Indian to enter and serve in the Indian Civil Service (ICS) under British rule?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on the history of the Indian Civil Service (ICS), which was the elite administrative service of the British government in India. Knowing who first broke the racial barrier and succeeded in entering the ICS is important for understanding the gradual Indianisation of the higher bureaucracy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The service in question is the Indian Civil Service.
• We must identify the first Indian who entered and served in it.
• Options include Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Satyendranath Tagore, Ramanuja and Rabindranath Tagore.
• We assume knowledge that the ICS examinations were initially held in London and were very competitive.

Concept / Approach:
Satyendranath Tagore, the elder brother of the poet Rabindranath Tagore, was the first Indian to qualify for and join the Indian Civil Service. He passed the ICS examination in the 1860s and took up posting in India, becoming a symbol of Indian entry into the higher echelons of colonial administration. Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Rabindranath Tagore were influential in politics and culture but did not serve in the ICS. Ramanuja refers here to a religious philosopher from a much earlier period, not a colonial civil servant.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question is about the first Indian ICS officer, not simply a famous leader or intellectual.Step 2: Recall that Satyendranath Tagore is widely recognised as the first Indian to enter the ICS.Step 3: Note that Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a nationalist leader and social reformer, not an ICS officer.Step 4: Recognise that Rabindranath Tagore was a Nobel Prize winning poet and educationalist, again not part of the ICS.Step 5: Ramanuja was a medieval religious philosopher, not connected to colonial civil services.Step 6: Therefore, select Satyendranath Tagore as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
History texts on the Indian national movement and the ICS explicitly mention Satyendranath Tagore as the first Indian ICS officer. Exam-preparation manuals often list this fact in bullet-point form under headings like “Firsts in Modern India”. No serious reference credits any of the other options with this distinction, which confirms our selection.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Gopal Krishna Gokhale: A prominent moderate nationalist and leader of the Servants of India Society, but not an ICS officer.Ramanuja: A religious teacher of the 11th–12th century, centuries before the ICS was created.Rabindranath Tagore: A celebrated poet and thinker, but he did not join the administrative services.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates confuse Satyendranath with Rabindranath because they share a surname and belong to the same family. Others may guess Gokhale because of his prominence in modern Indian history. To answer correctly, remember the specific pairing “First Indian ICS officer – Satyendranath Tagore”.

Final Answer:
The first Indian to enter the Indian Civil Service was Satyendranath Tagore.