Indian polity and international relations: Identify the first Indian to deliver a speech in Hindi at the United Nations General Assembly. Among notable Indian leaders who addressed the UN, who was the earliest to use Hindi at the UNGA podium? Choose the correct option.

Given data

• We are asked to identify the first Indian leader who spoke in Hindi at the UN General Assembly.

Concept/Approach
Recall milestone UNGA addresses by Indian leaders and note the language used.

Reasoning
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as India’s External Affairs Minister, addressed the UNGA in Hindi in 1977 (and again in 1978). This is widely recorded as the first UNGA speech by an Indian leader delivered in Hindi.

Verification/Alternative
Indira Gandhi and L. K. Advani did not claim this specific 'first' at UNGA; Prime Minister Narendra Modi later addressed UNGA in Hindi (2014), but not the first.

Common pitfalls
Confusing the first Hindi address (Vajpayee, 1977) with later high-profile Hindi addresses (e.g., 2014).

Final Answer
Atal Bihari Vajpayee