On June 9, 2024, after winning the Lok Sabha elections for the third consecutive time, Narendra Modi took the oath as the Prime Minister of India at 7:15 PM. Following Jawaharlal Nehru, Narendra Modi has become the second Prime Minister in the country’s history to achieve this milestone. Nehru had previously won three consecutive elections and served as Prime Minister.
This article covers India’s Prime Ministers’ list and highlights their significant national contributions. Every five years, India’s public votes in the Lok Sabha elections, which allow voters to choose the Prime Minister, an important person who leads the development of the country.
In India, the Prime Minister acts as the effective head of the Union executive. While formally chosen by the President, the person selected to be Prime Minister must lead the party with the majority in the Lok Sabha. If no single party has a clear majority, the President may use discretion to appoint the Prime Minister.
Typically, in such cases, the President appoints the leader of the largest party or coalition in the Lok Sabha as Prime Minister, with the mandate to secure a vote of confidence within one month. In the 72 years since independence, India has had 19 Prime Ministers. Below is a table listing the Prime Ministers of India along with their terms in office:
List of Prime Ministers of India From 1947 to 2024 | ||||
S.No. | Names | Birth-Death | Tenure | Interesting Facts |
1 | Jawahar Lal Nehru | (1889–1964) | 15 August 1947-27 May 1964 16 years, 286 days. | Prime Minister of independent India for the first and longest period. First, the in-office death of a prime minister. |
2 | Gulzarilal Nanda | (1898–1998) | 27 May 1964 to 9 June 1964 13 days. | After Nehru’s untimely death, the nation’s first acting prime minister assumed control. |
3 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | (1904–1966) | 9 June 1964 to 11 January 1966 1 year, 216 days. | During the Indo-Pak war in 1965, he was the originator of the phrase “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.” |
4 | Gulzarilal Nanda | (1898-1998) | 11 January 1966, 24 January 1966 13 days. | The only man to have twice served as acting prime minister of India. |
5 | Indira Gandhi | (1917–1984) | 24 January 1966 to 24 March 1977 11 years, 59 days. | The Indian prime minister’s spouse, who took the oath of office |
6 | Morarji Desai | (1896–1995) | 24 March 1977 – 28 July 1979 2 years, 126 days. | First PM in 1977 following the emergency. At 81 years old, India’s oldest prime minister took the oath of office before resigning. His birthday was celebrated once every four years because he was born on February 29. |
7 | Charan Singh | (1902–1987) | 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980 170 days. | Only PM who has never addressed the legislature |
8 | Indira Gandhi | (1917–1984) | 14 Jan.1980 to 31 Oct. 1984 4 years, 291 days. | Following the disaster in 1977, the first PM returned to power in 1980. Like her father, she also passed away while in office. |
9 | Rajiv Gandhi | (1944–1991) | 31 Oct 1984 to 2 Dec 1989 5 years, 32 days. | At the age of 40, he became India’s youngest prime minister. |
10 | V. P. Singh | (1931–2008) | 2 Dec 1989 to 10 Nov 1990 343 days. | First prime minister to leave following a no-confidence vote |
11 | Chandra Shekhar | (1927–2007) | 10 Nov 1990 to 21 June 1991 223 days. | He has never held a position of minister in any ministry. |
12 | P. V. Narasimha Rao | (1921–2004) | 21 June 1991 to 16 May 1996, 4 years, 330 days. | He was from Andhra Pradesh and served as the nation’s first South Indian prime minister. |
13 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | (1924-2018) | 16 May 1996 to 1 June 1996 16 days. | The shortest tenure of any Indian PM is 16 days as PM. |
14 | H. D. Deve Gowda | (born 1933) | 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997 324 days. | He succeeded as South India’s second prime minister. He is a Karnataka native. But he didn’t work there for more than a year. |
15 | Inder Kumar Gujral | (1919–2012) | 21 April 1997 to 19 March 1998 332 days. | After Indra Gandhi and Deve Gowda, the third Prime Minister came from the Upper House. |
16 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | (born 1924-2018) | 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004 6 years, 64 days. | First non-Congress Prime Minister of independent India to serve out his full tenure |
17 | Manmohan Singh | (born 1932) | 22 May 2004 to 26 May 2014 10 years, 4 days. | First PM of India from a minority community. |
18 | Narendra Modi | (born 1950) | 2014-Present | Three PMs served two terms or more before Modi. In 2019, he too was added to this coveted list. |
List of Cabinet Ministers of India
India has been led by a series of remarkable individuals who have served as Prime Ministers. These leaders have been crucial in determining the direction of the nation and have guided India through its political, economic, and social hurdles. From Jawaharlal Nehru, the inaugural Prime Minister of independent India, to the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi, each leader has brought their distinctive vision and leadership approach to the forefront.
Jawaharlal Nehru assumed office as the inaugural Prime Minister of India on August 15, 1947, while the current Prime Minister is Narendra Damodardas Modi. Explore the table below for a comprehensive List of Prime Ministers of India spanning from 1947 to 2024.
-Atal Bihari Vajpayee was one of the finest Prime Ministers our country had ever seen. During his tenure, inflation was very low in India.
-He worked on economic reforms and policies, and telecom sectors, and focused more on rural India.
-Interestingly, during his tenure, the India-Pakistan relationship got a little better.
-He is one of the only leaders who has won six Lok Sabha constituencies from four different states (UP, Delhi, MP, and Gujarat).
The Prime Ministers of India have been very important in shaping the country’s future. Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee each helped India in different ways. They did things to make India better, like starting democracy and planning for the economy.
Longest-serving Prime Minister of India | Jawaharlal Nehru (1947 – 1964) |
India’s second-longest-serving Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
Two times as acting Prime Minister | Gulzari Lal Nanda |
The Bharat Ratna was awarded to the first Female Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
The first Prime Minister of India who was not a member of the Congress | Morarji Desai |
The highest civilian honor in Pakistan was given to the Indian Prime Minister | Morarji Desai |
India’s Youngest Prime Minister | Rajiv Gandhi |
First South Indian Prime Minister | P.V. Narasimha Rao |
The first Prime Minister of India who was a member of the Rajya Sabha | Indira Gandhi |
The current Prime Minister of India is Narendra Modi, serving in his second term since May 30, 2019.
The Prime Minister of India is appointed by the President. The person invited to assume the role must be the leader of the party with a majority in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India's Parliament).
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India, serving from August 15, 1947, to May 27, 1964.
Morarji Desai was the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India, serving from March 24, 1977, to July 28, 1979.
Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister of India, serving in two non-consecutive terms from January 24, 1966, to March 24, 1977, and then from January 14, 1980, to October 31, 1984.
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