A look into the PM’s of India, from Nehru to Modi.

Jawaharlal Nehru (1947 to 1964): One of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement and the nation’s first prime minister, Nehru was born in Prayagraj (then called Allahabad) on Nov. 14, 1889. Considered the architect behind India’s emergence as a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic, Nehru’s inaugural address – “Tryst with Destiny” – delivered on midnight of Aug. 14, 1947, is still regarded as one of the most moving speeches of all time. Nehru died at the age of 74 on May 27, 1964.

Gulzari Lal Nanda (1964 and 1966): Born in Sialkot (now in Pakistan) on July 4, 1898, Nanda is best remembered as an economist who worked on labor issues. The nation’s first acting prime minister, he served for two brief spells – once in 1964 after the death of Nehru 1964 and the second time in 1966 after that of Lal Bahadur Shastri. Nanda died at age 99 on Jan. 15, 1998.

Lal Bahadur Shastri (1964 to 1966): Shastri coined the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan” and led the nation through the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. Born in Mughalsarai on Oct. 2, 1904, he was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and one of the more prominent faces of the national independence struggle. Shastri died at the age of 61 on Jan. 11, 1966.

Indira Gandhi (1966 to 1977, 1980 to 1984): India’s first female prime minister was born in Prayagraj (then called Allahabad) on Nov. 19, 1917. She served as the country’s leader on two occasions. The first was marked by controversial events like the Emergency and the second by Operation Blue Star. She was assassinated, at age 66, on Oct. 31, 1984.

Morarji Desai (1977 to 1979): A former minister of finance and home affairs, Desai was born in the village of Bhadeli on Feb. 29, 1896. Originally a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), he joined an offshoot – the Indian National Congress (Organisation) or INC (O) in 1966 – and, backed by a coalition with the Janata Party, became the first non-Congress prime minister. He is best remembered for promoting peaceful relations between India and rival states such as Pakistan and China. Desai passed away at the age of 99, on April 10, 1995.

Charan Singh (1979 to 1980): Born in Noorpur, Singh grew up in a farmer’s family. He held several legislative and ministerial posts in his career, including working as a Cabinet Minister in charge of Justice and Information and that for Revenue and Agriculture. He is best remembered for land reforms in Uttar Pradesh and pushing through the Land Holding Act of 1960. Singh died at 84 on May 29, 1987.

Rajiv Gandhi (1984 to 1989): Gandhi was 40 years old when he succeeded his mother, Indira, as prime minister of India. Born in Mumbai (then Bombay), on Aug. 20, 1944, he was initially reluctant to enter politics despite his family’s rich history in the same.

However, he was forced to do so after his brother, Sanjay, died in a plane crash in 1980. Riding a wave of sympathy, the Gandhi-led Congress won a record 401 of 508 seats in the 1984 election. His term was marked by crises like the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which led to his assassination on May 21, 1991, at age 46.

V. P. Singh (1989 to 1990): Best remembered for implementing the Mandal Commission’s report for backward classes, Singh was born in Prayagraj (then called Allahabad), on June 25, 1931. He served as the minister of defense and finance before becoming prime minister. He passed away at 77 on Nov. 27, 2008. 

Chandra Shekhar (1990 to 1991): Born to a family of farmers in Ibrahimpatti on July 1, 1927, Shekhar was a member of both the Rajya Sabha (1962-67) and Lok Sabha (1977-79, 1980-84 and 1989-90). Associated with both the Congress (during Indira Gandhi’s reign) and the Janata Party (which headed a coalition government with Desai as prime minister), Shekhar was, at one time, also the defense and home affairs minister. He passed away at 80, on July 8, 2007.

P. V. Narasimha Rao (1991 to 1996): Born in Karimnagar on June 28, 1921, Rao entered politics as a student activist and, after serving in the Andhra Pradesh state assembly for two decades, was a member of the Lok Sabha in the governments of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. As prime minister, his time was marked by efforts to liberalize the economy and the laying of a foundation for progressive economic reforms. It was also marked by the demolition of Babri Mosque on Dec. 6, 1992. Rao died aged 83 on Dec. 23, 2004.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1996, 1998 to 2004): The only prime minister to have served three terms, Vajpayee was first sworn-in to the office in May 1996. However, his government failed to attract support from the opposition and was disbanded after only 13 days. The leader of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he returned two years later, on the back of a coalition government. He consolidated his position in the next election, and became the first non-Congress leader to serve a five-year term. His tenure was marked by a program of divestment of public funds from state-run industries. He passed away at the age of 93, on Aug. 16, 2018.

H. D. Deve Gowda (1996 to 1997): Best known for being a supporter of socio-economic development, freedom and equality, Deve Gowda remained close to the agrarian community through his tenure, often highlighting problems farmers faced. Born in the village of Haradanahalli on May 18, 1933, he served as chief minister of Karnataka between 1994 and 1996 and also as the Minister of Home Affairs in 1996.

I. K. Gujral (1997 to 1998): Only the third prime minister to be elected from the Rajya Sabha (after Indira Gandhi and Deve Gowda), Gujral was born in Jhelum (now in Pakistan) on Dec. 4, 1919. Born to a family of freedom fighters, he led the External Affairs and Water Resources ministries and served as the Indian Ambassador to the former Soviet Union before becoming prime minister. Gujral died at the age of 92, on Nov. 30, 2012.

Manmohan Singh (2004 to 2014): The first Sikh to serve as prime minister, Singh was the first since Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term. Born in Gah (now in Pakistan) on Sept. 26, 1932, he previously served as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as head of the Planning Commission and the minister of finance.

Narendra Modi (2014-): Born in Vadnagar on Sept. 17, 1950, Modi was previously the chief minister of Gujarat. Modi and the right-wing BJP won the 2014 general election with record numbers across some North Indian states. In 2016, his government demonetized banknotes worth INR 500 and INR 1000, with an aim to curb corruption and use of counterfeit currency, which led to a major decline in the nation’s stock indices.