List of Prime Ministers of India From 1947 to 2023

List of Prime Ministers of India From 1947 to 2023: This article delivers a comprehensive overview of the List of Prime Ministers of India and their contributions throughout the country’s history. Lok Sabha elections are conducted every five years in India to elect the Prime Minister, who serves as the leader of the nation. Currently, the esteemed position is held by Narendra Modi, who is the 18th Prime Minister of India. However, the first Prime Minister of India was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who served from August 15, 1947, to May 27, 1964.

List of Prime Ministers of India From 1947 to 2023

In 72 years of independence, India has got its 19 Prime Ministers. The list of Prime Ministers of India along with the period they served in office, is given in the table below:

List of Presidents of India 

Who is called the Prime Minister of India?

• The Prime Minister of India is the head of government of the Republic of India.
• Even though the President of India is the constitutional, nominal, and ceremonial head of state, in ordinary parlance, the executive authority is vested in the Prime Minister and his chosen Council of Ministers.
• In 72 years of independence, India has got its 19 Prime Ministers.
• Uttar Pradesh is the state which has given the most number of Prime Ministers.

List of Cabinate Ministers of India 

Brief Introduction of Prime Ministers of India

India has seen a succession of remarkable leaders who have held the prestigious position of Prime Minister. These individuals have played a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of the nation and have been instrumental in navigating India through its political, economic, and social challenges. From Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, to the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, each leader has brought their unique vision and leadership style to the forefront.

Jawaharlal Nehru(15th Aug 1947- 27th May 1964)

• He was the first Prime Minister of independent India who played an important role in shaping modern India by transmitting modern values and thinking.
• Being a social reformer, one of his major works was reforming the ancient Hindu civil code, which gave Hindu widows equal rights to men.
• He was also the author of many books like Discovery of India.

Gulzarilal Nanda

• 1st Term- Interim(27th May 1964- 9th Jun 1964)
• 2nd Term- 11th January 1966- 24th January 1966
• The first interim Prime Minister of India. Basically, he served twice as an interim PM in 1964 after Jawaharlal Nehru’s death and then in 1966 when Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away.
• He also received India’s highest civilian honor, Bharat Ratna, in 1997.

Lal Bahadur Shastri(9th June 1964 -11th January 1966)

• An ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi, who gave the popular slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ after the 1965 India- Pakistan war.
• He was a soft-spoken person who promoted the ‘White Revolution’ to increase milk production in India. Then, this great personality died in USSR during his visit.

Indira Gandhi

• First Term(24th January 1966- 24th March 1977)
• Second Term(14th January 1980- 31st October 1984)
• She was the first woman Prime Minister of India & also the world’s longest-serving woman PM.
• Her contributions were remembered for India’s win over Pakistan in 1971.
• However, she is also criticized for the emergency imposed from 1975- 1977.
• Ultimately, she was killed by her own bodyguards at her official residence in New Delhi.

Morarji Desai(24th March 1977- 28th July 1979)

• Morarji Desai was the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.
• He and his minister formally ended the state of emergency that Indira Gandhi from 1975-1977 imposed.
• He is also considered one of the oldest individuals to take over the responsibilities of the Prime Minister and was also the Indian PM to resign during his tenure.

Charan Singh(28th July 1979- 14th January 1980)

• Charan Singh has been the Revenue Minister of Uttar Pradesh who removed the Zamindari system and brought in Land Reform Acts.
• Afterward, in 1970 Charan Singh also became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Rajiv Gandhi(31st October 1984- 2nd December 1989)

• Rajiv Gandhi became the youngest Prime Minister to take office and played a significant role in bringing computers to India.
• He modernized the Indian administration & worked for improving the bilateral relationships with the US, which undoubtedly expanded economic cooperation.
• He was also the second PM of India to have been killed during his tenure, after Indira Gandhi.

Shri Vishwanath Pratap Singh(2nd December 1989- 10th November 1990)

• V.P. Singh was the founder of Gopal Vidyalaya, Allahabad. He was first appointed as a Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by Indira Gandhi.
• Later he became the Prime Minister of India. Under his tenure, the decision to provide 27% reservation to OBC was implemented.
• He was also the first Indian Prime Minister who had to step down after a no-confidence motion.

Chandra Shekhar(10th November 1990-21st June 1991)

• Chandra Shekhar, the 9th Prime Minister, had been a part of several political parties.
• First, he was a member of the Socialist Party and later joined the Congress and then the Janata Dal Party.
• He was the President of the Janata Party from 1977- 1988.

P.V. Narasimha Rao(21st June 1991- 16th May 1996)

• P. V. Narasimha Rao was one of the brilliant administrators who brought major economic reforms.
• He is also known as the Father of Indian Economic Reforms.
• It was him who dismantled the License Raj and reversed the socialist policies of Rajiv Gandhi’s government.
• Due to such abilities and work, he is also referred to as ‘Chanakya’.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

• First Term(16th May 1996-1st June 1996)

• Second Term(18th March 1998- 22nd May 2004)

• 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, 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).

H.D. Deve Gowda(1st June 1996- 21st April 1997)

• Deve Gowda held additional charges of Home Affairs, Petroleum, and Chemicals, Urban Employment, Food processing, Personnel, etc., during that time.
• He had been collectively elected as leader of the United Front coalition government.
• The most significant work during his term as PM was his resistance to signing CTBT(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty).

I.K. Gujral(21st April 1997- 18th March 1998)

• Shri Inder Kumar Gujral was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of India on Monday, the 21st of April, 1997.
• Before assuming the office of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Gujral was the Minister of External Affairs from June 1, 1996, and held additional charge of the Ministry of Water Resources from June 28, 1996.
• He was the Minister of External Affairs earlier during 1989-1990. He was Ambassador of India to U.S.S.R. (Cabinet Rank) from 1976-1980.

Manmohan Singh(22nd May 2004 -17th May 2014)

• The major task done during the tenure of Manmohan Singh was working for the reformation of the banking, the financial sector, and public companies.
• His government brought in the value-added tax and worked & even the National Rural Health Mission commenced in the year 2005. Eight additional IITs were opened in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, MP, Orissa, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh.

Narendra Modi

• First Term(26th May 2014 -23rd May 2019)

• Second Term(30th May 2019 -Incumbent)

• Sri Narendra Damodardas Modi held office as PM on May 26, 2014.
• He is the 15th Prime Minister of India.
• Since the beginning of his tenure in 2014, he has shown strict governance & has enforced many policies, such as the Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Clean Ganga project, etc., for the upliftment of the nation.
• His government abrogated menaces like Triple Talaq, Article 370, etc.
• Narendra Modi swore in as the 16th Prime Minister for the second term from May 30, 2019.

Important Facts about Prime Ministers of India for UPSC

The Prime Ministers of India have played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s destiny and have left a lasting impact on its political, economic, and social fabric. From Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister, who laid the foundation of India’s democracy and initiated its economic planning, to leaders like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, each Prime Minister has contributed to the country’s progress in their unique way. Whether

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