Who was the 1st Prime Minister of India?

Jawahar Lala Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

Who is the first woman Prime Minister?

Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India.

Who is the current Prime Minister of India?

Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. He has been serving since May 26, 2014.

How many Prime Ministers has India had?

India has had 14 Prime Ministers so far, including the current Prime Minister.

Which Prime Minister of India served the longest?

Jawaharlal Nehru served as Prime Minister of India for the longest period of time, i.e., 16 years and 286 days.

Which Prime Minister of India served the shortest?

Gulzarilal Nanda served as Prime Minister of India for the shortest period of time, i.e., 13 days in 1964 and 6 days in 1966.

Which Prime Minister of India is the only female Prime Minister?

Indira Gandhi is the only female Prime Minister of India. She served from January 19, 1966 to March 24, 1977 and from July 15, 1980 to October 31, 1984.

List of Prime Ministers of India 1947 to 2024, Current PM

Table of Contents

The prime minister is the head of the executive branch and the presiding authority under India’s parliamentary system of government. The prime minister is typically the leader of the party or coalition that holds a majority in the Lok Sabha, the main legislative body of the Republic of India. The Lok Sabha is the lower chamber of the Indian Parliament. The prime minister’s primary oversight body is the Lok Sabha. The president of India appoints the prime minister, but he or she needs the backing of the majority of the Lok Sabha members, who are elected directly every five years, in order to hold onto the position. The prime minister may be present in either the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha, the upper house of parliament. The distribution of jobs within the government and the appointment and removal of Union Council of Ministers members are both solely within the prime minister’s purview.

Current Prime Minister of India

Narendra Damodardas Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. Narendra Damodardas Modi is an Indian politician who has served as the 14th Prime Minister of India since May 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament for Varanasi. The Prime Minister of India List is an important part of General Awareness which is an important subject in the UPSC Syllabus 2024.

First Prime Minister of India

Jawaharlal Nehru became the country’s first prime minister. An Indian freedom warrior who belonged to the Indian National Congress party was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He served as Phulpur’s MP. After India gained independence on 15 August 1947, Lord Mountbatten picked him, and he formed the First Nehru Ministry with fifteen other ministers. He served in office from 15 August 1947 to 15 April 1952 during his first term.

First Women Prime Minister of India

India’s first female prime minister was Indira Gandhi. She held the position of Prime Minister of India for four terms totaling three consecutive terms (1980–1984) and one term from 1980–1984 before being killed.

List of Prime Ministers of India from 1947 to 2024

Here is the All Prime minister 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.	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 to come 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 the minority community.
18	Narendra Modi	(born 1950)	26 May 2014-Present	Three PMs served two terms or more prior to Modi. In 2019, he too was added to this coveted list.

List of Prime Ministers by Length of Term

Name	Political Party	Length of term
Jawaharlal Nehru	INC	16 years, 286 days
Indira Gandhi	INC/INC(I)/INC(R)	11 years, 59 days
Manmohan Singh	INC	10 years, 4 days
Narendra Modi	BJP	9 years, 167 days (Incumbent)
Atal Bihari Vajpayee	BJP	6 years, 64 days
Rajiv Gandhi	INC(I)	5 years, 32 days
P. V. Narasimha Rao	INC(I)	4 years, 330 days
Morarji Desai	JP	2 years, 126 days
Lal Bahadur Shastri	INC	1 year, 216 days
Vishwanath Pratap Singh	JD	343 days
Inder Kumar Gujral	JD	332 days
H. D. Deve Gowda	JD	324 days
Chandra Shekhar	SJP(R)	223 days
Charan Singh	JP(S)	170 days
Gulzarilal Nanda	INC	13 days

Prime Minister Constitutional Provisions

The Prime Minister will be chosen by the President of India, according to Article 75 of the Indian Constitution.
The Cabinet Ministers are led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is given primary executive authority over the government, with the President serving as the official head of State.
The responsibilities of the Prime Minister of India are outlined in Article 78 of the Indian Constitution. While performing his duties, he serves as a liaison between the President and the Cabinet.
The Indian Prime Minister sets the dates for its meetings and events during the session of Parliament. He also makes the call on when to dissolve or prorogue the House.
In his capacity as chief spokesman, he announces major government initiatives.

Appointment of Prime Minister of India

Only states in section 75 that the Prime Minister must be chosen by the President; nevertheless, the President is not free to choose anyone for the position.
The President must appoint the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha as Prime Minister in accordance with the rules of the parliamentary system.

Prime Minister of India Power and Function

The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet, which is the highest decision-making body in the government. The Cabinet consists of ministers who are appointed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is responsible for convening and presiding over Cabinet meetings, and he has the power to decide on the agenda of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister has a number of powers and functions, including:

Executive Powers

The Prime Minister is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the government. This includes implementing government policies, making appointments to key government positions, and representing India at international forums.

Legislative Powers

The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. As such, the Prime Minister has a significant influence on the legislative process. The Prime Minister can advise the President to summon or prorogue the Parliament, and he can also recommend the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

Financial Powers

The Prime Minister is responsible for preparing the annual budget of the government. The budget must be approved by the Parliament, but the Prime Minister has a significant influence on the budget process.

Emergency Powers

In the event of a national emergency, the Prime Minister can exercise special powers under Article 352 of the Constitution of India. These powers include the power to suspend the fundamental rights of citizens and the power to impose the President’s rule in the states.

Eligibility For Prime Minister of India

He/she must be a citizen of India.
He/she must be a member of either Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha
He or she must be at least 25 years old to serve in the Lok Sabha and must be at least 30 years old to serve in the Rajya Sabha.

Prime Ministers Salary, Oath and Tenure

He takes the oaths of office and secrecy from the President.
The prime minister takes an oath of office.
- To have unwavering trust in and loyalty to the Indian Constitution.
- To protect the sovereignty and integrity of India.
- To carry out his responsibilities for his office honestly and faithfully.
- To act honourably toward everyone in conformity with the law and the Constitution, without favoritism, fear, or malice.
The Prime Minister pledges under his oath of secrecy not to discuss any matter brought to his attention as a Union Minister unless it is necessary for the proper performance of his duties.
The Prime Minister’s tenure is not fixed, and he serves at the President’s pleasure. The PM cannot, however, be removed by the President so long as he has the support of the majority of lawmakers in the Lok Sabha.
The Prime Minister must resign if the Lok Sabha loses confidence in him (by a majority), or the President may remove him.
The Parliament periodically decides the Prime Minister’s salary and benefits. PM receives the same salary and benefits as a member of parliament.

Relationship Between Prime Minister and President

The relationship between the Prime Minister and the President is covered by a few sections of the Indian Constitution. The articles are: Article 74, Article 75 and Article 78

Article	Details
Article 74	Describes the relationship between the president and the council of ministers. The PM serves as the head of the council and provides advice to the president on various matters.
Article 75	Three things are mentioned: The PM is chosen by the President, who also names other ministers on the PM’s recommendation. The Council of Ministers is collectively accountable to the Lok Sabha Ministers hold office at the discretion of the President.
Article 78	PM informs the President of the decisions reached by the council of members. The president may also refer matters to the council of members for discussion.

Important Facts related to Prime Minister of India for UPSC

Important Facts
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
First Prime Minister of India who was not a member of the Congress	Morarji Desai
The highest civilian honour 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
First Prime Minister of India who was a member of the Rajya Sabha	Indira Gandhi