Table of Contents
Prime Ministers of India List
List of Prime Ministers of India: In India, the executive department of the government is headed by the Prime Minister. Along with serving as the president of India’s Council of Ministers, the prime minister also serves as his top advisor. The Prime Minister (PM) must be a member of the political party or coalition that holds a majority in the Lok Sabha, one of India’s two houses of parliament. The other house is the Rajya Sabha, which is the Council of the States. Narendra Damodardas Modi is the Present Prime Minister of India.
All Prime Ministers of India List from 1947 to 2023
Here is the List of Prime Ministers of India from 1947 to 2023.
| 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 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) | 2014-Present | Three PMs served two terms or more prior to Modi. In 2019, he too was added to this coveted list. |
Prime Ministers of India List: Powers & Function
The Head of the Indian Government is the Prime Minister. The ministers’ separate portfolios may be assigned by the prime minister. The Prime Minister serves as the Cabinet’s chairman and leads meetings of the Cabinet. If there is a significant disagreement in opinion among the members, he can impose his decision. When attending high-level international conferences, the prime minister represents the nation. The President and cabinet are connected by the Prime Ministers of India. All Cabinet decisions relating to the management of Union affairs and legislative proposals are sent to the President by him. The Nuclear Command Authority, NITI Aayog, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Space, and the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions are all under the direction of the Prime Minister. He serves as the President’s top adviser.
List of RBI Governors of India
Prime Minister of India Eligibility
- He/she must be citizen of India.
- He/she must be 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.
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.
All Prime Ministers of India Salary, Oath & 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 sovereignty and integrity of India.
- To carry out his responsibilities for his office honestly and faithfully.
- To act honorably 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.
Position of Prime Ministers of India
The Prime Minister has been held in considerably higher regard since the time of the first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. His leadership of the majority party and dominant position in the Cabinet both contribute to his preeminence.
When all of these positions of authority are merged in one person, he ranks significantly higher than a regular Minister. The Council of Ministers is automatically dissolved upon the passing or resignation of the Prime Minister. The result is a vacuum. A Minister’s death, resignation, or termination just leaves a vacancy, which the Prime Minister may or may not want to fill. The absence of a Minister can be easily made up for, but the Government cannot function without a Prime Minister.
List of Chief Ministers of India
First Prime Minister of India
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 August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru became the country’s first prime minister. 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.
Relationship between Prime Minister & The 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 74 | Describes the relationship between the president and the council of ministers. The PM serves as the head of the council that provides advice to the president on various matters. |
| Article 75 | Three things are mentioned:
|
| 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. |
Prime Ministers of India UPSC
| 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 |
List of Vice Presidents of India
List of Prime Ministers of India FAQs
Q Who was the 1st Prime Minister of India?
Ans. Jawahar Lala Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India
Q Who is the first woman Prime Minister?
Ans. Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India.
Q Who is 1 day CM India?
Ans. Jagdambika Pal was 1day CM India. He currently holds the record for the shortest tenure of any Indian state’s chief minister, at just one day. He’s renowned as the “one-day chief minister” in popular culture. However, the legitimacy of his administration is in question because the Allahabad High Court had ruled that the Kalyan Singh government’s removal was unconstitutional.
Q Who is the First Lady CM in India?
Ans. Indian politician and liberation activist Sucheta Kripalani was the 1st lady CM in India. She led the Uttar Pradesh government from 1963 to 1967 as the country’s first female chief minister.
Q Who is the No 1 cm in India?
Ans. Pawan Kumar Chamling was number one CM in India.
Major Incidents in Indian History
- Quit India Movement
- Chauri Chaura Incident
- Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- Green Revolution in India
- Non-Cooperation Movement
Other Famous Personalities Biography
Mangal Pandey |
Maharana Pratap |
Rabindranath Tagore |
Bhagat Singh |
Jyotiba Phule |
Satyendra Nath Bose |
Raja Ram Mohan Roy |
Subhash Chandra Bose |
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