List of Prime Ministers of India (1947-2024)
Last Updated :
26 Jun, 2024
Many government exams, such as SSC, Banking, and Railways, include questions from the general awareness section. This section is extensive, and sometimes the questions are quite factual. Therefore, we will comprehensively cover the general awareness section to help students learn and answer most questions correctly. In this article, we will provide a complete list of Prime Ministers of India from 1947 to the latest in 2024.
List of All Prime Ministers of India
Narendra Modi presently serves as the 14th Prime Minister of India, having taken office on May 30, 2019, and continuing in service for the third term. Jawaharlal Nehru holds the distinction of being India’s first and longest-serving Prime Minister, while Indira Gandhi is notably the first and only female Prime Minister of India to have held the position.
Present Prime Minister of India in 2024:
Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India in 2024. He was sworn in for a third consecutive term, leading a coalition government after two full tenures where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enjoyed a majority on its own. His leadership, which began in 2014, has been marked by substantial economic reforms, a robust foreign policy, and ambitious infrastructure projects. Currently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds the position as the 14th Prime Minister of India. He has served two consecutive terms and becomes the fourth Indian Prime Minister to achieve this feat and the first non-Congress Prime Minister to do so.
Note: The Prime Minister of India is the leader of the government in the Republic of India. While the President of India is the Constitutional, nominal, and ceremonial head of the State, the Prime Minister, along with their chosen Council of Ministers, wields executive authority.
Article 75 of the Indian Constitution mentions that a Prime Minister is someone who the President appoints. There is no specific procedure for their election or appointment. He the person who is the head of the government and chief of the executive branch of the Union Government.
Article 78 of the Indian Constitution outlines the duties of the Prime Minister of India, who serves as a connection between the President and the Cabinet in the execution of their duties.
Also, Article 74(1) of the Indian Constitution states that a Council of Ministers will be headed by a Prime Minister who will assist and advise the President. The Indian Constitution itself recognizes a Council of Ministers.
Since 1947, India has had 14 Prime Ministers and here in this article, we are going to list India’s Prime Ministers with serving tenure and more.
List of All Prime Ministers of India 1947-2024
In this table, you will find a detailed list of all Prime Ministers of India who have served from the inception of 1947 to the newly elected Prime Minister of 2024, along with their achievements.
|
Prime Ministers of India list
|
| S.No |
Prime Ministers of India since 1947 |
Tenure |
Served Years |
Birth-Death |
Party |
Achievements |
| 1 |
Shri Jawaharlal Nehru |
15 August 1947 – 27 May 1964 |
16 years, 286 days |
1889–1964 |
Indian National Congress |
First PM of India, led India’s transition to independence, established a secular and democratic state, implemented various economic and social policies. |
| 2 |
Shri Gulzarilal Nanda |
27 May 1964 – 9 June 1964 |
13 days |
1898–1998 |
Indian National Congress |
Served as interim Prime Minister. |
| 3 |
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri |
9 June 1964 – 11 January 1966 |
1 year, 216 days |
1904–1966 |
Indian National Congress |
Led India to victory in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, initiated the Green Revolution. |
| 4 |
Shri Gulzarilal Nanda |
11 January 1966 – 24 January 1966 |
13 days |
1898–1998 |
Indian National Congress |
Served as interim Prime Minister again. |
| 5 |
Smt. Indira Gandhi |
24 January 1966 – 24 March 1977 |
11 years, 59 days |
1917–1984 |
Indian National Congress |
Nationalized banks, implemented the Garibi Hatao program, played a key role in the Bangladesh Liberation War. |
| 6 |
Shri Morarji Desai |
24 March 1977 – 28 July 1979 |
2 years, 126 days |
1896–1995 |
Janata Party |
Implemented economic and social policies emphasizing rural development and self-reliance. |
| 7 |
Chaudhary Charan Singh |
28 July 1979 – 14 January 1980 |
170 days |
1902–1987 |
Janata Party |
Served as interim Prime Minister. |
| 8 |
Smt. Indira Gandhi |
14 January 1980 – 31 October 1984 |
4 years, 291 days |
1917–1984 |
Indian National Congress |
Launched the National Rural Employment Program, faced challenges of militancy in Punjab and Assam. |
| 9 |
Shri Rajiv Gandhi |
31 October 1984 – 2 December 1989 |
5 years, 32 days |
1944–1991 |
Indian National Congress |
Modernized India’s economy, introduced new technologies, launched the Panchayati Raj system. |
| 10 |
Shri Vishwanath Pratap Singh |
2 December 1989 – 10 November 1990 |
343 days |
1931–2008 |
Janata Dal |
Implemented the Mandal Commission recommendations for social disadvantaged groups. |
| 11 |
Shri Chandra Shekhar |
10 November 1990 – 21 June 1991 |
223 days |
1927–2007 |
Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) |
Served as Prime Minister during a period of political instability. |
| 12 |
Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao |
21 June 1991 – 16 May 1996 |
4 years, 330 days |
1921–2004 |
Indian National Congress |
Initiated economic reforms, liberalized the Indian economy, introduced globalization measures. |
| 13 |
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
16 May 1996 – 1 June 1996 |
16 days |
1924–2018 |
Bharatiya Janata Party |
Served as Prime Minister for 13 days, leading a coalition government. |
| 14 |
Shri H. D. Deve Gowda |
1 June 1996 – 21 April 1997 |
324 days |
born 1933 |
Janata Dal (United Front) |
Served as Prime Minister of a multi-party coalition government. |
| 15 |
Shri Inder Kumar Gujral |
21 April 1997 – 19 March 1998 |
332 days |
1919–2012 |
Janata Dal (United Front) |
Served as Prime Minister of a multi-party coalition government. |
| 16 |
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
19 March 1998 – 22 May 2004 |
6 years, 64 days |
1924–2018 |
Bharatiya Janata Party |
Led a coalition government, conducted nuclear tests in Pokhran, initiated the National Highway Development Project. |
| 17 |
Dr. Manmohan Singh |
22 May 2004 – 26 May 2014 |
10 years, 4 days |
born 1932 |
Indian National Congress |
Oversaw rapid economic growth, implemented social welfare schemes, introduced the Right to Information Act. |
| 18 |
Shri Narendra Modi |
26 May 2014 – Present (as of last update in June 2024) |
10 years, 26 days (As of 21st June 2024 |
born 1950 |
Bharatiya Janata Party |
Introduced initiatives like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Make in India, Digital India, implemented GST. |
How Prime Minister of India Elected?
- The candidate for Prime Minister of India must be a citizen of India.
- To be a PM the candidate should either be a member of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.
- The age should be 25 if he/she is a member of the Lok Sabha and 30 if he/she is the member of the Rajya Sabha.
- The Indian President holds the power to select a person as the PM of India.
- The PM candidate must be a member of a political party that holds the majority of votes in the Lok Sabha.
- The Indian PM candidate must not hold any office of profit under the government of India or any state government.
- The candidate of the PM should not hold any criminal charges
Key Points from the List of all the Prime Ministers of India
- Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India and he was the longest served PM of India. He is also the first PM of India who dies in Office.
- Srmt. Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India.
- The first non-Congress Prime Minister of India was Morarji Desai. He was also the oldest to be appointed as a PM of India.
- Chaudhary Charan Singh was the only PM of India who did not face a confidence vote in the Indian Parliament.
- In Indian political history, Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India.
- V. P. Singh became the first Prime Minister who resigned after the vote of no confidence
- The first prime minister to be appointed from the southern region of the nation was P. V. Narasimha Rao.
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the only prime minister to win 6 Lok Sabha Constituencies from 4 states- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, New Delhi and Gujarat.
- India’s first Sikh prime minister was Manmohan Singh.
- Narendra Modi is the only PM of India who was born after India’s independence.
Prime Ministers of India Quiz suitable for UPSC Exam, IAS Exam, and other government exams:
Who was the first Prime Minister of India?
a) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
b) Jawaharlal Nehru
c) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
d) Lal Bahadur Shastri
Answer: b) Jawaharlal Nehru
Which Prime Minister of India served for the shortest tenure?
a) Gulzarilal Nanda
b) Charan Singh
c) H.D. Deve Gowda
d) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Answer: a) Gulzarilal Nanda
Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?
a) Indira Gandhi
b) Pratibha Patil
c) Sonia Gandhi
d) Sarojini Naidu
Answer: a) Indira Gandhi
Which Prime Minister of India initiated the economic liberalization in 1991?
a) Rajiv Gandhi
b) P.V. Narasimha Rao
c) Manmohan Singh
d) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Answer: b) P.V. Narasimha Rao
Who was the Prime Minister of India during the Kargil War (1999)?
a) Indira Gandhi
b) Rajiv Gandhi
c) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
d) Manmohan Singh
Answer: c) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Which Prime Minister of India has the longest cumulative tenure?
a) Jawaharlal Nehru
b) Indira Gandhi
c) Manmohan Singh
d) Narendra Modi
Answer: a) Jawaharlal Nehru
Who was the Prime Minister of India when the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was launched?
a) Manmohan Singh
b) Narendra Modi
c) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
d) P.V. Narasimha Rao
Answer: b) Narendra Modi
Who was the Prime Minister of India during the Emergency (1975-1977)?
a) Lal Bahadur Shastri
b) Indira Gandhi
c) Morarji Desai
d) Rajiv Gandhi
Answer: b) Indira Gandhi
Which Prime Minister of India signed the Lahore Declaration with Pakistan in 1999?
a) I.K. Gujral
b) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
c) Manmohan Singh
d) Narendra Modi
Answer: b) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Who was the Prime Minister of India when the Right to Information (RTI) Act was passed?
a) Manmohan Singh
b) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
c) P.V. Narasimha Rao
d) Narendra Modi
Answer: a) Manmohan Singh
Conclusion
India’s Prime Ministers have come from a variety of backgrounds and political parties, but they have all shared a deep commitment to public service and a desire to make India a better place. Here in this article, we have shared a list of PM of India. So that you can know who they are and what are their achievement as the Prime Ministers of India since 1947.
GK Preparation For All Competitive Exams
Prime Ministers of India List – FAQs
Who was the first Prime Minister of India?
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India, serving from 1947 to 1964.
How many Prime Ministers has India had?
As of June 2024, India has had 15 Prime Ministers.
Who was the first female Prime Minister of India?
Indira Gandhi was the first and, to date, the only female Prime Minister of India.
Which Indian Prime Minister served the shortest term?
Gulzarilal Nanda served as the acting Prime Minister for two short periods, but among the officially appointed Prime Ministers, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s first term in 1996 was the shortest, lasting just 13 days.
Who has been the longest-serving Prime Minister of India?
Jawaharlal Nehru holds the record for the longest continuous term as Prime Minister.
Who was the Prime Minister of India during the 1991 economic reforms?
P. V. Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister during the significant economic reforms of 1991.
Has India ever had a Prime Minister from the Sikh community?
Yes, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who served from 2004 to 2014, was the first Sikh Prime Minister of India.
Who is the youngest PM of India?
Rajiv Gandhi is India’s youngest Prime Minister.
Which Indian Prime Minister has received the Bharat Ratna award?
Several Prime Ministers, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, have been awarded the Bharat Ratna.
Who was the Prime Minister of India during the Kargil War?
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister during the Kargil War in 1999.
Are there any Prime Ministers who served non-consecutive terms?
Yes, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee both served non-consecutive terms as Prime Ministers of India.
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