Narendra Modi is the 14th Prime Minister of India, and he started his term on May 30, 2019. He’s currently in office.Indira Gandhi was the only female Prime Minister of India. If you want to see the complete list of all the Prime Ministers of India, you can check it out.
This list gives you all the info about the Prime Ministers of India from 1947 to 2023. India follows a parliamentary system of government, where the Prime Minister is like the head honcho of the executive branch and also the leader of the ruling gang in the Lok Sabha, which is the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The Lok Sabha is where the Prime Minister has to answer for what they do.
The President of India picks the Prime Minister, but for the Prime Minister to stay in the job, they need to have the support of most of the Lok Sabha folks, who get elected every five years. There’s also the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, where the Prime Minister can hang out. The Prime Minister can also hire and fire people in the Union Council of Ministers and decide who does what in the government.
Here is the List of Prime Minister of India from 1947-2023
| S.N. | PM Name | Born-Dead | Term of office | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jawahar Lal Nehru | (1889–1964) | 15 August 1947 to 27 May 196416 years, 286 days | The first prime minister of India and the longest-serving PM of India, the first to die in office. |
| 2. | Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting) | (1898-1998) | 27 May 1964 to 9 June 1964,13 days | First acting PM of India |
| 3. | Lal Bahadur Shastri | (1904–1966) | 9 June 1964 to 11 January 19661 year, 216 days | He has given the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 |
| 4. | Gulzari Lal Nanda (Acting) | (1898-1998) | 11 January 1966 to 24 January 196613 days | – |
| 5. | Indira Gandhi | (1917–1984) | 24 January 1966 to 24 March 197711 years, 59 days | First female Prime Minister of India |
| 6. | Morarji Desai | (1896–1995) | 24 March 1977 to 28 July 1979 2 year, 126 days | Oldest to become PM (81 years old) and first to resign from office |
| 7. | Charan Singh | (1902–1987) | 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980170 days | Only PM who did not face the Parliament |
| 8. | Indira Gandhi | (1917–1984) | 14 January 1980 to 31 October 19844 years, 291 days | The first lady who served as PM for the second term |
| 9. | Rajiv Gandhi | (1944–1991) | 31 October 1984 to 2 December 19895 years, 32 days | Youngest to become PM (40 years old) |
| 10. | V. P. Singh | (1931–2008) | 2 December 1989 to 10 November 1990343 days | First PM to step down after a vote of no confidence |
| 11. | Chandra Shekhar | (1927–2007) | 10 November 1990 to 21 June 1991223 days | He belongs to Samajwadi Janata Party |
| 12. | P. V. Narasimha Rao | (1921–2004) | 21 June 1991 to 16 May 19964 years, 330 days | First PM from South India |
| 13. | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | (1924- 2018) | 16 May 1996 to 1 June 199616 days | PM for shortest tenure |
| 14. | H. D. Deve Gowda | (born 1933) | 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997324 days | He belongs to Janata Dal |
| 15. | Inder Kumar Gujral | (1919–2012) | 21 April 1997 to 19 March 1998 332 days | —— |
| 16. | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | (1924-2018) | 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004 6 years, 64 days | The first non-congress PM who completed a full term as PM |
| 17. | Manmohan Singh | (born 1932) | 22 May 2004 to 26 May 2014 10 years, 4 days | First Sikh PM |
| 18. | Narendra Modi | (born 1950) | 26 May 2014 – 2019 | 4th Prime Minister of India who served two consecutive tenures |
| 19. | Narendra Modi | (born 1950) | 30 May 2019- Incumbent | First non-congress PM with two consecutive tenures |
Jawaharlal Nehru
He was India’s first Prime Minister and served for 18 years. He played a big role in shaping India’s policies after it became independent.
Gulzarilal Nanda
He was the acting Prime Minister for short periods after Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away. He received India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
Lal Bahadur Shastri
He was the second Prime Minister of India and is remembered for leading the country during the Indo-Pak war in 1965. His famous slogan was ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan,’ which means ‘Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer.’
Indira Gandhi
She was India’s first female Prime Minister and served two terms. Her leadership had a big impact, but it was also marked by controversies, and she was assassinated in 1984.
Morarji Desai
He became the Prime Minister in 1977 and led the Janata Party government. He held important positions in the Indian government during his career.
Charan Singh
His time as Prime Minister was very short, only 23 days. His government lost support, and he is the only Prime Minister who didn’t get the confidence of Parliament.
Rajiv Gandhi
He followed his mother, Indira Gandhi, as Prime Minister. He was the youngest Indian Prime Minister at 40 years old and led the country from 1984 to 1989.
Vishwanath Pratap Singh
He was the 7th Prime Minister and played a big role in Indian politics, especially on issues like reservation.
Chandra Shekhar
He was the 8th Prime Minister and led a minority government with outside support. He had no prior government experience.
P.V. Narasimha Rao
He was the 9th Prime Minister and played a crucial role in bringing economic reforms to India.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
He served as the 10th Prime Minister in three non-consecutive terms. He was known for his speaking skills and played a key role in India’s nuclear tests.
Inder Kumar Gujral
He was the 12th Prime Minister and worked to improve relations with neighboring countries during his tenure.
Manmohan Singh
He served as the 13th Prime Minister for a decade. He is known for economic reforms and being the first Sikh Prime Minister.
Narendra Modi
He’s the current 14th Prime Minister, having taken office in 2014. He’s a prominent figure in Indian politics, focusing on economic development and infrastructure.
List of Indian Prime Ministers with their respective parties and the length of their terms in a tabular format
| No. | Name | Party | Length of Term | Total Years of Premiership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jawaharlal Nehru | INC | 16 years, 286 days | 16 years, 286 days |
| 2 | Indira Gandhi | INC/INC(I)/INC(R) | 11 years, 59 days | 15 years, 350 days |
| 3 | Manmohan Singh | INC | 10 years, 4 days | 10 years, 4 days |
| 4 | Narendra Modi | BJP | 9 years, 108 days | 9 years, 108 days |
| 5 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | BJP | 6 years, 64 days | 6 years, 80 days |
| 6 | Rajiv Gandhi | INC(I) | 5 years, 32 days | 5 years, 32 days |
| 7 | P. V. Narasimha Rao | INC(I) | 4 years, 330 days | 4 years, 330 days |
| 8 | Morarji Desai | JP | 2 years, 126 days | 2 years, 126 days |
| 9 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | INC | 1 year, 216 days | 1 year, 216 days |
| 10 | Vishwanath Pratap Singh | JD | 343 days | 343 days |
| 11 | Inder Kumar Gujral | JD | 332 days | 332 days |
| 12 | H. D. Deve Gowda | JD | 324 days | 324 days |
| 13 | Chandra Shekhar | SJP(R) | 223 days | 223 days |
| 14 | Charan Singh | JP(S) | 170 days | 170 days |
Functions of Prime Minister
- Leader of the Country
The Prime Minister is like the captain of the Indian government, leading the entire nation.
- Portfolio Allocation
They have the power to decide who does what job in the government, like a manager organizing a team.
- Chairman of the Cabinet
The Prime Minister runs important meetings where government decisions are made, and if there’s a disagreement, they have the final say, like a referee.
- Official Representative
The Prime Minister speaks for India in important international meetings and talks, sort of like a spokesperson on the world stage.
- Link Between President and Cabinet
They connect the President and the Cabinet, passing on important decisions and information, like a messenger.
- Head of Various Committees
The Prime Minister is in charge of important groups and organizations, such as the Nuclear Command Authority and NITI Aayog.
- Chief Advisor
They give important advice to the President, like a top counselor to the highest office in India.
List of Prime Ministers of India (1947-2023) and their Lok Sabha election constituency
| Prime Minister | Tenure | Lok Sabha constituency |
|---|---|---|
| Jawaharlal Nehru | 1947-1964 | Phulpur (UP) |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri | 1964-1966 | Ramgarh (UP) |
| Indira Gandhi | 1966-1977, 1980-1984 | Rae Bareli (UP) |
| Morarji Desai | 1977-1979 | Bombay South (Maharashtra) |
| Charan Singh | 1979-1980 | Jalesar (UP) |
| Rajiv Gandhi | 1984-1989 | Amethi (UP) |
| V.P. Singh | 1989-1990 | Farrukhabad (UP) |
| Chandra Shekhar | 1990-1991 | Rohtak (Haryana) |
| P.V. Narasimha Rao | 1991-1996 | Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) |
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 1996 (13 days), 1998-2004 | Gandhinagar (Gujarat) |
| Manmohan Singh | 2004-2014 | Sujanpur (Himachal Pradesh) |
| Narendra Modi | 2014-present | Varanasi (UP) |
Residence
The official home for India’s Prime Minister today is at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. In the past, different Prime Ministers lived in different places. Nehru stayed at Teen Murti Bhavan, while Lal Bahadur Shastri chose 10, Janpath. Indira Gandhi’s residence was 1, Safdarjung Road. Rajiv Gandhi was the first to live at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, and his successors continued to use it.
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Travel
When the Prime Minister travels by road, they use a heavily armored Range Rover. The motorcade includes armored BMW 7 Series cars, Range Rovers, BMW X5s, Toyota Fortuners/Land Cruisers, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ambulances.
For air travel, specially designated Boeing 777-300ER aircraft known as Air India One, maintained by the Indian Air Force, are used. There are also helicopters like the Mi-8 for short distances, operated by the Indian Air Force.
Protection
The Special Protection Group (SPG) is responsible for protecting the current Prime Minister and their family. They get help from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Delhi Police, providing a three-tiered security arrangement.
Office
The Prime Minister’s main workspace is the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), located at South Block. This office complex has 20 rooms and is adjacent to the Cabinet Secretariat, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of External Affairs. The PMO is headed by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, typically a former civil servant, often from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or occasionally the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
FAQs
- Who is the Prime Minister of India in 2023 ?
The current Prime Minister of India is Narendra Modi. He has been in office since 2014.
- Who is the head of government in India?
The head of government in India is the Prime Minister.
- How is the Prime minister of India appointed ?
The Prime Minister of India is appointed by the President of India after being elected by the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament.
- Who was the first Prime minister of India?
The first Prime Minister of India was Jawaharlal Nehru. He served from 1947 to 1964.
