121-476: Prime Minister of India (1947–1964) Influenced [REDACTED] Jawaharlal Nehru ( / ˈ n eɪ r u / NAY -roo or / ˈ n ɛ r u / NERR -oo , Hindi: [dʒəˌʋaːɦəɾˈlaːl ˈneːɦɾuː] ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist , secular humanist , social democrat , author and statesman who was a central figure in India during
242-600: A minority government ; Rao became the first PM of South Indian origin. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union , India was on the brink of bankruptcy , so, Rao took steps to liberalise the economy, and appointed Manmohan Singh —an economist and a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India —as finance minister. Rao and Singh then took various steps to liberalise the economy, these resulted in unprecedented economic growth in India. His premiership, however,
363-468: A "machine with strong brakes but no engine". He initially wanted to boycott the 1937 provincial elections , but agreed to lead the election campaign after receiving vague assurances about abstentionism from the party leaders who wished to contest. Nehru hoped to treat the election campaign as a mass outreach programme. During the campaign, Nehru was elected to another term as Congress president. The election manifesto, drafted largely by Nehru, attacked both
484-517: A "sheltered and uneventful one". He grew up in an atmosphere of privilege in wealthy homes, including a palatial estate called the Anand Bhavan . His father had him educated at home by private governesses and tutors. Influenced by the Irish theosophist Ferdinand T. Brooks' teaching, Nehru became interested in science and theosophy . A family friend, Annie Besant subsequently initiated him into
605-611: A candidate is elected as the prime minister, he must vacate his posts at any private or government companies and may take up the position only on completion of his term. The prime minister is required to make and subscribe in the presence of the President of India before entering office, the oath of office and secrecy, as per the Third Schedule of the Constitution of India. Oath of office: I, <name>, do swear in
726-550: A conflict between democracy and fascism , "our sympathies must inevitably be on the side of democracy, ... I should like India to play its full part and throw all her resources into the struggle for a new order". After much deliberation, the Congress under Nehru informed the government that it would co-operate with the British but on certain conditions. First, Britain must give an assurance of full independence for India after
847-606: A crucial role in the government of India by enjoying majority in the Lok Sabha . According to Article 84 of the Constitution of India, which sets the principle qualification for member of Parliament, and Article 75 of the Constitution of India, which sets the qualifications for the minister in the Union Council of Ministers, and the argument that the position of prime minister has been described as primus inter pares (the first among equals), A prime minister must: Once
968-549: A difference of opinion to estrange us. We had differences from the time we became co-workers and yet I have said for some years and say so now that not Rajaji but Jawaharlal will be my successor. After spending a little more than a year in jail, Nehru was released, along with other Congress prisoners, three days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. When the Japanese carried their attack through Burma (now Myanmar ) to
1089-601: A federal state along the lines suggested originally by the Government of India Act 1935. But as the drafting of the constitution progressed, and the idea of forming a republic took concrete shape, it was decided that all the princely states/covenanting states would merge with the Indian republic. In 1963, Nehru brought in legislation making it illegal to demand secession and introduced the Sixteenth Amendment to
1210-590: A group of CWC members and Nehru threatened to resign and counter-resign their posts over disagreements. He became discontented with his role, especially after the death of his mother in January 1938. In February 1938, he did not stand for re-election as president, and was succeeded by Subash Chandra Bose . He left for Europe in June, stopping on the way at Alexandria , Egypt. While in Europe, Nehru became very concerned with
1331-720: A heart attack. Hailed as the "Architect of Modern India", his birthday is celebrated as Children's Day in India. Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14 November 1889 in Allahabad in British India . His father, Motilal Nehru (1861–1931), a self-made wealthy barrister who was born into the Kashmiri Pandit community, served twice as president of the Indian National Congress , in 1919 and 1928. His mother, Swarup Rani Thussu (1868–1938), who came from
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#17327810211971452-557: A leading role in establishing Non-Aligned Movement , a group of nations that did not seek membership in the two main ideological blocs of the Cold War. Under Nehru's leadership, the Congress emerged as a catch-all party , dominating national and state-level politics and winning elections in 1951 , 1957 and 1962 . His premiership, spanning 16 years and 286 days—which is, to date, the longest in India—ended with his death in 1964 from
1573-464: A majority in the Lok Sabha with support from Congress. But Shekhar's premiership did not last long, Congress proceeded to withdraw its support; Shekhar's government fell as a result, and new elections were announced. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the campaign trail for the general election of 1991 , and the Congress—under the leadership of P. V. Narasimha Rao —rode a sympathy wave to form
1694-588: A month in power—the government announced the conduct of five underground nuclear explosions in Pokhran . In response to these tests, many western countries , including the United States, imposed economic sanctions on India, but, due to the support received from Russia, France, the Gulf countries and some other nations, the sanctions—were largely—not considered successful. A few months later in response to
1815-408: A person who is commanding support of majority members of Lok Sabha to form the government of India —also known as the central government or Union government—at the national level and exercise its powers. In practice the prime minister nominates the members of their council of ministers to the president. He also works upon to decide a core group of ministers (known as the cabinet), as in charge of
1936-528: A prime minister can resign from office; Morarji Desai was the first prime minister to resign while in office. Upon ceasing to possess the requisite qualifications to be a member of Parliament subject to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 . The prime minister leads the functioning and exercise of authority of the government of India. The president of India—subject to eligibility—invites
2057-703: A prominent lawyer and Indian nationalist , Jawaharlal Nehru was educated in England—at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge , and trained in the law at the Inner Temple . He became a barrister , returned to India, enrolled at the Allahabad High Court and soon began to take an interest in national politics, which eventually became a full-time occupation. He joined the Indian National Congress , rose to become
2178-410: A recommended name to the collegium for reconsideration, this, however, is not a full Veto power, and the collegium can still put forward rejected name. The prime minister acts as the leader of the house of the chamber of parliament—generally the Lok Sabha —he belongs to. In this role, the prime minister is tasked with representing the executive in the legislature, announces important legislation, and
2299-454: A resolution that called for the British to grant Dominion status to India within two years. If the British failed to meet the deadline, the Congress would call upon all Indians to fight for complete independence. Nehru was one of the leaders who objected to the time given to the British—he pressed Gandhi to demand immediate actions from the British. Gandhi brokered a further compromise by reducing
2420-524: A scheme of affairs in which the president of India is the head of state; in terms of Article 53 with office of the prime minister being the head of Council of Ministers to assist and advise the president in the discharge of their constitutional functions. To quote, Article 53, 74 and 75 provide as under: The executive powers of the Union shall be vested in the president and shall be exercised either directly or through subordinate officers, in accordance with
2541-534: A spring had been suddenly released". He was arrested on 14 April 1930 while on a train from Allahabad to Raipur . Earlier, after addressing a huge meeting and leading a vast procession, he had ceremoniously manufactured some contraband salt. He was charged with breach of the salt law and sentenced to six months of imprisonment at Central Jail. He nominated Gandhi to succeed him as the Congress president during his absence in jail, but Gandhi declined, and Nehru nominated his father as his successor. With Nehru's arrest,
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#17327810211972662-564: A visit to the Soviet Union, which sparked his interest in Marxism and socialism. Appealed by its ideas but repelled by some of its tactics, he never completely agreed with Karl Marx 's ideas. However, from that time on, the benchmark of his economic view remained Marxist, adapted, where necessary, to Indian circumstances. After returning to India in December 1927, Nehru was elected to another two-year term as Congress general secretary. Nehru
2783-578: A well-known Kashmiri Pandit family settled in Lahore , was Motilal's second wife, his first having died in childbirth . Jawaharlal was the eldest of three children. The elder of his two sisters, Vijaya Lakshmi , later became the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly . His youngest sister, Krishna Hutheesing , became a noted writer and authored several books on her brother. Nehru described his childhood as
2904-466: Is further expected to respond to the opposition's concerns. Article 85 of the Indian constitution confers the president with the power to convene and end extraordinary sessions of the parliament; this power, however, is exercised only on the advice of the prime minister and their council, so in practice the prime minister does exercise some control over affairs of the parliament. The official website of
3025-546: Is generally divided into various ministries, the prime minister may retain certain portfolios if he is not allocated to any member of the cabinet. The prime minister—in consultation with the cabinet—schedules and attends the sessions of the houses of parliament and is required to answer the question from the Members of Parliament to them as the in-charge of the portfolios in the capacity as prime minister of India. Some specific ministries/department are not allocated to anyone in
3146-531: Is played again," Nehru wrote bitterly to Gandhi, "the background is the same, the various epithets are the same and the actors are the same and the results must be the same". On 23 October 1939, the Congress condemned the Viceroy's attitude and called upon the Congress ministries in the various provinces to resign in protest. Before this crucial announcement, Nehru urged Jinnah and the Muslim League to join
3267-586: Is well-known as one of the Founders of the Non-aligned Movement and, concomitantly, for steering India clear of the two blocs of the Cold War . A coveted author, the books he wrote in prison, such as Letters from a Father to His Daughter (1929), An Autobiography (1936) and The Discovery of India (1946), have been read and deliberated upon around the world. The son of Motilal Nehru ,
3388-553: The Right to Information Act, 2005 passed in the parliament. Further, the government strengthened India's relations with nations like Afghanistan ; Russia; the Gulf states ; and the United States, culminating with the ratification of India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement near the end of Singh's first term. At the same time, the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks also happened during Singh's first term in office. In
3509-487: The 1937 provincial elections , allowing the Congress to sweep the elections, and to form governments in several provinces. In September 1939, the Congress ministries resigned to protest Viceroy Lord Linlithgow 's decision to join the war without consulting them. After the All India Congress Committee 's Quit India Resolution of 8 August 1942, senior Congress leaders were imprisoned and for a time
3630-606: The Ahmednagar Fort until 15 June 1945. During the period when all the Congress leaders were in jail, the Muslim League under Jinnah grew in power. In April 1943, the League captured the governments of Bengal and, a month later, that of the North-West Frontier Province . In none of these provinces had the League previously had a majority—only the arrest of Congress members made it possible. With all
3751-707: The Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the country's premier civil service, which staffs most of the senior civil service positions; the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB); and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), except for the selection of its director, who is chosen by a committee of: (a) the prime minister, as chairperson; (b) the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha; and (c)
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3872-559: The Inner Temple (one of the four Inns of Court to which English barristers must belong). During this time, he continued to study Fabian Society scholars including Beatrice Webb . He was called to the Bar in 1912. After returning to India in August 1912, Nehru enrolled as an advocate of the Allahabad High Court and tried to settle down as a barrister. But, unlike his father, he had very little interest in his profession and relished neither
3993-520: The Jallianwala Bagh killings . Motilal Nehru lost his belief in constitutional reform, and joined his son in accepting Gandhi's methods and paramount leadership of the Congress. In December 1919, Nehru's father was elected president of the Indian National Congress in what is regarded as "the first Gandhi Congress". During the non-cooperation movement launched by Gandhi in 1920, Nehru played an influential role in directing political activities in
4114-724: The Janata Dal and—with the help of several anti-Congress parties—also formed the National Front , a coalition of many political parties. In the general election of 1989 , the National Front—with outside support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Front —came to power. V. P. Singh was elected prime minister. During a tenure of less than a year, Singh and his government accepted
4235-504: The Janata Party , in the general election of 1977 , and were successful in defeating the Congress. Subsequently, Morarji Desai —a former deputy prime minister —became the first non-Congress prime minister of India. Desai's government was composed of groups with opposite ideologies, in which unity and coordination were difficult to maintain. Ultimately, after two and a half years as PM; on 28 July 1979, Desai tendered his resignation to
4356-585: The Mandal Commission 's recommendations. Singh's tenure came to an end after he ordered the arrest of BJP member Lal Krishna Advani , as a result, BJP withdrew its outside support to the government, V. P. Singh lost the subsequent vote-of-no-confidence 146–320 and had to resign. After V. P. Singh's resignation, Chandra Shekhar along with 64 members of parliament (MPs) floated the Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) , and proved
4477-576: The Theosophical Society at age thirteen. However, his interest in theosophy did not prove to be enduring, and he left the society shortly after Brooks departed as his tutor. He wrote: "For nearly three years [Brooks] was with me and in many ways, he influenced me greatly". Nehru's theosophical interests induced him to study the Buddhist and Hindu scriptures . According to B. R. Nanda , these scriptures were Nehru's "first introduction to
4598-544: The chief justice . Unlike most other countries, the prime minister does not have much influence over the selection of judges, that is done by a collegium of judges consisting of the Chief Justice of India , four senior most judges of the Supreme Court of India and the chief justice —or the senior-most judge—of the concerned state high court . The executive as a whole, however, has the right to send back
4719-453: The constitution and the rule of law is obeyed by the cabinet and the legislature. The prime minister of India is the head of government and has the responsibility for executive power. The president's constitutional duty is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law per article 60 . In the constitution of India, the prime minister is mentioned in only four of its articles (articles 74, 75, 78 and 366). The prime minister plays
4840-566: The divine right of kings . In May 1947, he declared that any princely state which refused to join the Constituent Assembly would be treated as an enemy state. Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon were more conciliatory towards the princes, and as the men charged with integrating the states, were successful in the task. During the drafting of the Indian constitution, many Indian leaders (except Nehru) were in favour of allowing each princely state or covenanting state to be independent as
4961-465: The general election of 2009 , the mandate of UPA increased. Prime Minister Singh's second term, however, was surrounded by accusations of high-level scandals and corruption. Singh resigned as prime minister on 17 May 2014, after Congress' defeat in the 2014 general election . In the general election of 2014 , the BJP-led NDA got an absolute majority, winning 336 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats;
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5082-414: The president of India being the nominal head of the executive. The prime minister has to be a member of one of the houses of bicameral Parliament of India , alongside heading the respective house. The prime minister and his cabinet are at all times responsible to the Lok Sabha . The prime minister is appointed by the president of India ; however, the prime minister has to enjoy the confidence of
5203-1077: The thraldom of Europe." Later, in 1905, when he had begun his institutional schooling at Harrow , a leading school in England where he was nicknamed "Joe", G. M. Trevelyan 's Garibaldi books, which he had received as prizes for academic merit, influenced him greatly. He viewed Garibaldi as a revolutionary hero. He wrote: "Visions of similar deeds in India came before, of [my] gallant fight for [Indian] freedom and in my mind, India and Italy got strangely mixed together." Nehru went to Trinity College, Cambridge , in October 1907 and graduated with an honours degree in natural science in 1910. During this period, he studied politics, economics, history and literature with interest. The writings of Bernard Shaw , H. G. Wells , John Maynard Keynes , Bertrand Russell , Lowes Dickinson and Meredith Townsend moulded much of his political and economic thinking. After completing his degree in 1910, Nehru moved to London and studied law at
5324-480: The 1935 Act. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) under Gandhi passed a compromise resolution that authorised office acceptance, but reiterated that the fundamental objective of the Congress was the destruction of the 1935 Act. Nehru was more popular than before with the public, but he found himself isolated at the CWC meetings due to the anti-socialist orientation of its membership. Gandhi had to personally intervene when
5445-574: The Act and the Communal Award that went with it. He campaigned against the Muslim League , and argued that Muslims could not be regarded as a separate nation. The Congress won most general seats, and the Muslim League fared poorly with Muslim electorates. After the elections, Nehru drafted a resolution against taking office, but there were many Congress leaders who wanted to assume power under
5566-582: The BJP itself became the first party since 1984 to get a majority in the Lok Sabha. Narendra Modi —the Chief Minister of Gujarat —was elected prime minister, becoming the first prime minister to have been born in an independent India. Narendra Modi was re-elected as prime minister in 2019 with a bigger mandate than that of 2014. The BJP-led NDA won 354 seats out of which BJP secured 303 seats. External support from INC The Constitution envisions
5687-693: The British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or complete independence. At midnight on New Year's Eve 1929, Nehru hoisted the tricolour flag of India upon the banks of the Ravi in Lahore. A pledge of independence was read out, which included a readiness to withhold taxes. The massive gathering of the public attending the ceremony was asked if they agreed with it, and the majority of people were witnessed raising their hands in approval. 172 Indian members of central and provincial legislatures resigned in support of
5808-445: The Congress radicals, who promoted Swaraj , Swadesh , and boycott. The two factions had split in 1907. After returning to India in 1912, Nehru attended the annual session of the Congress at Patna . The Congress was then considered a party of moderates and elites dominated by Gopal Krishna Gokhale , and Nehru was disconcerted by what he saw as "very much an English-knowing upper-class affair". However, Nehru agreed to raise funds for
5929-523: The Congress returned to power with an absolute majority. Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister a second time. In June 1984, Operation Blue Star —an Indian Army operation against Sikh militants inside the Golden Temple , the most sacred site in Sikhism—was conducted, resulting in reportedly thousands of deaths, both of the militants and civilians. In revenge, on 31 October of that year, Gandhi
6050-593: The Congress secured a supermajority , winning 401 of 552 seats in the Lok Sabha , the maximum number received by any party in the history of India. Vishwanath Pratap Singh —first finance minister and then later defence minister in Gandhi's cabinet—uncovered irregularities, in what became known as the Bofors scandal , during his stint at the Ministry of Defence ; Singh was subsequently expelled from Congress and formed
6171-471: The Constitution which makes it necessary for those running for office to take an oath that says "I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India". Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India ( ISO : Bhārata kē Pradhānamaṁtrī ) is the head of government of the Republic of India . Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Council of Ministers, despite
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#17327810211976292-579: The Constitution. There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the president who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. Like most parliamentary democracies , the president 's duties are mostly ceremonial as long as
6413-414: The Indian independence movement. Gandhi stepped back into a more spiritual role. Although Gandhi did not explicitly designate Nehru as his political heir until 1942, as early as the mid-1930s, the country saw Nehru as the natural successor to Gandhi. In 1929, Nehru had already drafted the "Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy" resolution that set the government agenda for an independent India. The resolution
6534-544: The Indian nuclear tests, Pakistan also conducted nuclear tests . Given the deteriorating situation between the two countries, the governments tried to improve bilateral relations. In February 1999, India and Pakistan signed the Lahore Declaration , in which the two countries announced their intention to annul mutual enmity, increase trade and use their nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes. In May 1999, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam withdrew from
6655-410: The Lahore session in 1929, Nehru had declared that, "The Indian States cannot live apart from the rest of India and their rulers must, unless they accept their inevitable limitations, go the way of others like them." In July 1946, Nehru pointedly observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India. In January 1947, he said that independent India would not accept
6776-667: The Left Front, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) among others—proved a majority in the Lok Sabha, and Manmohan Singh was elected prime minister; becoming the first Sikh prime minister of the nation. During his tenure, the country retained the economic momentum gained during Prime Minister Vajpayee's tenure. Apart from this, the government succeeded in getting the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 , and
6897-551: The Muslim areas after the war to see whether they wanted to separate from the rest of India. Essentially, it was an acceptance of the principle of Pakistan—but not in so many words. Jinnah demanded that the exact words be used. Gandhi refused and the talks broke down. Jinnah, however, had greatly strengthened his own position and that of the League. The most influential member of the Congress had been seen to negotiate with him on equal terms. Nehru and his colleagues were released prior to
7018-413: The Muslim-dominated provinces except Punjab under Jinnah's control, the concept of a separate Muslim State was turning into a reality. However, by 1944, Jinnah's power and prestige were waning. A general sympathy towards the jailed Congress leaders was developing among Muslims, and much of the blame for the disastrous Bengal famine of 1943 –44 during which two million died had been laid on the shoulders of
7139-418: The Naval Staff and commanders of operational and training commands. In addition, the ACC also decides the posting of Indian Police Service officers—the All India Service for policing, which staffs most of the higher level law enforcement positions at federal and state level—in the government of India . Also, as the Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions , the PM also exercises control over
7260-426: The Parliament with the power to decide the remuneration and other benefits of the prime minister and other ministers are to be decided by the Parliament. and is renewed from time to time. The original remunerations for the prime minister and other ministers were specified in the Part B of the second schedule of the constitution, which was later removed by an amendment. In 2010, the Prime Minister's Office reported that
7381-414: The Prime Minister's Office is available in 11 Indian languages namely Assamese , Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada , Malayalam , Meitei ( Manipuri ), Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu, out of the 22 official languages of the Indian Republic , in addition to English and Hindi . The eleven Indian language websites can be accessed at the following links: Article 75 of the Constitution of India confers
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#17327810211977502-445: The United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh ) as provincial Congress secretary. He was imprisoned on 6 December 1921 on charges of anti-governmental activities, marking the first of eight periods of detention between 1921-1945, lasting over nine years in all. By 1923, Nehru had emerged as a national figure of some stature. He was elected general secretary of the Congress, president of the United Provinces Congress, and mayor of Allahabad all in
7623-404: The arrival of the British 1946 Cabinet Mission to India to propose plans for the transfer of power. The agreed plan in 1946 led to elections to the provincial assemblies. In turn, the members of the assemblies elected members of the Constituent Assembly. Congress won the majority of seats in the assembly and headed the interim government , with Nehru as the prime minister. The Muslim League joined
7744-495: The authority of which was denied by various elements in India's national life". In October 1940, Gandhi and Nehru, abandoning their original stand of supporting Britain, decided to launch a limited civil disobedience campaign in which leading advocates of Indian independence were selected to participate one by one. Nehru was arrested and sentenced to four years imprisonment. On 15 January 1941, Gandhi stated: Some say Jawaharlal and I were estranged. It will require much more than
7865-452: The borders of India in the spring of 1942, the British government, faced with this new military threat, decided to make some overtures to India, as Nehru had originally desired. Prime Minister Winston Churchill dispatched Sir Stafford Cripps , a member of the War Cabinet who was known to be politically close to Nehru and knew Jinnah, with proposals for a settlement of the constitutional problem. As soon as he arrived, he discovered that India
7986-419: The cabinet but the prime minister themself. The prime minister is usually always in charge/head of: The prime minister represents the country in various delegations, high level meetings and international organisations that require the attendance of the highest government office, and also addresses to the nation on various issues of national or other importance. Per Article 78 of the Constitution of India ,
8107-410: The civil disobedience acquired a new tempo, and arrests, firing on crowds and lathi charges grew to be ordinary occurrences. The salt satyagraha ("pressure for reform through passive resistance") succeeded in attracting world attention. Indian, British, and world opinion increasingly recognised the legitimacy of the claims by the Congress party for independence. Nehru considered the salt satyagraha
8228-424: The country's third prime minister. The first—and to date, the only—woman to hold the post, Indira's first term in office lasted 11 years, in which she took steps such as nationalisation of banks ; end of allowances and political posts, which were received by members of the royal families of the erstwhile princely states of the British Indian Empire . In addition, events such as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 ;
8349-457: The development of roads. But during his reign, the 2002 Gujarat communal riots in the state of Gujarat took place; resulting in about 2,000 deaths. Vajpayee's tenure as prime minister came to an end in May 2004, making him the first non-Congress PM to complete a full five-year tenure. In the 2004 election , the Congress emerged as the largest party in a hung parliament ; Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)—with outside support from
8470-404: The elections but the League won most seats reserved for Muslims, which the British interpreted to be a clear mandate for Pakistan in some form. Nehru became the interim prime minister of India in September 1946, with the League joining his government with some hesitancy in October 1946. Upon India's independence on 15 August 1947, Nehru gave a critically acclaimed speech, " Tryst with Destiny "; he
8591-417: The establishment of a sovereign Bangladesh ; accession of Sikkim to India, through a referendum in 1975; and India's first nuclear test in Pokhran occurred during Indira's first term. In 1975, amid growing unrest and a court order declaring Indira's election to the Lok Sabha void, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed —on Indira's advice—imposed a state of emergency , therefore bestowing the government with
8712-529: The fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have full opportunities for growth. We believe also that if any government deprives a people of these rights and oppresses them the people have a further right to alter it or abolish it. The British government in India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses, and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally, and spiritually. We believe, therefore, that India must sever
8833-576: The government later with Liaquat Ali Khan as the Finance member. Nehru served as prime minister for 16 years, initially as the interim prime minister, then from 1947 as the prime minister of the Dominion of India and then from 1950 as the prime minister of the Republic of India. Jawaharlal Nehru showed his concern for the princely states of South Asia since 1920s. During his Presidential Address at
8954-567: The government soon moved to detain him again. On 22 December 1933, the Home Secretary sent a memo to all local governments in India: The Government of India regard him [Nehru] as by far the most dangerous element at large in India, and their view is that the time has come, in accordance with their general policy of taking steps at an early stage to prevent attempts to work up mass agitation, to take action against him. He
9075-415: The head of state's official representative (i.e., the monarch, president, or governor-general ) usually holds a purely ceremonial position and acts—on most matters—only on the advice of the prime minister. The prime minister must become a member of parliament within six months of beginning their tenure, if they are not one already. A prime minister is expected to work with other central ministers to ensure
9196-477: The high-water mark of his association with Gandhi, and felt its lasting importance was in changing the attitudes of Indians: Of course these movements exercised tremendous pressure on the British Government and shook the government machinery. But the real importance, to my mind, lay in the effect they had on our own people, and especially the village masses. ... Non-cooperation dragged them out of
9317-537: The important functions and ministries of the government of India . The prime minister is responsible for aiding and advising the president in distribution of work of the government to various ministries and offices and in terms of the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 . The co-ordinating work is generally allocated to the Cabinet Secretariat . While the work of the government
9438-426: The latest stand taken by the Muslim League leader in Lahore". Linlithgow made Nehru an offer on 8 October 1940, which stated that Dominion status for India was the objective of the British government. However, it referred neither to a date nor a method to accomplish this. Only Jinnah received something more precise: "The British would not contemplate transferring power to a Congress-dominated national government,
9559-476: The leader of a progressive faction during the 1920s, and eventually of the Congress in its totality, receiving the support of Mahatma Gandhi who was to designate Nehru as his political heir. As Congress president in 1929, Nehru called for complete independence from the British Raj . Nehru and the Congress dominated Indian politics during the 1930s. Nehru promoted the idea of the secular nation-state in
9680-469: The leadership of Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak to voice a demand for Swaraj or self-governance . Besant and Tilak formed separate Home Rule Leagues . Nehru joined both groups, but he worked primarily with Besant, with whom he had a very close relationship since childhood. He became the secretary of Besant's Home Rule League. In June 1917, the British government arrested Besant. The Congress and other organisations threatened to launch protests if she
9801-546: The majority of Lok Sabha members, who are directly elected every five years , lest the prime minister shall resign. The prime minister can be a member of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha , the upper house of the parliament. The prime minister controls the selection and dismissal of members of the Union Council of Ministers ; and allocation of posts to members within the government. The longest-serving prime minister
9922-428: The middle of the 20th century. Nehru was second only to Mahatma Gandhi in leading the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s. Upon India's independence from Britain in 1947, he served as the country's first prime minister for 16 years. Nehru championed parliamentary democracy , secularism , science and technology during the 1950s, influencing India's arc as a modern nation. In international affairs, he
10043-446: The mire and gave them self-respect and self-reliance. ... They acted courageously and did not submit so easily to unjust oppression; their outlook widened and they began to think a little in terms of India as a whole. ... It was a remarkable transformation and the Congress, under Gandhi's leadership, must have the credit for it. On 11 October 1930, Nehru's detention ended, but he was back in jail in less than ten days for resuming
10164-474: The name of God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as Prime Minister for the Union and that I will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. Oath of secrecy: I, <name>, do swear in
10285-446: The name of God/solemnly affirm that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as Prime Minister for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister. The prime minister serves at 'the pleasure of the president', hence, a prime minister may remain in office indefinitely, so long as
10406-684: The non-binding advice of the Cabinet Secretary of India led-Senior Selection Board (SSB)—decides the postings of top civil servants, such as, secretaries , additional secretaries and joint secretaries in the government of India. Further, in the same capacity, the PM decides the assignments of top military personnel such as the Chief of the Army Staff , Chief of the Air Staff , Chief of
10527-540: The ongoing Indian civil rights movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. In 1916, Nehru married Kamala Kaul , who came from a Kashmiri Pandit family settled in Delhi. Their only daughter, Indira , was born in 1917. Kamala gave birth to a son in 1924, but the baby lived for only a few days. The influence of moderates declined after Gokhale died in 1915. Several nationalist leaders banded together in 1916 under
10648-470: The organisation was suppressed. Nehru, who had reluctantly heeded Gandhi's call for immediate independence, and had desired instead to support the Allied war effort during World War II , came out of a lengthy prison term to a much altered political landscape. The Muslim League, under Muhammad Ali Jinnah , had come to dominate Muslim politics in the interim. In the 1946 provincial elections , Congress won
10769-413: The passage of bills by the parliament. Since 1947, there have been 14 different prime ministers. The first few decades after 1947 saw the Indian National Congress ' (INC) near complete domination over the political map of India. India's first prime minister— Jawaharlal Nehru —took oath on 15 August 1947. Nehru went on to serve as prime minister for 17 consecutive years, winning four general elections in
10890-602: The possibility of another world war. At that time, he emphasised that, in the event of war, India's place was alongside the democracies, though he insisted India could only fight in support of Great Britain and France as a free country. After returning to India in December 1938, Nehru accepted Bose's offer to head the Planning Commission . In February 1939, he became president of the All India States Peoples Conference (AISPC), which
11011-405: The power to rule by decree ; this period is known for human rights violations such as mass sterilisation and the imprisonment of Indira's political opponents. After widespread protests, the emergency was lifted in 1977, and a general election was held. All of the political parties of the opposition—after the conclusion of the emergency—fought together against the Congress, under the umbrella of
11132-528: The practice of law nor the company of lawyers: "Decidedly the atmosphere was not intellectually stimulating and a sense of the utter insipidity of life grew upon me." His involvement in nationalist politics was to gradually replace his legal practice. Nehru's father, Motilal, was an important moderate leader of the Indian National Congress. The moderates believed British rule was modernising, and sought reform and more participation in government in cooperation with British authorities. However, Nehru sympathised with
11253-406: The presidency of the banned Congress. On 26 January 1931, Nehru and other prisoners were released early by Lord Irwin , who was negotiating with Gandhi. His father died on 6 February 1931. Nehru was back in jail on 26 December 1931 after violating court orders not to leave Allahabad while leading a "no-rent" campaign to alleviate peasant distress. On 30 August 1933, Nehru was released from prison, but
11374-546: The president has confidence in him/her. However, a prime minister must have the confidence of Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India . The term of a prime minister can end before the end of a Lok Sabha's term, if a simple majority of its members no longer have confidence in him/her, this is called a vote-of-no-confidence . Three prime ministers, I. K. Gujral , H. D. Deve Gowda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have been voted out from office this way. In addition,
11495-468: The president; and his government fell. Thereafter, Charan Singh —a deputy prime minister in Desai's cabinet—with outside, conditional support from Congress, proved a majority in Lok Sabha and took oath as Prime Minister. However, Congress pulled its support shortly after, and Singh had to resign; he had a tenure of 5 months, the shortest in the history of the office. In 1980 , after a three-year absence,
11616-440: The prime minister does not receive a formal salary, only monthly allowances. That same year The Economist reported that, on a purchasing power parity basis, the prime minister received an equivalent of $ 4106 per year. As a percentage of the country's per-capita GDP (gross domestic product), this is the lowest of all countries The Economist surveyed. Tryst with Destiny Too Many Requests If you report this error to
11737-629: The process of economic liberalisation during his reign, resulting in economic growth. In addition to the development of infrastructure and basic facilities, the government took several steps to improve the infrastructure of the country, such as, the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY; IAST : Pradhānamaṃtrī Grāma Saḍaka Yojanā ; lit. Prime Minister Rural Road Scheme), for
11858-685: The process. His tenure ended in May 1964, on his death. After the death of Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri —a former home minister and a leader of the Congress party—ascended to the position of prime minister. Shastri's tenure saw the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . Shashtri subsequently died of a reported heart attack in Tashkent , after signing the Tashkent Declaration . After Shastri, Indira Gandhi —Nehru's daughter—was elected as
11979-560: The protest, but Jinnah declined. In March 1940, Muhammad Ali Jinnah passed what came to be known as the Pakistan Resolution , declaring that, "Muslims are a nation according to any definition of a nation, and they must have their homelands , their territory and their State." This state was to be known as Pakistan, meaning 'Land of the Pure'. Nehru angrily declared that "all the old problems ... pale into insignificance before
12100-576: The province's Muslim League government. The numbers at Jinnah's meetings, once counted in thousands, soon numbered only a few hundred. In despair, Jinnah left the political scene for a stay in Kashmir. His prestige was restored unwittingly by Gandhi, who had been released from prison on medical grounds in May 1944 and had met Jinnah in Bombay in September. There, he offered the Muslim leader a plebiscite in
12221-625: The religious and cultural heritage of [India]....[They] provided Nehru the initial impulse for [his] long intellectual quest which culminated...in The Discovery of India ." Nehru became an ardent nationalist during his youth. The Second Boer War and the Russo-Japanese War intensified his feelings. Of the latter he wrote, "[The] Japanese victories [had] stirred up my enthusiasm. ... Nationalistic ideas filled my mind. ... I mused of Indian freedom and Asiatic freedom from
12342-405: The resolution and in accordance with Indian public sentiment. The Congress asked the people of India to observe 26 January as Independence Day. Congress volunteers, nationalists, and the public hoisted the flag of India publicly across India. Plans for mass civil disobedience were also underway. After the Lahore session of the Congress in 1929, Nehru gradually emerged as the paramount leader of
12463-485: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition; Vajpayee's government, hence, became a caretaker one after losing a motion-of-no-confidence 269–270, this coincided with the Kargil War with Pakistan. In the subsequent October 1999 general election , the BJP-led NDA and its affiliated parties secured a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha, winning 299 of 543 seats in the lower house . Vajpayee continued
12584-475: The same year. The non-cooperation movement was halted in 1923 as a result of the Chauri Chaura incident . Nehru's two-year term as general secretary ended after 1925, and earlier that year he resigned as mayor of Allahabad due to his disillusionment with municipal politics. In 1926, Nehru left for Europe with his wife and daughter to seek treatment for his wife's tuberculosis diagnosis. While in Europe, he
12705-526: The time given from two years to one. The British rejected demands for Dominion status in 1929. Nehru assumed the presidency of the Congress party during the Lahore session on 29 December 1929 and introduced a successful resolution calling for complete independence . Nehru drafted the Indian Declaration of Independence, which stated: We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have freedom and to enjoy
12826-546: The two later reconciled. In 1942, Gandhi called on the British to leave India; Nehru, though reluctant to embarrass the allied war effort, had no alternative but to join Gandhi. Following the Quit India resolution passed by the Congress party in Bombay on 8 August 1942, the entire Congress working committee, including Gandhi and Nehru, was arrested and imprisoned. Most of the Congress working committee including Nehru, Abdul Kalam Azad, and Sardar Patel were incarcerated at
12947-459: The union cabinet and the president officially communicate through the prime minister. Otherwise, the Constitution recognises the prime minister as a member of the union cabinet only outside the sphere of union cabinet. The prime minister recommends to the president—among others—names for the appointment of: As the chairperson of Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), the prime minister—on
13068-504: The war and allow the election of a constituent assembly to frame a new constitution; second, although the Indian armed forces would remain under the British Commander-in-chief , Indians must be included immediately in the central government and given a chance to share power and responsibility. When Nehru presented Lord Linlithgow with these demands, he chose to reject them. A deadlock was reached: "The same old game
13189-422: Was Jawaharlal Nehru , also the first prime minister, whose tenure lasted 16 years and 286 days. His premiership was followed by Lal Bahadur Shastri 's short tenure and Indira Gandhi 's 11- and 4-year-long tenures, both politicians belonging to the Indian National Congress . After Indira Gandhi's assassination , her son Rajiv Gandhi took charge until 1989, when a decade with five unstable governments began. This
13310-770: Was also a witness to the demolition of the Babri Masjid , which resulted in the death of about 2,000 people. Rao, however, did complete five continuous years in office, becoming the first prime minister outside of the Nehru—Gandhi family to do so. After the end of Rao's tenure in May 1996, the nation saw four prime ministers in a span of three years, viz. , two tenures of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ; one tenure of H. D. Deve Gowda from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997; and one tenure of I. K. Gujral from 21 April 1997 to 19 March 1998. The government of Prime Minister Vajpayee—elected in 1998 —took some concrete steps; in May 1998—after
13431-544: Was arrested in Allahabad on 12 January 1934. In August 1934, he was briefly released for eleven days to attend to his wife's ailing health. In October, he was allowed to see her again, but he turned down an early release conditional on withdrawing from politics for the duration of his sentence. In September 1935, Nehru's wife, Kamala, became terminally ill while receiving medical treatment in Badenweiler , Germany. Nehru
13552-401: Was followed by the full terms of P. V. Narasimha Rao , Atal Bihari Vajpayee , Manmohan Singh , and Narendra Modi . Modi is the 14th and current prime minister of India, serving since 26 May 2014 . India follows a parliamentary system in which the prime minister is the presiding head of the government and chief of the executive of the government. In such systems, the head of state , or,
13673-577: Was invited to attend the Congress of oppressed nationalities in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting was called to coordinate and plan a common struggle against imperialism . Nehru represented India and was elected to the Executive Council of the League against Imperialism which was born at this meeting. He made a statement in favour of complete independence for India. Nehru's stay in Europe included
13794-480: Was leading popular agitations in princely states. Nehru was not directly involved in the events that split the Congress during the Bose presidency, and unsuccessfully attempted to mediate. When World War II began, Viceroy Linlithgow unilaterally declared India a belligerent on the side of Britain, without consulting the elected Indian representatives. Nehru hurried back from a visit to China, announcing that, in
13915-497: Was more deeply divided than he had imagined. Nehru, eager for a compromise, was hopeful; Gandhi was not. Jinnah had continued opposing the Congress: "Pakistan is our only demand, and by God, we will have it," he declared in the Muslim League newspaper Dawn . Cripps' mission failed as Gandhi would accept nothing less than independence. Relations between Nehru and Gandhi cooled over the latter's refusal to co-operate with Cripps, but
14036-494: Was not freed. The government was forced to release Besant in September, but the protestors successfully negotiated further concessions . Nehru met Gandhi for the first time in 1916 at the Lucknow session of the Congress, but he had been then dissuaded by his father from being drawn into Gandhi's satyagraha politics. 1919 marked the beginning of a strong wave of nationalist activity and subsequent government repression that included
14157-604: Was one of the first leaders to demand that the Congress Party should resolve to make a complete and explicit break from all ties with the British Empire. The Madras session of Congress in 1927, approved his resolution for independence despite Gandhi's criticism. At that time, he formed the Independence for India League, a pressure group within the Congress. In 1928, Gandhi agreed to Nehru's demands and proposed
14278-463: Was ratified in 1931 at the Karachi session chaired by Vallabhbhai Patel . Nehru and most of the Congress leaders were ambivalent initially about Gandhi's plan to begin civil disobedience with a satyagraha aimed at the British salt tax . After the protest had gathered steam, they realised the power of salt as a symbol. Nehru remarked about the unprecedented popular response, "It seemed as though
14399-515: Was released from prison early on compassionate grounds, and moved his wife to a sanatorium in Lausanne , Switzerland, where she died on 28 February 1936. While in Europe, Nehru learned that he was elected as Congress president for the coming year. He returned to India in March 1936 and led the Congress response to the Government of India Act 1935 . He condemned the Act as a "new charter of bondage" and
14520-415: Was shot dead by Satwant Singh and Beant Singh —two of her bodyguards—in the garden of her residence at 1, Safdarjung Road , New Delhi. After Indira, Rajiv —her eldest son and 40 years old at the time—was sworn in on the evening of 31 October 1984, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the office of prime minister. Rajiv immediately called for a general election. In the subsequent general election ,
14641-593: Was sworn in as the Dominion of India 's prime minister and raised the Indian flag at the Red Fort in Delhi. On 26 January 1950, when India became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations , Nehru became the Republic of India 's first prime minister. He embarked on an ambitious program of economic, social, and political reforms. Nehru promoted a pluralistic multi-party democracy. In foreign affairs, he played
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