List of Prime Ministers of India: Quick Answer
India has had 14 Prime Ministers since 1947 (not counting Gulzarilal Nanda's two acting terms). The first was Jawaharlal Nehru (15 August 1947 - 27 May 1964) and the current Prime Minister is Narendra Modi, in office since 26 May 2014 and sworn in for a third consecutive term on 9 June 2024 (pmindia.gov.in).
Key takeaway: Nehru is the longest-serving PM (about 16 years 9 months). Indira Gandhi was the first and only woman PM. Morarji Desai was the first non-Congress PM. Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest (40 years). Narendra Modi is the first PM born after Independence, and on 25 July 2025 he passed Indira Gandhi's 4,077-day unbroken spell to have the second-longest continuous tenure after Nehru.
Prime Ministers of India List (1947-2026)
| No. | Prime Minister | Tenure | Party | Key fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 15 Aug 1947 - 27 May 1964 | INC | First and longest-serving PM; died in office |
| - | Gulzarilal Nanda (acting) | 27 May 1964 - 9 Jun 1964 | INC | Acting PM after Nehru's death |
| 2 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | 9 Jun 1964 - 11 Jan 1966 | INC | "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan"; died at Tashkent after signing the Tashkent Agreement |
| - | Gulzarilal Nanda (acting) | 11 Jan 1966 - 24 Jan 1966 | INC | Acting PM a second time |
| 3 | Indira Gandhi | 24 Jan 1966 - 24 Mar 1977 | INC | First woman PM; bank nationalisation (1969), 1971 war, Emergency (1975-77) |
| 4 | Morarji Desai | 24 Mar 1977 - 28 Jul 1979 | Janata Party | First non-Congress PM; oldest at swearing-in (81) |
| 5 | Charan Singh | 28 Jul 1979 - 14 Jan 1980 | Janata Party (Secular) | Only PM who never faced Parliament as PM |
| 3 | Indira Gandhi | 14 Jan 1980 - 31 Oct 1984 | INC (I) | Operation Blue Star (1984); assassinated in office |
| 6 | Rajiv Gandhi | 31 Oct 1984 - 2 Dec 1989 | INC (I) | Youngest PM (40); anti-defection law (52nd Amendment, 1985) |
| 7 | V.P. Singh | 2 Dec 1989 - 10 Nov 1990 | Janata Dal | Implemented the Mandal Commission report; lost a confidence vote |
| 8 | Chandra Shekhar | 10 Nov 1990 - 21 Jun 1991 | Samajwadi Janata Party | Minority government supported from outside by Congress |
| 9 | P.V. Narasimha Rao | 21 Jun 1991 - 16 May 1996 | INC | First PM from South India; 1991 economic reforms (LPG) |
| 10 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 16 May 1996 - 1 Jun 1996 | BJP | First BJP PM; resigned after 13 days without facing a trust vote |
| 11 | H.D. Deve Gowda | 1 Jun 1996 - 21 Apr 1997 | Janata Dal (United Front) | From Karnataka |
| 12 | I.K. Gujral | 21 Apr 1997 - 19 Mar 1998 | Janata Dal (United Front) | "Gujral Doctrine" in foreign policy |
| 10 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 19 Mar 1998 - 22 May 2004 | BJP (NDA) | Pokhran-II tests (1998), Kargil war (1999); first non-Congress PM to complete a full term |
| 13 | Manmohan Singh | 22 May 2004 - 26 May 2014 | INC (UPA) | First Sikh PM; two full terms |
| 14 | Narendra Modi | 26 May 2014 - present | BJP (NDA) | First PM born after Independence; third term from 9 June 2024 |
First, Longest and Shortest Serving PMs (Records Table)
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| First PM | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Current PM (October 2026) | Narendra Modi |
| Longest-serving PM | Jawaharlal Nehru, 6,130 days (about 16 years 9 months) |
| Second-longest in total | Indira Gandhi, 5,829 days over two spells |
| Longest continuous after Nehru | Narendra Modi, since 26 May 2014 (passed Indira Gandhi's 4,077-day spell on 25 July 2025) |
| Shortest tenure (full PM) | Atal Bihari Vajpayee's first term, 1996 (13 days to resignation) |
| Acting PM (twice, 13 days each) | Gulzarilal Nanda |
| First woman PM | Indira Gandhi |
| Youngest PM | Rajiv Gandhi (40) |
| Oldest at swearing-in | Morarji Desai (81) |
| First non-Congress PM | Morarji Desai |
| PMs who died in office | Nehru, Shastri, Indira Gandhi |
| PM who never faced Parliament | Charan Singh |
| First PM born after Independence | Narendra Modi |
| First Sikh PM | Manmohan Singh |
| PMs elected from Uttar Pradesh seats | Many, including Nehru (Phulpur), Indira (Rae Bareli), Vajpayee (Lucknow), Modi (Varanasi) |
Prime Minister of India: Constitutional Facts
| Topic | Article / fact |
|---|---|
| Appointment of the PM | Article 75(1): appointed by the President |
| Council of Ministers headed by the PM | Article 74 |
| Duties of the PM towards the President | Article 78 |
| Size of the Council of Ministers | Not more than 15% of the Lok Sabha strength (91st Amendment, 2003) |
| Oath | Administered by the President |
| Term | Not fixed; holds office while enjoying the confidence of the Lok Sabha |
| Membership | Must be (or become within 6 months) a member of either House of Parliament |
PMs from the Rajya Sabha: Indira Gandhi (in 1966), H.D. Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral and Manmohan Singh.
List of Prime Ministers Trick
Order of the 14 PMs: "Nehru Shastri Indira, Morarji Charan; Rajiv VP Chandra, Rao Atal Deve Gujral; Manmohan Modi."
- 3 who died in office: Nehru, Shastri, Indira.
- 2 acting spells: both Gulzarilal Nanda.
- United Front pair: Deve Gowda then Gujral (1996-98).
- Janata pair: Morarji then Charan Singh (1977-80).
Prime Ministers of India MCQs (with Answers)
Q1. Who was the first Prime Minister of India? (a) Sardar Patel (b) Jawaharlal Nehru (c) Rajendra Prasad (d) Lal Bahadur Shastri Answer: (b).
Q2. Who was the first non-Congress Prime Minister? (a) Charan Singh (b) Morarji Desai (c) V.P. Singh (d) Chandra Shekhar Answer: (b).
Q3. Which Prime Minister never faced Parliament while in office? (a) Chandra Shekhar (b) Charan Singh (c) I.K. Gujral (d) Deve Gowda Answer: (b).
Q4. The slogan "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" was given by: (a) Indira Gandhi (b) Lal Bahadur Shastri (c) Nehru (d) Morarji Desai Answer: (b).
Q5. Who served twice as acting Prime Minister? (a) Y.B. Chavan (b) Gulzarilal Nanda (c) Jagjivan Ram (d) Charan Singh Answer: (b).
Q6. Who was the youngest Prime Minister of India? (a) Indira Gandhi (b) Rajiv Gandhi (c) Narendra Modi (d) Chandra Shekhar Answer: (b). Aged 40.
Q7. Under which Prime Minister were the 1991 economic reforms launched? (a) Rajiv Gandhi (b) V.P. Singh (c) P.V. Narasimha Rao (d) Manmohan Singh Answer: (c). Manmohan Singh was the Finance Minister.
Q8. The Prime Minister is appointed under which Article? (a) Article 74 (b) Article 75 (c) Article 78 (d) Article 52 Answer: (b).
Q9. Narendra Modi was sworn in for his third term on: (a) 26 May 2014 (b) 30 May 2019 (c) 9 June 2024 (d) 4 June 2024 Answer: (c).
Q10. Which Prime Minister implemented the Mandal Commission report? (a) Morarji Desai (b) V.P. Singh (c) Rajiv Gandhi (d) Narasimha Rao Answer: (b).
Prime Ministers of India FAQs
Who is the current Prime Minister of India in 2026?
Narendra Modi, in office since 26 May 2014; he was sworn in for a third consecutive term on 9 June 2024.
How many Prime Ministers has India had?
Fourteen people have served as Prime Minister, plus Gulzarilal Nanda, who was acting PM twice (1964 and 1966).
Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of India?
Jawaharlal Nehru, from 15 August 1947 to 27 May 1964 (6,130 days).
Who was the only woman Prime Minister of India?
Indira Gandhi (1966-1977 and 1980-1984).
Which Prime Minister had the shortest term?
Atal Bihari Vajpayee's first government in 1996 lasted 13 days before he resigned; among acting PMs, Gulzarilal Nanda served 13 days each time.
Which Prime Ministers died in office?
Jawaharlal Nehru (1964), Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966, in Tashkent) and Indira Gandhi (1984, assassinated).
Practice Next
- Polity mock tests: SSC CGL Polity Mock Test 01, SSC CGL Polity Mock Test 02, SSC CHSL Polity Mock Test 01, RRB NTPC Polity Mock Test 01, SSC MTS Polity Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: President of India list 1950 to 2026, important articles of the Indian Constitution, important constitutional amendments list, Indian National Congress sessions list, five year plans of India.
- Browse all study notes.