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Living prime ministers of India

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This article shows the living prime ministers of India from the swearing-in of the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947 until the present. Currently, in addition to the incumbent, Narendra Modi, there are two living former prime ministers: H. D. Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh.

This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
India

Current living prime ministers[edit]

Living prime ministers as of November 5, 2024 (from oldest to youngest)

Timeline[edit]

Table showing the number of prime ministers alive at each time period in Indian History.

Number of prime ministers alive at particular time period in Indian History
Starting and ending events
Names Timespan
From: August 15, 1947 · Swearing-in of Jawaharlal Nehru[1]
To: May 27, 1964 · Death of Jawaharlal Nehru[2]
1  Nehru  16 years, 286 days
From: June 9, 1964 · Swearing-in of Lal Bahadur Shastri[3]
To: January 11, 1966 · Death of Lal Bahadur Shastri
1  Shastri  1 year, 216 days
From:January 24, 1966 · Swearing-in of Indira Gandhi[4]
To: March 24, 1977 · Swearing-in of Morarji Desai[5]
1  Indira  11 years, 59 days
From: March 24, 1977· Swearing-in of Morarji Desai
To: July 28, 1979 · Swearing-in of Charan Singh
2  Indira   Desai  2 years, 126 days
From: July 28, 1979 · Swearing-in of Charan Singh
To: Oct 31, 1984 · Assassination of Indira Gandhi and
   subsequent Swearing-in of Rajiv Gandhi
3  Indira   Desai   Charan  5 years, 95 days
From: October 31, 1984 · Swearing-in of Rajiv Gandhi[6]
To: May 29, 1987 · Death of Charan Singh
3  Desai   Charan   Rajiv  2 years, 210 days
From: May 29, 1987 · Death of Charan Singh
To: December 2, 1989 · Swearing-in of Vishwanath Pratap Singh[7]
2  Desai   Rajiv  2 years, 187 days
From: December 2, 1989 · Swearing-in of Vishwanath Pratap Singh
To: November 10, 1990 · Swearing-in of Chandra Shekhar
3  Desai   Rajiv   Vishwanath  343 days
From: November 10, 1990 · Swearing-in of Chandra Shekhar
To: May 21, 1991 · Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi[8]
4  Desai   Rajiv   Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar  192 days
From: May 21, 1991 · Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
To: June 21, 1991 · Swearing-in of P. V. Narasimha Rao[9]
3  Desai   Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar  31 days
From: June 21, 1991 · Swearing-in of P. V. Narasimha Rao
To: April 10, 1995 · Death of Morarji Desai
4  Desai   Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar   Rao  3 years, 293 days
From: April 10, 1995 · Death of Morarji Desai
To: May 16, 1996 · Swearing-in of Atal Bihari Vajpayee[10]
3  Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar   Rao  1 year, 36 days
From: May 16, 1996 · Swearing-in of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
To: June 1, 1996 · Swearing-in of H. D. Deve Gowda[11]
4  Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar   Rao   Vajpayee  16 days
From: June 1, 1996 · Swearing-in of H. D. Deve Gowda
To: April 21, 1997 · Swearing-in of Inder Kumar Gujral[12]
5  Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar   Rao   Vajpayee   Deve Gowda  324 days
From: April 21, 1997 · Swearing-in of Inder Kumar Gujral
To: May 22, 2004 · Swearing-in of Manmohan Singh[13]
6  Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar   Rao   Vajpayee   Deve Gowda   Gujral  6 years, 64 days
From: May 22, 2004 · Swearing-in of Manmohan Singh
To: December 23, 2004 · Death of P. V. Narsimha Rao
7  Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar   Rao   Vajpayee   Deve Gowda   Gujral   Manmohan  215 days
From: December 23, 2004 · Death of P. V. Narsimha Rao
To: July 8, 2007 · Death of Chandra Shekhar
6  Vishwanath   Chandra Shekhar   Vajpayee   Deve Gowda   Gujral   Manmohan  2 years, 197 days
From: July 8, 2007 · Death of Chandra Shekhar
To: November 27, 2008 · Death of Vishwanath Pratap Singh
5  Vishwanath   Vajpayee   Deve Gowda   Gujral   Manmohan  1 year, 142 days
From: Nov 27, 2008 · Death of Vishwanath Pratap Singh
To: Nov 30, 2012· Death of Inder Kumar Gujral
4  Vajpayee   Deve Gowda   Gujral   Manmohan  4 years, 3 days
From: November 30, 2012· Death of Inder Kumar Gujral
To: May 26, 2014 · Swearing-in of Narendra Modi[14]
3  Vajpayee   Deve Gowda   Manmohan  1 year, 177 days
From: May 26, 2014 · Swearing-in of Narendra Modi
To: August 16, 2018 · Death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
4  Vajpayee   Deve Gowda   Manmohan   Modi  4 years, 82 days
From: August 16, 2018 · Death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
To: present
3  Deve Gowda   Manmohan   Modi  6 years, 81 days
Starting and ending events
Names Timespan
Sources:[15][16][17]

Most and least living prime ministers[edit]

There has been one time period with seven living prime ministers (i.e., the incumbent and six former prime ministers):

There have been three time periods when the incumbent prime minister was the only living prime minister, having no living predecessors:

  • August 15, 1947 to May 27, 1964Jawaharlal Nehru, who, being the first prime minister, had no predecessors
  • June 9, 1964 to January 11, 1966Lal Bahadur Shastri, after the death of his only predecessor, Jawaharlal Nehru
  • January 24, 1966 to March 24, 1977Indira Gandhi, after the death of her predecessor, Lal Bahadur Shastri
  • There have been 6 administrations during which a prime minister has not died, the most recent being the administration of Inder Kumar Gujral. This does not include the administrations of Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, or Indira Gandhi (who were themselves the only prime ministers to die during their administrations).
    • Conversely only during the administration of Manmohan Singh has their been as many as four deaths during an administration.
  • The longest period between deaths of prime ministers was the 18 years and 294 days between the deaths of Lal Bahadur Shastri on January 11, 1966 and Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. The shortest was the 1 year and 142 days between the deaths of Chandra Shekhar on July 8, 2007 and Vishwanath Pratap Singh on November 27, 2008.
  • If the longest period between deaths is to be exceeded, no prime minister must die before June 6, 2037, both the current oldest and second oldest surviving prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H. D. Deve Gowda would then be 104 years of age.
  • Since the swearing-in of Morarji Desai on March 24, 1977 ( a period of 47 years, 226 days) there have been at least two prime ministers living.

See also[edit]

Citations and references[edit]

  1. DelhiMay 30, India Today Web Desk New; May 30, 2019UPDATED; Ist, 2019 16:06. "Empty envelope, tryst with destiny and a maddening crowd: How Nehru took oath as India's 1st PM". India Today. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  2. Gulzarilal Nanda was Acting Prime Minister of India for two time upon death of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
  3. "On this day, Lal Bahadur Shastri was sworn in as India's 2nd Prime Minister". Republic World. Archived from the original on 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. "About Indira Gandhi- Indira's Struggle, Political Career & Contribution towards India". indiragandhi.in. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  5. Borders, William (1977-03-25). "New Delhi Swears In Desai as 4th Premier". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  6. "Rajiv Gandhi". MANAS. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  7. Hazarika, Sanjoy (1989-12-03). "Man in the News; V.P. SINGH: LOW-KEY INDIAN IN HIGH-ANXIETY JOB". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  8. Crossette, Barbara (1991-05-22). "ASSASSINATION IN INDIA; RAJIV GANDHI IS ASSASSINATED IN BOMBING AT CAMPAIGN STOP; INDIA PUTS OFF REST OF VOTING". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  9. "Rao Takes Oath in India, Names His Cabinet". Los Angeles Times. 1991-06-22. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  10. DelhiAugust 17, Dev Goswami New; August 17, 2018UPDATED; Ist, 2018 23:01. "When Atal Bihari Vajpayee showed the world how to resign in style". India Today. Archived from the original on 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  11. "H.D. Deve Gowda | Biography & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  12. "Shri Inder Kumar Gujral | Prime Minister of India". www.pmindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  13. "Manmohan sworn in". Hindustan Times. 2004-05-22. Archived from the original on 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  14. DelhiMay 26, IndiaToday in New; May 27, 2014UPDATED; Ist, 2014 12:54. "Modi takes oath as PM, with 24 Cabinet and 21 Ministers of State". India Today. Archived from the original on 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  15. "List of all Prime Ministers of India". Jagranjosh.com. 2020-10-26. Archived from the original on 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2021-02-27. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  16. "General Information - Prime Ministers Of India - Know India: National Portal of India". knowindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2021-02-27. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  17. "List of prime ministers of India". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2021-02-27. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)


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