📘 List of Prime Ministers of India (1947 – Present) | Static GK
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Preparing for UPSC, SSC CGL, Railways, or State PSC exams? Scoring high in the Indian Polity and Static GK sections requires a flawless grasp of executive leadership history. The Prime Minister of India serves as the real executive authority (de facto head) of the nation, and their tenures have shaped India’s political and economic trajectory. This comprehensive, fully updated 2026 guide to the Prime Ministers of India provides a precise chronological breakdown of all leaders from 1947 to the present day, complete with official terms of office, crucial exam-oriented milestones, and landmark historical achievements. Bookmark this ultimate reference grid to streamline your revision and secure top marks!
| S. No. |
Prime Minister |
Term of Office |
Important Remarks (Exam-Oriented) |
| 1 |
Jawaharlal Nehru |
15 Aug 1947 – 27 May 1964 |
First PM of India; Longest-serving PM; First to die in office |
| 2 |
Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting) |
27 May 1964 – 9 Jun 1964 |
First Acting Prime Minister |
| 3 |
Lal Bahadur Shastri |
9 Jun 1964 – 11 Jan 1966 |
Gave slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” |
| 4 |
Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting) |
11 Jan 1966 – 24 Jan 1966 |
Second Acting term |
| 5 |
Indira Gandhi |
24 Jan 1966 – 24 Mar 1977 |
First Female Prime Minister of India |
| 6 |
Morarji Desai |
24 Mar 1977 – 28 Jul 1979 |
Oldest PM (81 years); First to resign |
| 7 |
Charan Singh |
28 Jul 1979 – 14 Jan 1980 |
Only PM who did not face Parliament |
| 8 |
Indira Gandhi |
14 Jan 1980 – 31 Oct 1984 |
First woman PM to serve a second term |
| 9 |
Rajiv Gandhi |
31 Oct 1984 – 2 Dec 1989 |
Youngest PM (40 years) |
| 10 |
V. P. Singh |
2 Dec 1989 – 10 Nov 1990 |
First PM to resign after No-Confidence Motion |
| 11 |
Chandra Shekhar |
10 Nov 1990 – 21 Jun 1991 |
PM from Samajwadi Janata Party |
| 12 |
P. V. Narasimha Rao |
21 Jun 1991 – 16 May 1996 |
First PM from South India |
| 13 |
Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
16 May 1996 – 1 Jun 1996 |
Shortest tenure as PM (13 days) |
| 14 |
H. D. Deve Gowda |
1 Jun 1996 – 21 Apr 1997 |
PM from Janata Dal |
| 15 |
I. K. Gujral |
21 Apr 1997 – 19 Mar 1998 |
Known for Gujral Doctrine |
| 16 |
Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
19 Mar 1998 – 22 May 2004 |
First non-Congress PM to complete full term |
| 17 |
Manmohan Singh |
22 May 2004 – 26 May 2014 |
First Sikh Prime Minister |
| 18 |
Narendra Modi |
26 May 2014 – Present |
First PM born after Independence; Consecutive terms |
🎯 High-Yield Exam Facts
- Longest-Serving Prime Minister → Jawaharlal Nehru, who served continuously for 16 years and 286 days.
- Shortest Tenure as Prime Minister → Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose first term in 1996 lasted a mere 13 days.
- Youngest & Oldest Leaders → Rajiv Gandhi took office at just 40 years old (Youngest), while Morarji Desai became PM at 81 years old (Oldest).
- First Non-Congress PM to Complete a Full Term → Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998–2004).
- Demised in Office → Three Prime Ministers have died while serving their terms: Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Indira Gandhi.
- Constitutional Provision → The appointment of the Prime Minister is governed by Article 75 of the Constitution of India, executed by the President.
- No-Confidence Motion Landmark → V.P. Singh was the first Prime Minister to step down after losing a No-Confidence Motion in the Lok Sabha.
The Top 3 Longest-Serving Prime Ministers of India
A direct comparison of India’s longest-serving Prime Ministers shows the timeline:
| Prime Minister |
Total Time in Office |
Service Details |
| 1. Jawaharlal Nehru |
16 years, 286 days |
Served continuously across 4 consecutive terms (including the interim government before the first general elections).(a total of 6,130 days) |
| 2. Indira Gandhi |
15 years, 350 days |
Served across two separate stints: 1966–1977 (11 years, 59 days) and 1980–1984 (4 years, 291 days). |
| 3. Narendra Modi |
12+ years (Ongoing) |
Serving continuously since May 26, 2014, currently in his third consecutive term. |
A Key Distinction in Recent Milestones
In June 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi crossed 4,399 consecutive days in office. This milestone made him India’s longest-serving continuously elected Prime Minister.
This distinction exists because historians and political analysts split Nehru’s 16-year tenure into two distinct phases:
- Appointed Head (1947–1952): His first 4 years and 271 days were served as the appointed leader of the interim government before India held its first democratic general elections.
- Elected Leader (1952–1964): His uninterrupted service as the head of a democratically elected parliament lasted for 4,398 days.
Despite this technical distinction for post-election tenures, Jawaharlal Nehru still holds the absolute record for the longest overall time spent in the Prime Minister’s office.