Prime Minister
Indian Polity · प्रधानमंत्री
📋Quick Overview
The Prime Minister is the real executive head of India (President is nominal head). Articles 74-75 deal with PM and Council of Ministers. PM is appointed by the President — must be the leader of the majority party in Lok Sabha. The PM advises the President on appointment of ministers. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha (Article 75). India follows the Westminster model of government borrowed from the UK.
📖PM — Key Constitutional Details
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Articles | 74-75 (Part V) |
| Appointed by | President (leader of majority party in Lok Sabha) |
| Must be member of | Parliament (either house — if not, must become within 6 months) |
| Collective Responsibility | Article 75(3) — Council of Ministers responsible to Lok Sabha |
| Individual Responsibility | Article 75(2) — Ministers hold office at President's pleasure |
| Oath administered by | President |
| Resignation to | President |
| No fixed term | Serves as long as majority in Lok Sabha |
📖Council of Ministers — Three Tiers
| Category | Role | Key Point |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Ministers | Head important ministries (Defence, Finance, Home, etc.) | Attend Cabinet meetings, make key policy decisions |
| Ministers of State (Independent Charge) | Head smaller ministries independently | Do NOT attend Cabinet meetings unless invited |
| Ministers of State | Assist Cabinet Ministers | Work under a Cabinet Minister, no independent charge |
⭐
91st Amendment (2003): Total Council of Ministers cannot exceed 15% of total Lok Sabha strength. Same rule for State Cabinets (15% of Assembly strength).
📖List of Prime Ministers — Must Know
| PM | Party | Period | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jawaharlal Nehru | INC | 1947-1964 | First PM, longest serving, died in office |
| Gulzarilal Nanda | INC | 1964, 1966 | Caretaker PM (twice), shortest serving |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri | INC | 1964-1966 | 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan', died in Tashkent |
| Indira Gandhi | INC | 1966-77, 1980-84 | First woman PM, Emergency (1975), assassinated |
| Morarji Desai | Janata Party | 1977-1979 | First non-Congress PM, oldest PM (81 yrs) |
| Charan Singh | Janata Party | 1979-1980 | Never faced Lok Sabha (never proved majority) |
| Rajiv Gandhi | INC | 1984-1989 | Youngest PM (40 years), Computer Revolution |
| V.P. Singh | Janata Dal | 1989-1990 | Mandal Commission implemented (OBC reservation) |
| P.V. Narasimha Rao | INC | 1991-1996 | Economic liberalization (LPG reforms), first PM from South India |
| A.B. Vajpayee | BJP | 1998-2004 | Pokhran-II nuclear test (1998), Golden Quadrilateral, first BJP PM (full term) |
| Manmohan Singh | INC | 2004-2014 | First Sikh PM, economist, RTI Act, NREGA |
| Narendra Modi | BJP | 2014-present | First PM born in independent India, Demonetization, GST, Ayushman Bharat |
📝"First / Only" — Prime Ministers
- •FIRST PM → Jawaharlal Nehru (longest serving: 1947-1964)
- •FIRST woman PM → Indira Gandhi
- •FIRST non-Congress PM → Morarji Desai
- •YOUNGEST PM → Rajiv Gandhi (40 years)
- •OLDEST PM → Morarji Desai (81 years at start of term)
- •PM who never faced Lok Sabha → Charan Singh
- •SHORTEST serving PM → Gulzarilal Nanda (caretaker, 13 days)
- •PMs who were Rajya Sabha members when they became PM: Indira Gandhi (1966, briefly before winning LS by-election), I.K. Gujral (1997), Manmohan Singh (2004 & 2009 — longest serving RS PM). Deve Gowda was from Lok Sabha.