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Indira Gandhi

Third Prime Minister of India and the only woman to hold the office

19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984 India Verified by our editors

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Lived: 66 yrs; 1917 – 1984
Works listed: 0; Career highlights
Honours: 1; Most recent 1971
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Quick facts

Also known as: Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi
Born: 19 November 1917
Allahabad (Prayagraj), United Provinces
Died: 31 October 1984 (aged 66)
Country: India
Occupation: Politician, Statesman
Years active: 1959–1984
Known for: The 1971 war and creation of Bangladesh, bank nationalisation, the Emergency
Offices: Prime Minister of India, 1966–1977 and 1980–1984
Party: Indian National Congress (president 1959, 1978–1984)
Spouse: Feroze Gandhi (m. 1942; died 1960)
Children: Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi
Education: Visva-Bharati University; Somerville College, Oxford
Memorial: Shakti Sthal, Delhi
Residence: 1 Safdarjung Road, New Delhi (now a museum)
Slogan: Garibi Hatao (Remove poverty)
Star sign: Scorpio

Indira Gandhi · Photo: Photo: Prime Minister's Office / GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons

Also in Politics & Leadership

Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. One of the most powerful leaders of the 20th century, her tenure saw victory in the 1971 war, India’s first nuclear test and the controversial 1975–77 Emergency.

Biography

Early life

The only child of Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru, Indira grew up at the centre of the independence movement. She studied at Visva-Bharati in Santiniketan and at Somerville College, Oxford, and in 1942 married Feroze Gandhi, a Congress activist and later parliamentarian. They had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay.

Rise to power

She served as her father’s official hostess and confidante, became president of the Congress in 1959 and joined Lal Bahadur Shastri’s cabinet as Minister of Information and Broadcasting in 1964. After Shastri’s death in January 1966 she was chosen as Prime Minister.

In 1969 she split the Congress, nationalised the major private banks and moved to abolish the privy purses of former princes. Her 1971 campaign under the slogan “Garibi Hatao” (Remove poverty) won a large majority.

1971 war and the Emergency

In December 1971 India intervened in the crisis in East Pakistan; the war ended in two weeks with the creation of Bangladesh, and she was awarded the Bharat Ratna that year. India conducted its first nuclear test at Pokhran in 1974.

After a court ruling voided her 1971 election, she declared a state of Emergency in June 1975, suspending civil liberties, jailing opposition leaders and censoring the press. She lost the 1977 election to the Janata Party.

Return and assassination

Indira Gandhi returned to power in the 1980 general election. Her final term was marked by an insurgency in Punjab; in June 1984 she ordered the army operation against militants in the Golden Temple, Amritsar. On 31 October 1984 she was assassinated in New Delhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards. Her son Rajiv succeeded her as Prime Minister.

Green Revolution and the economy

Her governments oversaw the Green Revolution, which transformed India from dependence on food aid into self-sufficiency in grain through high-yielding seeds, irrigation and fertilisers. Her economic policies were strongly statist: nationalisation of banks, coal and insurance, tight licensing and the slogan Garibi Hatao. India’s first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma, flew to space in 1984 during her final term.

Legacy and debate

Indira Gandhi is remembered both as a decisive leader who won the 1971 war and made India a regional power, and as the Prime Minister who imposed the Emergency, curtailed press freedom and centralised power. BBC listeners voted her the “Woman of the Millennium” in a 1999 poll.

Timeline

1917

Born in Allahabad (Prayagraj), United Provinces
1942

Marries Feroze Gandhi

Wedding in Allahabad.
1959

President of the Indian National Congress

Elected party president.
1964

Minister of Information and Broadcasting

Joins the Union cabinet.
1966

Becomes Prime Minister

Sworn in on 24 January.
1969

Nationalises 14 major banks

Also splits the Congress party.
1969

Congress splits; Congress (R) formed
1971

Wins general election and the Bangladesh war

Awarded the Bharat Ratna.
1972

Simla Agreement with Pakistan
1974

First nuclear test

Pokhran-I, code-named “Smiling Buddha”.
1975

Declares the Emergency

Lasts until March 1977.
1977

Loses the general election

First Congress defeat.
1980

Returns as Prime Minister

Congress wins the general election.
1984

Assassinated in New Delhi

On 31 October.
1984

Speaks with Rakesh Sharma in space

April.
1984

Died, aged 66

Awards and honours

Bharat Ratna

1971 · India’s highest civilian honour.

Did you know?

1
She is the only woman to have served as Prime Minister of India.
2
She was not related to Mahatma Gandhi; the surname came from her husband, Feroze Gandhi.
3
Her memorial in Delhi is called Shakti Sthal.
4
BBC listeners voted her “Woman of the Millennium” in 1999.
5
Her home at 1 Safdarjung Road is now a museum.
6
She asked Rakesh Sharma how India looked from space.