The Prime Minister of India is the head of the government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the Prime Minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, though the President of India is the Constitutional, nominal and ceremonial head of the State. 

List of all the Prime Ministers of India from 1947-2023

India has a parliamentary government, with the prime minister serving as both the head of the executive branch and the presiding official. The Lok Sabha, the Republic of India's main legislative body, is the lower chamber of the Indian Parliament, and the prime minister is frequently the head of the party or coalition that holds a majority there. The Lok Sabha is the prime minister's permanent accountability body.

The prime minister of India is chosen by the president; however, in order to remain in office, the prime minister must have the support of the majority of the Lok Sabha members, who are chosen directly every five years. The upper house of the parliament, the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha, can both contain the prime minister. The appointment and removal of Union Council of Ministers members, as well as the distribution of positions within the government, are entirely under the prime minister's authority.

LIST OF PRIME MINISTERS OF INDIA

• 1
  
  Jawaharlal Nehru

  15 August, 1947 - 15 April, 1952
  15 April, 1952 - 17 April, 1957
  17 April, 1957 - 2 April, 1962
  2 April, 1962 - 27 May, 1964

  INC

• 2
  
  Gulzarilal Nanda (acting)

  27 May, 1964 - 9 June, 1964
  11 January, 1966 - 24 January, 1966

  INC

• 3
  
  Lal Bahadur Shastri

  9 June, 1964 - 11 January, 1966

  INC

• 4
  
  Indira Gandhi

  24 January, 1966 - 4 March, 1967
  4 March, 1967 - 15 March, 1971
  15 March, 1971 - 24 March, 1977
  14 January, 1980 - 31 October, 1984

  INC

• 5
  
  Morarji Desai

  24 March, 1977 - 28 July, 1979

  Janata Party

• 6
  
  Charan Singh

  28 July, 1979 - 14 January, 1980

  Janata Party (Secular)

• 7
  
  Rajiv Gandhi

  31 October, 1984 - 31 December, 1984
  31 December, 1984 - 2 December, 1989

  INC

• 8
  
  Vishwanath Pratap Singh

  2 December, 1989 - 10 November, 1990

  Janata Dal

• 9
  
  Chandra Shekhar

  10 November, 1990 - 21 June, 1991

  Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)

• 10
  
  P.V. Narasimha Rao

  21 June, 1991 - 16 May, 1996

  INC

• 11
  
  Atal Bihari Vajpayee

  16 May, 1996 - 1 June, 1996
  19 March, 1998 - 10 October, 1999
  10 October, 1999 - 22 May, 2004

  BJP

• 12
  
  H.D. Deve Gowda

  1 June, 1996 - 21 April, 1997

  Janata Dal

• 13
  
  I.K. Gujral

  21 April, 1997 - 19 March, 1998

  Janata Dal

• 14
  
  Manmohan Singh

  22 May, 2004 - 22 May, 2009
  22 May, 2009 - 26 May, 2014

  INC

• 15
  
  Narendra Modi

  26 May, 2014 - 26 May, 2019
  26 May, 2019 - Till date

  BJP

Important Points

• Article 75 of the Indian Constitution envisages that there will be a Prime Minister who shall be appointed by the President of India.
• Prime Minister is the leader of the Cabinet Ministers. The main executive powers of the government are vested in the Prime Minister while the President is the nominal head of the State.
• Article 78 of the Indian Constitution specifies the duties of the Prime Minister of India. He acts as a link between the President and Cabinet while discharging his duties.
• The Prime Minister of India determines the dates of its meetings and programmes for the Parliament session. He also decides when the House has to be prorogued or dissolved.
• As a chief spokesman, he makes the announcement of principal government policies and answers questions.
• Prime Minister (PM) recommends President regarding the appointment of many officers, he allocates and reshuffles various portfolios among Ministers, he presides over the meeting of the Council of Ministers and influences their decisions.
• The Prime Minister can ask any member to resign or recommend the President to remove any Minister.
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Important Facts

• Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India. He was a key figure in the Indian independence movement and is considered the architect of modern India. He has the longest tenure as a prime minister with 16 years and 286 days in the office.
• Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister of India.
• Charan Singh was a peasant leader who is known for his pro-poor policies. He was the first Prime Minister to be elected from a rural constituency.
• Morarji Desai was the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India. He was a staunch Hindu nationalist who is known for his economic reforms.
• At the age of 40, Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India. He was assassinated by a Sri Lankan suicide bomber in 1989.
• Indira Ghandi has the most no-confidence vote against her(15)