Narendra Modi: India’s only prime minister born in Independent India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 75 today, was sworn in as India’s 15th Prime Minister on 26 May 2014, marking the rise of the BJP at the national level. He is the first and only Indian prime minister as of now to have been born after Independence.

PM Modi was born on 17 September 1950 in Vadnagar, Gujarat’s Mehsana district. According to the BJP, he left home at the age of 17 to embark on a “Bharat Bhraman” (journey across India), travelling widely, including the Himalayas.

In 1972, Modi joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). By 1978, he was appointed “Vibhag Pracharak” and posted to Vadodara. In 1980, he became “Sambhag Pracharak,” taking responsibility for South Gujarat.

He joined the BJP in 1987 as the organisation secretary of its Gujarat unit, seven years after the party was formed. That year, the BJP won elections to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). During this period, PM Modi participated in LK Advani’s “Nyay Yatra” and worked on the 1989 Lok Sabha elections. In 1991, he played a key role in organising the “Lok Shakti Yatra.”

PM Modi has become India’s second-longest serving prime minister in consecutive terms, completing 4,078 uninterrupted days in office and surpassing Indira Gandhi’s first continuous term of 4,077 days.

He first took office of the prime minister on 26 May 2014 and was sworn in for a historic third consecutive term in June 2024. Only Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, who served 16 years and 286 days from 15 August 1947 to 27 May 1964, ranks above him.

Since India’s independence in 1947, the country has seen a series of influential Prime Ministers alongside Modi. Jawaharlal Nehru (15 August 1947 – 27 May 1964) laid the foundation for India’s democratic institutions, industrialisation, scientific development, and education, establishing key institutions like the IITs and AIIMS, and championed the Non-Aligned Movement in foreign policy.

Lal Bahadur Shastri (9 June 1964 – 11 January 1966) is remembered for promoting the White Revolution and coining the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.”

Indira Gandhi, India’s first woman Prime Minister (24 January 1966 – 24 March 1977; 14 January 1980 – 31 October 1984), is noted for her centralising policies, the Emergency (1975–77), the 1971 Indo-Pak war, and the liberation of Bangladesh. Her tenure also saw major initiatives in agriculture, industry, and foreign policy, though her rule was often controversial due to authoritarian measures.

Rajiv Gandhi (31 October 1984 – 2 December 1989) modernised telecommunications and technology but faced political challenges including the Bofors scandal. Vishwanath Pratap Singh introduced affirmative action policies for backward classes, while Chandra Shekhar led a short caretaker government during economic instability. PV Narasimha Rao (21 June 1991 – 16 May 1996) is credited with economic liberalisation and opening India to global markets.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (19 March 1998 – 22 May 2004) is remembered for nuclear tests in 1998, infrastructure initiatives, and efforts to improve Indo-Pak relations. Manmohan Singh (22 May 2004 – 26 May 2014) oversaw strong economic growth and introduced major social welfare schemes.

Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister since 26 May 2014, has emphasised economic reforms, digital initiatives, and an assertive foreign policy.