Prime Ministers of India
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INDIA 2012
A REFERENCE ANNUAL
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RESEARCH, REFERENCE AND TRAINING DIVISION
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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
The Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India is the Head of the Union (Federal) Government, as distinct from the President of India, who is the Head of State. Since India has adopted the Westminster model of constitutional democracy, it is the Prime Minister who oversees the day-to-day functioning of the Union (Federal) Government of India.
Leader of the Nation: The leader of the Lok Sabha selected by the political party which secures an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha, assumes the office of the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is assisted in this task by his Council of Ministers, comprising Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State with Independent Charge, Ministers of State who work with Cabinet Ministers, and Deputy Ministers.
Election of the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is elected by Parliament and then formally appointed by the President of the Republic. Before the Prime Minister’s election, the parties represented in the new Parliament negotiate on the political programme and composition of the Government.
The President of India appoints the leader of the party or alliance that enjoys majority support in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) as Prime Minister. In case no single party or alliance has a majority, the leader of the largest single party or alliance is appointed Prime Minister, but he/she has to subsequently secure a vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha. The Union Council of Ministers is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can be a member of either the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) or the Lok Sabha.
The Prime Minister and the President
The Prime Minister is the President`s chief adviser. Under Article 78 of the Constitution it is the duty of the Prime Minister to communicate all decisions of the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet and all proposals for legislation to the President. The Prime Minister communicates to the President all the information called for by him, and if so desired by the President, submits any matter for reconsideration of the Council of Ministers.
Article 78 in The Constitution Of India 1949, reads as follows: 78. Duties of Prime Minister as respects the furnishing of information to the President, etc It shall be the duty of the Prime Minister
(a) to communicate to the President all decisions of the council of Ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the union and proposals for legislation;
(b) to furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation as the President may call for; and
(c) if the President so requires, to submit for the consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a Minister but which has not been considered by the Council
The Prime Minister is a link between the council of ministers and the President. He advises the President on the issue of making appointments; He advises the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha
Duties of the Prime Minister
As Prime Minister, he is the Leader of the House to which he belongs. The Prime Minister is also the Chairman of the Planning Commission of India. Since the Prime Minister is Chairman of the Planning Commission, relevant files are forwarded to the PMO for his comments and clearance.
As head of the Council of Ministers, he oversees the work of all the Ministries. He supervises and co-ordinates the working of various departments; He presides over Cabinet meetings, which are normally held in the Cabinet Room of the Prime Minister's Office. The Union Cabinet functions on the principle of "collective responsibility".
The PM prepares the list of the council of ministers. The president cannot drop any name from this list; The Prime Minister distributes the work to the different ministers; He can dismiss an erring minister;
The subject-matter of files required to be submitted to the Prime Minister depends on whether he is holding direct charge of the Ministry or whether there is a Cabinet Minister or Minister of State (Independent Charge) in charge of the Ministry.
In the case of the latter, most matters are dealt with by the Cabinet Minister / Minister of State-in-charge. Only important policy issues, which the Minister concerned feels should be submitted to the Prime Minister for orders or information, are received in the PMO.
In cases where the Prime Minister is the Minister-in-charge, all matters requiring Ministerial approval not delegated to the Minister of State / Deputy Minister, if any, are submitted for orders. The Prime Minister has traditionally been the Minister-in-charge of the Departments of Space, Atomic Energy, and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Some of the important matters that require the Prime Minister's personal attention include the following:
(a) He plays a leading role in making all policy statements as also the preparation of the annual budget.
(b) He is the main spokesman of the ministry;
Important defence-related issues;
(c) Decorations, both civilian and defence, where Presidential approval is required;
(d) All important policy issues;
(e) Proposals for appointment of Indian Heads of Missions abroad and requests for grant of agreement for foreign Heads of Missions posted to India;
(f) All important decisions relating to the Cabinet Secretariat;
(g) Appointments to State Administrative Tribunals and the Central Administrative Tribunal, UPSC, Election Commission, Appointment of members of statutory/constitutional Committees, Commissions attached to various Ministries;
(h) All policy matters relating to the administration of the Civil Services and administrative reforms;
(i) Special Packages announced by the Prime Minister for States are monitored in the PMO and periodical reports submitted to Prime Minister; and
(j) All judicial appointments for which Presidential approval is required.
Parliament Questions
Parliament Questions relating to the Ministries and Departments of which Prime Minister is the Minister-in-charge are answered by a MOS nominated for the purpose or by Prime Minister himself.
Prime Minister's Office
The Prime Minister's Office, popularly known as the 'PMO', is located at South Block,New Delhi. The Prime Minister's Office is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Government Programme and assisting the Prime Minister in the general management of Government activities
The PMO provides secretarial assistance to the Prime Minister. It is headed by the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister. The PMO includes the anti-corruption unit and the public wing dealing with grievances.
PM's Funds
The Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and the National Defence Fund (NDF) are operated directly from the PMO.
Deputising for the Prime Minister
When the Prime Minister is prevented from attending to his or her duties, these are assumed by the minister designated to deputise for the Prime Minister.
Prime Ministers Of India
Name Tenure Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) ............................................... 15 August 1947-27 May 1964
Gulzari Lal Nanda (1898-1998) ............................................. 27 May 1964-9 June 1964 (Acting)
Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904-1966) ........................................... 9 June 1964-11 January 1966
Gulzari Lal Nanda (1898-1998) ............................................. 11 January 1966-24 January 1966 (Acting)
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) ..................................................... 24 January1966-24 March 1977
Morarji Desai (1896-1995) ...................................................... 24 March 1977-28 July 1979
Charan Singh (1902-1987) ...................................................... 28 July 1979-14 January 1980
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) ..................................................... 14 January 1980-31 October 1984
Rajiv Gandhi (1944-1991) ....................................................... 31 October 1984-2 December 1989
Vishwanath Pratap Singh (1931-2008) ................................. 2 December 1989-10 November 1990
Chandra Shekhar (1927-2007) ............................................... 10 November 1990-21 June 1991
P.V. Narasimha Rao (1921-2004) ............................................ 21 June 1991-16 May 1996
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (b-1924) ................................................ 16 May 1996-1 June 1996
H.D. Deve Gowda (b-1933) .................................................... 1 June 1996-21 April 1997
I.K. Gujral (b-1933) .................................................................. 21 April 1997-19 March 1998
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (b-1924) ................................................ 19 March 1998 -13 October 1999
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (b-1924) ................................................ 13 October 1999 - 22 May 2004
Dr. Manmohan Singh (b-1932) .............................................. 22 May 2004 - 26 May 2014
Narendra Damodardas Modi (b- 7 September 1950)..........26 May 2014- the present
Tenures/ ‘terms’
Sanjeev Singh, October 27, 2020: The Times of India
From: Sanjeev Singh, October 27, 2020: The Times of India
Want to become PM? Then don't be a successful CM
What is the best path to take to become Prime Minister of India? We all know that any political party or alliance that has more than 272 MPs in Lok Sabha can decide who gets the top job in Indian politics. We can argue over there being more ways than one which can open the gates to becoming Prime Minister. But history shows if there is one prerequisite that has worked for most Prime Ministers, it is either not to be a chief minister or be one with little success at the hustings. Narendra Modi seems to be the only exception to this rule. Let’s find out why?
India has seen as many as 15 Prime Ministers but only six of these served as chief ministers. This included the first three decades (1947-77) which saw only Congress leaders going on to become Prime Ministers.
Here are some of the periods which witnessed a flurry of PMs who did not last long.
1977-80:
When Indira Gandhi lost the election in 1977, anti-Congress forces united to form a government under Morarji Desai and then Chaudhary Charan Singh. Even though the opposition was able to garner the anti-incumbency vote, they were unable to stay united which led to two PMs in three years. Eventually the internal bickering saw Indira riding back to power in 1980.
1989-91:
After Rajiv Gandhi’s brute majority in 1984, ex-Congressman VP Singh was able to swing the mood against the Congress on the issue of corruption in the 1989 Lok Sabha election. But this period too witnessed similar problems like 1977. Personal ambitions of top political leaders and internal differences between Singh, Chaudhary Devi Lal and Chandrashekar saw two Prime Ministers in 18 months precipitating another election in 1991.
1996-98:
The 1996 election witnessed the coming of age for BJP in national politics. This forced regional parties and Congress to set aside their differences in order to keep BJP out of power. However, the United Front government was in power with Congress support. India saw two more Prime Ministers in HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral in the span of two years before another election in 1998.
So, what are the odds for political leaders to have a practical shot at the Prime Minister’s chair?
Regional parties: Easier but brief
Perhaps, the easiest way to the PM’s chair is the regional route. This route has allowed party leaders with less than 100 MPs to occupy the prime ministerial chair. But if history is anything to go by, instability is their biggest problem. Prime Ministers from regional parties have not lasted for more than two years. This is mainly due to the PM having to do the balancing act between managing internal differences between stakeholders that are a part of their political front and keeping intact the support of a national party. This often leads to friction with either group and has eventually led to the downfall of all such governments.
Congress: The race begins and ends with one family
It doesn’t take much to realise the limitations of being a non-Gandhi family leader in the party. Nehru, Indira, Rajiv, even Manmohan Singh was often termed as a ‘remote control’ of Sonia Gandhi. But now the leadership issue is not open for debate so the doors for non-Gandhi family leaders are practically closed.
Given the current political scenario where an ailing Sonia Gandhi is still at the helm due to infighting and lack of resolute leadership, it looks virtually impossible for them to turn the tide before the next election. Even if they were to do so, the leadership debate would revolve around Rahul and Priyanka in all likelihood.
BJP: Steady but stiff competition
That would leave BJP as the best option in the current political scenario. Congress’ decline is more or less directly proportionate to BJP’s growth across the country. Under the duo of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the party has managed to create the organisation bulwark across the country. But the top slots appeared to be taken for now and chances of a vacancy appear bleak in the near future. Given Narendra Modi’s popularity, he could propel BJP to another win in 2024. The line of succession seems pretty settled with Union Home minister Amit Shah and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath waiting in the wings.
Can greater role for regional parties create opportunities for CMs to become PM?
Pros:
Given the current power play within BJP and Congress, it is only the regional parties that can provide the platform for a strong CM to make the cut. But that would require enormous amount of spadework and coordination among regional parties. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was considered as a viable alternative after he had successfully put aside his political differences with RJD chief Lalu Yadav to win the 2015 assembly polls. But he switched sides to re-join NDA in 2017.
Cons:
We have seen individual efforts in the past from some chief ministers like K Chandrasekhar Rao (TRS) and Mamata Banerjee (TMC) but none have been able to rally around the entire opposition. In such a situation, it may appear an uphill task for most leaders to get a decent shot at the top job. But what we do know is that being a successful chief minister has rarely helped any leader to occupy the Prime Minister’s chair for a reasonable amount of time.
In Narendra Modi’s case, the famous Latin proverb, ‘exceptio probat regulam de rebus non exceptis’ could apply - this exception proves that the rule does work in other circumstances.
It is interesting to note that none of the top 20 longest-serving chief ministers are a part of the CM-to-PM transition.
List of Prime Ministers who also served as chief ministers:
1. Morarji Desai was the second chief minister of Bombay from 1952 to 1956 before joining the Union Cabinet as Minister for Commerce and Industry. Later, as leader of the Janata Party, Desai later led an anti-Indira Gandhi alliance to a win in the general elections. He was sworn in as the PM in 1977 and remained in the top job till 1979.
2. Chaudhary Charan Singh is the only other PM apart from Narendra Modi who took oath as chief minister more than once. Singh was sworn in as chief minister twice for a period of nearly 18 months between 1967-70. The farmer leader would go on to become PM after Desai stepped down and his tenure lasted almost six months.
3. Vishwanath Pratap Singh served as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh between 1980-82 before taking charge as Union Minister of Commerce in 1983. Like Desai and Singh, he would go on to quit the Congress and form the government with support of BJP and left parties in 1989. His tenure lasted a little over 11 months before he was succeeded by Chandrashekar in November 1990.
4. PV Narasimha Rao served as minister in different state governments before becoming chief minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1971-73. He moved to Delhi politics holding several important portfolios like defence, home and external affairs in the cabinet before becoming the Prime Minister for a full term from 1991-1996. Rao is most remembered for his sweeping and bold economic reforms to push the country back on track.
5. HD Deve Gowda was elected from the Holenarasipura constituency in Karnataka for six successive terms from 1962 to 1989. He was the state president of the Janata Dal and went on to become the chief minister of Karnataka between 1994-1996. The 1996 general election saw the coming together of regional parties to form the government at the Centre with support from the Congress. Deve Gowda turned out to be an unlikely consensus candidate and served as PM for nearly 11 months between 1996-97.
6. Narendra Modi became chief minister of Gujarat in 2001 after the BJP central leadership felt that Keshubhai Patel was unable to arrest the electoral slide of BJP in the local body and assembly byelections. Modi showed his leadership skills with speedy rehabilitation work after the 2001 earthquake and successfully swept to power in the aftermath of the Godhra riots in 2002. He went on to win the 2007 and 2012 elections on the plank of development and Gujarati pride before becoming the Prime Minister in 2014.
Foreign travel
2013-16
Mar 21, 2016
Pradeep Thakur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his mantris spent Rs 567cr on foreign trips in 2015-16
The foreign trips of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues cost the exchequer Rs 567 crore in the last financial year (2015-16), an increase of more than 80% from the previous year, budget documents show. This is besides the over Rs 500 crore his bureaucrats spend on their travel each year on an average. The total tour expenses of the PM and his ministers went up from Rs 269 crore as estimated in the budget at the beginning of the 2015-16 fiscal to Rs 567 crore, as per the revised estimates towards the end of the year. In addition, the total tour expenditure of bureaucrats was over Rs 1,500 crore in the three years up to 2014-15. The UPA-2 Cabinet and its PM spent almost Rs 1,500 crore on travel between 2009-10 and 2013-14. In comparison, the travel bill of the NDA government in three years (between 2014-15 and 2016-17) is estimated at Rs 1,140 crore.
The PM, however, has pledged to slash his expenditure on foreign trips by over 54% in the next financial year which will restore it to the level of UPA's expenditure towards the end of its term in 2014.The travel bill of the Cabinet and the PM includes expenditure on travel by ministers, ministers of state and ex-PMs and the aircraft used by VVIPs — the PM, President and Vice-President.
Though Modi flaunts a leaner Cabinet, with 64 members compared to UPA's 75 members, the salary bill of his ministers went up by more than 25% last year compared to 2013-14, the UPA's last year in office. The allowances of his ministers also shot up to Rs 10.20 crore, which shows an increase of 8% over the expenditure made by theUPA Cabinet. The cabinet secretariat, which assists the PM, has added a strength of at least 300 since 2015. The strength of the cabinet secretariat as on March 1, 2015 was 900 which increased to 1,201 in 2016, according to the budget.
I don't know how and why the mantris spent money on their foreign tours,but I do know that our P.M.Modi spent our money frugally and for the benefit our nation. No doubt about it.
The travel bills of successive governments have not been impacted by the downturn in the economy since 2008-09. Every year, the finance ministry comes out with a press note announcing a 10% cut in non-plan expenditure that imposes restriction on first class travel by bureaucrats and a cut on foreign delegations of Union ministers besides restrictions on conferences in five-star hotels. Interestingly, the curb on first class travel by senior bureaucrats is lifted in the second half of the fiscal every year.
2015-16
The Times of India, May 06 2016
Himanshi Dhawan
Modi's foreign travel in 2015-16 has cost AI Rs 117cr
Air India spent Rs 117 crore in 2015-2016 on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign travel, a 25% increase from the previous year. Modi visited 22 countries including Russia, France, Germany , Korea, Mongolia, China, UAE, Ireland, UK, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey among others till December 2015. In comparison, the national carrier spent Rs 108 crore on air travel of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during 2013-2014.
Responding to an RTI application by Comm (retd) Lokesh Batra, Air India said it spent Rs 117 crore till December 2015 while it spent Rs 94 crore in 20142015. Modi visited 12 countries in his first year of office including Bhutan, Australia, Myanmar, Fiji, Japan, Seychelles, Brazil and Mauritius among others according to the ministry of external affairs.
Among PM Modi's most expensive trip last year was in April 2015 when he visited France, Canada and Germany which cost the exchequer Rs 31 crore. The PM signed several agreements in France and Canada and attended the Hannover Messe where India was the partner country . While his trip to China, Mongolia and Korea cost Rs 15 crore, Air India raised a similar bill for the PM's Central Asia visit.This included countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.
Modi also captured headlines and public imagina tion by stopping at Pakistan en route from Afghanistan to attend Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif 's granddaughter's wedding. AI did not disclose how much was spent on the visit and did not respond when reached for comment.
In 2014-2015, the most expensive trip undertaken by the Prime Minister was to Australia and Myanmar where he spent Rs 22 crore followed by Brazil where Rs 20 crore were spent. He has made repeated trips to United States, Singapore and Nepal since he came to power in May 2014.
In 2016, PM has already visited Belgium, United States and Saudi Arabia and is expected to visit Iran later this month. He is scheduled to return to the US in June.
