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Early Life & Education (1917–1938)
(Birth Childhood) :
•Born: November 19, 1917, in Allahabad, British India.
•Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru (India’s first Prime Minister) and Kamala Nehru.
•Grew up in an environment of political activism and freedom struggle.
(Education) :
•Studied at Modern School, Delhi, and later at Ecole Nouvelle, Bex, Switzerland.
•Attended Somerville College, Oxford, but left due to health issues.
•Deeply influenced by her father’s political vision and Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership. -
Political Beginnings & Role in Freedom Movement (1938–1947)
•1938: Joined the Indian National Congress (INC).
•1942: Married Feroze Gandhi, a fellow freedom fighter.
•1942–1945: Imprisoned during the Quit India Movement against British rule.
•1947: India gains independence; her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, becomes Prime Minister. -
Rise in Politics (1947–1966)
(Political Entry) :
•1955: Became a member of the Congress Working Committee.
•1959: Elected as President of the Indian National Congress, her first major leadership role.
•1964: After Nehru’s death, she became Minister of Information Broadcasting under PM Lal Bahadur Shastri.
(Becoming India’s First Female Prime Minister) :
•January 24, 1966: After Shastri’s sudden death, Indira Gandhi was elected as India’s first female Prime Minister. -
First Term as Prime Minister (1966–1971)
•1967: Won her first General Election.
•1969: Nationalized 14 major banks.
•1970: Launched Green Revolution.
•1971: Won a landslide victory in General Elections.
(Historic Leadership in the 1971 War) :
•Dec 3–16, 1971: Led India in the Indo-Pakistani War, supporting Bangladesh Liberation.
•Dec 16, 1971: Bangladesh was created as an independent nation.
•1971: Signed the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace Friendship, strengthening India’s foreign relations. -
Second Term & Emergency (1971–1977)
(Key Reforms Challenges) :
•1972: Implemented poverty eradication programs.
•1974: Conducted India’s first nuclear test (Smiling Buddha), making India a nuclear power.
•1975: The Allahabad High Court found her guilty of election malpractice and disqualified her from office.
The Emergency (1975–1977) :
•June 25, 1975: Declared a state of Emergency, suspending civil liberties and press freedom.
•1976: Implemented controversial policies, including forced sterilization for population control. -
Downfall & Comeback (1977–1980)
•1977: Congress lost elections; Indira Gandhi was defeated and removed from power.
•1978: Arrested briefly for corruption charges but later released.
•1979: Political instability in the opposition allowed her to regain public support.
(Return as Prime Minister) :
•Jan 14, 1980: Won elections and became Prime Minister again. -
Final Years & Assassination (1980–1984)
(Operation Blue Star Punjab Crisis) :
•1984: Ordered Operation Blue Star to remove Sikh militants from the Golden Temple, Amritsar.
•Oct 31, 1984: Assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in retaliation for Operation Blue Star. -
Legacy & Impact
•India’s first and only female Prime Minister.
•Led India through wars, economic growth, and nuclear power development.
•Transformed India’s agricultural sector through the Green Revolution.
•Remembered for both bold leadership and controversial decisions (Emergency).