Indira Gandhi: News

Indira Gandhi, born on November 19, 1917, was the first female Prime Minister of India who served four non-consecutive terms. Daughter of the eminent freedom fighter and the first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1938. Post Nehru's appointment as Prime Minister, she was chosen to be part of the working committee of the party in 1955. She became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1964 and was soon appointed the Minister for Information and Broadcasting by the then Lal Bahadur Shastri-led government the same year. Post Shastri's death in 1966, she was chosen by the party to succeed him and was sworn in as Prime Minister for the first time that year. She retained the position until 1977, albeit with a few differences with the party members. In 1969, after being expelled from Congress, she formed the New Congress party and led it to victory. Notably, in 1971, Gandhi's government enabled Bangladesh's victory against then-West Pakistan and helped them form an independent state. She declared an emergency for two years in 1975 when her position as Prime Minister was threatened by her criminal charges. Gandhi was assassinated in her garden by her guard in 1984.