Who was the First Prime Minister of India?

The first Prime Minister of Independent India was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

• He belonged to the Indian National Congress party.
• He officially took his oath of office on 15th August 1947 and served an incredibly long term of nearly 17 uninterrupted years, until his death on 27th May 1964. (He remains the longest-serving Prime Minister in Indian history).

At the exact midnight hour between August 14th and 15th, 1947, Nehru stood in the Parliament and delivered one of the greatest political speeches in global history, known as the 'Tryst with Destiny'.

• His opening lines became immortal: "Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge... At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom."

While Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the nation, Nehru is widely considered the 'Architect of Modern India'.

• Science and Education: He believed religion could not cure poverty; only science could. He established world-class institutions like the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), IIMs, and AIIMS.
• Economy: He launched massive 'Five-Year Plans' and built giant hydro-electric dams (like the Bhakra Nangal Dam), which he famously called the 'Temples of Modern India'.
• Foreign Policy: Instead of joining the USA or the Soviet Union during the dangerous Cold War, Nehru brilliantly launched the 'Non-Aligned Movement', keeping India neutral and independent.