Ever wondered who ruled India the longest-or the shortest? Some prime ministers changed the course of history in just a few days, while others shaped the nation for decades.

Longest-serving PMs:

• Jawaharlal Nehru: India’s first PM, in office 16 years and 286 days (1947–1964). He guided India from independence to a modern republic. Fun fact: Nehru was also the first world leader to address the UN as India’s PM, and he loved writing letters to his daughter almost every day!

• Indira Gandhi: India’s only female PM, served nearly 16 years in three non-consecutive terms. During the Emergency (1975–77)

• Narendra Modi: First sworn in 2014, he became the longest-serving non-Congress PM by 2025. In June 2024, he made history with a third consecutive term, despite a coalition government. Lesser-known: Modi is the first Indian PM whose speeches are available as official podcasts, reaching millions directly.

Shortest-serving PMs:

• Gulzarilal Nanda: Twice served as caretaker PM for just 13 days each. Surprisingly, he never contested an election in his life but still became acting PM twice, maintaining stability during turbulent transitions.

• Chaudhary Charan Singh: In office for only 170 days due to withdrawal of Congress support.

• Chandra Shekhar: Led a weak coalition for 223 days before losing a confidence motion.

From caretaker stints to multi-decade leaderships, India’s PMs prove that sometimes the smallest tenures hide fascinating secrets, and the longest ones shape the nation in ways most people don’t know.