Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has accomplished eight years in workplace, lately hinted that he was prepared for a 3rd time period, Speaking just about at a gathering in Bharuch the place beneficiaries of varied central authorities schemes have been assembled, he mentioned a “very senior” Opposition chief had as soon as requested him what else was left for him to perform after turning into the PM twice. Modi mentioned he wouldn’t relaxation until “100 per cent” protection of presidency schemes was achieved within the nation.
Modi, 71, is the primary PM to date to be born after Independence. In the course of over seven many years, the nation has seen 15 Prime Ministers, over a journey marked with social, political and financial modifications. The Indian Express appears to be like at India’s parliamentary democracy by means of the tenures of its PMs.
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Lal Bahadur Shastri, the third Prime Minister of India, was one of many giants in public life, who at all times took the nation’s myriad obligations on his shoulders.
Shastri, who was sworn in because the PM on June 9, 1964, held the workplace for 581 days – until January 11, 1966, when he handed away in Tashkent.
When the nation confronted main meals shortages within the mid-Sixties, Shastri led from the entrance and launched new concepts together with foodgrain value for producers – fixing often called the minimal help value (MSP) – and establishing a Prices Commission, the physique often called the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) now that recommends the MSP.
Shastri was at instances important of his personal authorities, however when it got here to taking accountability he at all times led from the entrance. He served because the Railway Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru’s Cabinet and was so conscientious that he resigned following a prepare accident at Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu in 1956. His gesture was hailed by all together with Nehru, whom he thought of as his “hero”.
Nehru then advised Parliament that he was accepting Shastri’s resignation as a result of it might set an instance in constitutional propriety and never as a result of the latter was in any method accountable for the prepare mishap.
As the PM, Shastri took Nehru’s coverage of “democratic socialism” ahead. He used to inform the members of his Council of Ministers in addition to prime officers to go to villages and meet folks and farmers there.
When the Opposition introduced a movement of no-confidence in opposition to his authorities in September 1964, Shastri candidly accepted its successes and failures. During his reply to this movement within the Lok Sabha on September 18, 1964, when then Praja Socialist Party chief JB Kriplani instructed to the Treasury Bench members that they need to use Nehru’s identify “sparingly to justify their conduct,” Shastri mentioned: “We will attempt to work on our personal so far as potential. We don’t wish to drag within the identify of Pandit Jawaharlalji for protecting our lapses and inefficiencies. We won’t ever try this. We should personal all the accountability for what we do.”
In the course of this debate, Shastri didn’t spare his personal authorities, criticizing the dearth of coordination between totally different departments. Citing the occasion of the water-logging downside in Punjab, Shastri mentioned, “I’m merely expressing the view of an skilled or an important engineer; he has mentioned that due to the canals which have been constructed throughout the previous few years, and a few of the bridges of the railways or the culverts of the railways and likewise due to some roads which have been constructed, many areas have been affected, and since there being no coordination between totally different departments, the water-logging persists or it has resulted in continued water-logging.”
Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. (Express archive photograph)
He went on to say, “I am sorry I am critical of the government or of the administration, but I can with my own experience say that no department is prepared to shoulder the responsibility. If you mention it to the Railways, they say ‘we have nothing to do with it; the bridges or the culverts were built a long time back’. If you go to the transport ministry, they will say ‘well, the roads are all right, and, therefore, there should be no problem’. If you refer to the irrigation department, of course they are a law unto themselves.”
And, then, Shastri added: “I’m accepting it; I’ve myself mentioned that; I ought to be held accountable for that. But what I wish to emphasize is that the administration has to understand its accountability on this matter. This type of working in water-tight compartments between one division and one other should go.”
Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 at Moghalsarai. A freedom fighter and Mahatma Gandhi’s disciple, he served in numerous capacities within the Uttar Pradesh authorities and on the Centre. He additionally served as a common secretary of the Congress celebration.
His hobbies included swimming and enjoying badminton. He had additionally translated Marie Curie’s autobiography.
India’s longest-serving prime ministers
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
