Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) was a prominent leader of the Indian independence movement and the country’s first prime minister (1947–1964). Born into an eminent Kashmiri Brahmin family in Allahabad, he studied natural science and law in England before returning to India. In 1919, he joined the Indian National Congress, later serving as its president; he became deeply involved in the party’s civil disobedience campaigns, spending prolonged periods in jail. MK Gandhi was an influential mentor and friend to Nehru, though the two had enduring disagreements on key social and political issues, notably religion and modernisation. Nehru served as independent India’s Prime Minister for three consecutive terms, with policies focusing on industrialisation and technological development. He was also known for his commitment to secularism; internationally, he co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement. The Nehru regime established major institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).