Indian Prime Ministers: Leaders, Politics, and Institutional Transition

This analytical study of thirteen Indian Prime Ministers of India is one of a kind, not undertaken before, with the help of primary archival sources. Governing over 1.4 billion people, this is one of the most important offices anywhere in the world. Indian PMs do not merely operate the machinery of governance for a period of five years, if not removed due to natural or political causes and circumstances, but also lead the Parliament during her or his tenure. Guiding a bicameral Parliament with 545 directly elected MPs in Lok Sabha and 245 indirectly elected and 12 nominated MPs in Rajya Sabha, the job of the Indian PM is complex. The Prime Minister also has more than 4,500 highly trained administrators (IAS) and nearly 4,500 professionally trained police officers (IPS) to run the governing system of the country. She/he not only guides the Parliament to frame legislations and make major policy decisions, but also conducts foreign policy of the country and represents the nation in all the major international fora.The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of South Asian studies, especially Indian politics.

About the Author

Ajay K. Mehra is an independent social scientist, retired as the Principal of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Evening College, Delhi University, the author obtained his post-graduate education and Ph.D. from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Having held several professorial assignments in India and abroad, he has prolifically researched regarding institutions. Some of his notable publications are: The Politics of Urban Redevelopment: A Study of Old Delhi (Sage, 1991), The Indian Cabinet (co-authored) (Delhi, Konark, 1996), Political Parties and Party Systems (Co-edited, Sage, 2003), The Indian Parliament and Democratic Transformation (ed) (Routledge, 2018) and research papers in journals and edited volumes.