PRIME MINISTERS AND PRESIDENTS OF INDIA.
Prime Ministers of IndiaShri Jawaharlal Nehru / August 15, 1947 - May 27, 1964
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri / June 9, 1964 - January 11, 1966
Shrimati Indira Gandhi / January 24, 1966 - March 24, 1977
Shri Morarji Desai / March 24, 1977 - July 28, 1979
Shri Charan Singh / July 28, 1979 - January 14, 1980
Shrimati Indira Gandhi / January 14, 1980 - October 31, 1984
Shri Rajiv Gandhi / October 31, 1984 - December 1, 1989
Shri Vishwanath Pratap Singh / Dec. 2, 1989 - November 10, 1990
Shri Chandra Shekhar / November 10, 1990 - June 21, 1991
Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao / June 21, 1991 - May 16, 1996
Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee / May 16, 1996 - 1 June 1996
Shri H. D. Deve Gowda / 1 June 1996 - 12 April 1997
Shri Inder Kumar Gujral / 21 April 1997 - 19 Mar 1998
Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee / 19 Mar 1998
Dr Manmohan Singh 2004
P.S:- Shri Gulzarilal Nanda was caretaker Prime Minister of India twice in 1960s.
Presidents of India
Dr. Rajendra Prasad / Jan. 26,1950 - May 13, 1962
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan / May 13, 1962 - May 13, 1967
Dr. Zakir Hussain / May 13, 1967 - August 24, 1969
Shri Varahagiri Venkata Giri / August 24, 1969 - August 24, 1974
Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed / August 24, 1974 - February 11, 1977
Shri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy / July 25, 1977 - July 25, 1982
Shri Giani Zail Singh / July 25, 1982--July 25, 1987
Shri R. Venkataraman / July 25, 1987- July 25, 1992
Dr.S.D. Sharma / July 25, 1992 - July 25, 1997
Shri K R Narayanan / July 25, 1997 - 2002
Period / Description
ANCIENT EMPIRES
ca. 2500-1600 B.C. / Indus Valley culture.
ca. 1500-500 B.C. / Migrations of Aryan-speaking tribes; the Vedic Age.
ca. 1000 B.C. / Settlement of Bengal by Dravidian-speaking peoples.
ca. 563-ca. 483 B.C. / Life of Siddartha Gautama--the Buddha; founding of Buddhism.
ca. 326-184 B.C. / Mauryan Empire; reign of Ashoka (269-232 B.C.); spread of Buddhism.
ca. 180 B.C.-A.D. 150 / Shaka dynasties in Indus Valley.
ca. A.D. 320-550 / Gupta Empire; classical age in North India.
606-47 / North Indian empire of Harsha.
711 / Arab invaders conquer Sindh, establish Islamic presence in India.
750-1150 / Pala Dynasty.
1150-1202 / Sena Dynasty.
GROWTH OF ISLAM
997-1027 / Mahmud of Ghazni raids Indian subcontinent from Afghanistan.
1202 / Turkish conquerors defeat Sena Dynasty and overrun Bengal.
1206-1398 / Delhi Sultanate.
1398 / Timur sacks Delhi.
1414-50 / Sayyid Dynasty; renewal of Delhi Sultanate.
1451-1526 / Lodi Dynasty.
THE MUGHAL PERIOD
1526 / Babur lays foundation of Mughal Empire; wins First Battle of Panipat.
1556-1605 / Akbar expands and reforms the empire; Mughals win Second Battle of Panipat.
1605-27 / Reign of Jahangir; in 1612 East India Company opens first trading post (factory).
1628-58 / Reign of Shah Jahan.
1658-1707 / Reign of Aurangzeb, last great Mughal ruler.
1707-1858 / Lesser emperors; decline of the Mughal Empire.
BRITISH PERIOD
1757 / Battle of Plassey--British victory over Mughal forces in Bengal; British rule in India begins.
1835 / Institution of British education and other reform measures.
1857-58 / Revolt of Indian sepoys (soldiers) against East India Company.
1858 / East India Company dissolved; rule of India under the British crown--the British Raj--begins with Government of India Act; formal end of Mughal Empire.
1885 / Indian National Congress (Congress) formed.
1905 / Partition of Bengal into separate provinces of Eastern Bengal and Assam, West Bengal.
1906 / All-India Muslim League (Muslim League) founded.
1909 / Morley-Minto Reforms; separate electorates for Muslims.
1912 / Partition of Bengal annulled; new province of Bihar and Orissa formed; plans to move capital from Calcutta to Delhi announced.
1916 / Congress-League Scheme of Reforms (often referred to as Lucknow Pact) signed.
1919 / Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; Government of India Act.
1935 / Government of India Act of 1935.
1940 / Muslim League adopts Lahore Resolution; "Two Nations" theory articulated by Muslim League leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah and others.
August 16, 1946 / "Direct Action Day" of Muslim League.
INDEPENDENT INDIA
August 15, 1947 / Partition of British India; India achieves independence and incorporates West Bengal and Assam; Jawaharlal Nehru becomes prime minister of India. Pakistan is created and incorporates East Bengal (the East Wing, or East Pakistan) and territory in the northwest (the West Wing, or West Pakistan); Jinnah becomes governor general of Pakistan.
August 15, 1947-May 27, 1964 / Jawaharlal Nehru serves as prime minister and leader of Congress-controlled government.
October 22, 1947-January 1, 1949 / Undeclared war with Pakistan; ends with United Nations-arranged ceasefire.
January 30, 1948 / Mahatma Gandhi assassinated in New Delhi.
October 20-November 21, 1962 / Border war with China.
June 9, 1964-January 11, 1966 / Lal Bhadur Shastri serves as prime minister of Congress-led government.
August 5-September 23, 1965 / Second war with Pakistan.
January 24, 1966-March 24, 1977 / Indira Gandhi serves as prime minister for first time, head of government initially led by Congress, later Congress (R).
December 3-16, 1971 / Third war with Pakistan; Bangladesh becomes independent following Indian invasion of East Pakistan.
June 25, 1975-January 18, 1977 / State of Emergency proclaimed by Indira Gandhi.
March 24, 1977-July 28, 1979 / Morarji Desai serves as prime minister as head of a multiparty front, Janata Party, India's first non-Congress government.
July 28, 1979-January 14, 1980 / Chaudhury Charan Singh serves as prime minister as head of a Janata-led coalition government.
January 14, 1980-October 31, 1984 / Indira Ganhdi serves as prime minister for second time, head of Congress (I) government.
October 31, 1984 / Indira Gandhi assassinated in New Delhi.
October 31, 1984-December 2, 1989 / Rajiv Gandhi serves as prime minister of Congress (I)-led government.
December 2, 1989-November 7, 1990 / Vishwanath Pratap Singh serves as prime minister of National Front-led coalition government.
November 10, 1990-June 20, 1991 / Chandra Shekhar serves as prime minister, heading Samajwadi Janata Party government.
May 21, 1991 / Rajiv Gandhi assassinated near Madras.
June 20, 1991-May 15, 1996 / P.V. Narasimha Rao serves as prime minister of Congress (I)-led government.
December 6, 1992 / Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, destroyed by Hindu activists.
January-March 1993 / Communal violence in wake of Babri Masjid destruction wracks Indian cities, especially Bombay, which suffered from a series of bomb blasts in March.
May 1995 / Unpopular Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act of 1985 allowed to lapse
April 27-May 7, 1996 / General elections for Lok Sabha oust Congress (I) government of P.V. Narasimha Rao.
May 15-28, 1996 / Minority Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigns after thirteen days.
June 1, 1996 / Haradanahalli (H.D.) Deve Gowda, head of thirteen-party United Front, sworn in as India's eleventh prime minister.
Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Nobel Prize for Literature (1913)
Sir C.V. Raman (Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman)(1888 - 1970)
Nobel Prize for Physics (1930)
RAMAN" effect which fetched him the Noble Prize in 1930. He was the first Asian scientist to win the Nobel Prize. The Raman effect occurs when a ray of incident light excites a molecule in the sample, which subsequently scatters the light. While most of this scattered light is of the same wavelength as the incident light, state (i.e. getting the molecule to vibrate). The Raman effect is useful in the study of molecular energy levels, structure development, and multi component qualitative analysis.
Dr. Hargobind Khorana
Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology (1968)
Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)
Nobel Prize for peace (1979)
Dr. Amartya Sen
Nobel Prize for Economics (1998)
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
V.S. Naipaul (1932- )
States, U.T and Capitals of India
States and Union Territory / CapitalAndaman & Nicobar Islands / Port Blair
Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad
Arunachal Pradesh / Itanagar
Assam / Dispur
Bihar / Patna
Chandigarh / Chandigarh
Chhatisgarh / Raipur
Dadra & Nagar Haveli / Silvasa
Daman & Diu / Daman
Delhi / Delhi
Goa / Panaji
Gujarat / Gandhinagar
Haryana / Chandigarh
Himachal Pradesh / Shimla
Jammu & Kashmir / Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter)
Jharkhand / Ranchi
Karnataka / Bangalore
Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram
Lakshadweep / Kavaratti
Madhya Pradesh / Bhopal
Maharashtra / Mumbai
Manipur / Imphal
Meghalaya / Shillong
Mizoram / Aizawl
Nagaland / Kohima
Orissa / Bhubaneswar
Pondicherry / Pondicherry
Punjab / Chandigarh
Rajasthan / Jaipur
Sikkim / Gangtok
Tamil Nadu / Chennai
Tripura / Agartala
Uttar Pradesh / Lucknow
Uttaranchal / Dehradun
West Bengal / Kolkata
FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Gandhiji / Sardar Patel
Gandhiji's life was dedicated to the ideals of Truth, Non- violence and Love. He was the architect of India's freedomand one of the greatest men of this century / India's Man of Steel. He gave up his practise in order to fight for the freedom of the country. He was sent to prision. As the Deputy Prime Minister of free India, he became the architect of the integrity of India by mer- ging of hundreds of princely states with the Indian Union.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak / Ramaprasad Bismil
"Swaraj is our brithright" thundered Tilak, the Lion of India. He founded schools and published newspapers all for his motherland. He wore him- self out till his last breath, to awaken his countrymen. / A Brave revolutionary who up his life smilingly for the sake of the Motherland. He was hunted by the police and betrayed by fellow workers. He was the brave leader of Kakori Rail Dacoity Episode.
Bhagath Singh / Khudiram Bose
He is the symbol of the heroism of the youth of India. A revolutionary. He threw a bomb when the Legislature was in session, to warn the British Government. He was put to death but lives in the hearts of his countrymen. / It was this hero who threw te first bomb on the Bristish who were crushing India. The boy of sixteen defied the police. At the age of nineteen,hebecame a martyr, wiht the holy book the Bhagavadgita ( The Divine Song) in his hand and with the slogan ' Vande Mataram' on his lips.
Tatia Tope / Ashfaqulla Khan
A hero of the fight for freedom in 1857. His very name made the mighty English generals tremble. Deceived by his friend, he faced death like a hero, for the sake of his country. / The pathan patriot who kissed the hangman's noose wiht the name of Allah on his lips. A youth endowed with a body of iron and will of steel, he dedicated everything to the service of India and of freedom and challenged the cunning and the strength of an empire.
Madame Cama
The fiery patriot who first unfurled India's flag at an international assembly. She turned away from a life of luxury and lived an exile - to serve her country. And the mighty British Government grew afraid of her.
Great Scientists
Dr.C.V.Raman / Vikrama Sarabhai
The Genius who won the Nobel prize for Physics, with simple equipment barely worth Rs.300. He was the first Asian scientist to win the Nobel Prize. He won honour as a scientist and affection as a teacher and a man / One of the greatest scientists of India. As Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, he guided research of the greatest improtance to the country. A born scientist and a beloved teacher.
Homi Bhabha / Dr.J.C.Bose
The architect of Nuclear Science in Modern India. He was a painterand worshipped the beauty of Nature.Science and art both enriched his mind an life. He was the ideal personality India needs today / The great biologist who showed that plants, too can 'feel' in their own way. He saved money ;he bought a small laboratory and build his equipment; and scientists in Euorpe and America wondered at his discoveries.
Sathyendranath Bose / Dr.P.C.Ray
A renowned Indian scientist. He developed a new branch of physics. He worked with Albert Einstein, Madame Curie and other scientists of world renown. / An Indian Scientist who won fame in many countries. Eighty years ago he began the manufacture of medicines in India. A Great teacher, he gave his salary to students interested in science.
Birbal Sahani
A Great scientist who lived only for knowledge. He declined high posts. He was a genius who shone in several spheres. He was a great teacher and a great man.
Great Poets
Tulasidas / Kalidas
The great poet who composed the 'Ramacharita- manasa' His boyhood was in poverty and suffering;but yet he became a great scholar. / One of the greatise poets and dramatists in sanskrit. His chronicle of the kings of the Raghy clan ( Rughuvamsha) the greatplay 'shakuntala' and other works .
Bankim Chandra / Namadeva
One of the greatest novelists of India who gave the poeple the scared mantra - Vande Mataram' The begal Novel practically began with him. / Namadeva who lived during the end of the 13th century is one of the best known saint poets. Namadeva lived in Constant communion with lord Panduranga.
Tenali Ramakrishna / Maharshi Valmiki
A Poor orphan in his boyhood, he rose to be the favourite adviser of powerful king. A Scholar and a poet, he exposed superstition and stupid pride ot ridicule / The Adikavi, the Poet of Poets, of India, who gave the world the immortal epic, the 'Ramayana'. By Profession a highway robber, he came under the spell of Maharshi Narada and became a 'Brahmarshi'.