Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a key leader in the Indian independence movement and later became the first Prime Minister of India. Her mother, Kamala Nehru, was a social activist involved in the freedom struggle. 

• Parents:
  Jawaharlal Nehru (Father)
  Kamala Nehru (Mother)
• Grand-Parents:
  Motilal Nehru
  Swarup Rani Nehru
• Spouse:
  Feroze Gandhi
• Children:
  Rajiv Gandhi
  Sanjay Gandhi
• Grand-children:
  Rahul Gandhi
  Priyanka Gandhi
  Varun Gandhi
• Relatives:
  Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
  Krishan Nehru
  Sonia Gandhi
  Robert Vadra

Indira studied at several schools, including Ecole Internationale in Geneva, Switzerland, and St. Mary's Convent in Allahabad.

She attended Pupils' Own School in Poona and Bombay, founded by her father, Jawaharlal Nehru.

She studied at Visva-Bharati University (Shantiniketan) in West Bengal, founded by Rabindranath Tagore.

She attended Somerville College, Oxford University, but did not complete her degree due to illness, at Oxford, she excelled in history, political science, and economics, though her performance in Latin—a compulsory subject—remained weak.

• In 1938 she joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and became active in the Indian independence movement.
• In 1942 she participated in the Quit India Movement; briefly imprisoned alongside her husband, Feroze Gandhi.
• In 1955 she became a member of the Indian National Congress Working Committee.
• In 1959 she was elected as President of the Indian National Congress, marking her formal rise in the party's leadership.
• In 1964 she was appointed as Minister of Information and Broadcasting in Lal Bahadur Shastri's government after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru.
• In 1966 after the sudden death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, she was elected as Prime Minister, becoming the first woman to hold the office in India.
• In 1969 the Congress Party split into two factions— Congress (O) and Congress (R)—consolidating her power within the party.
• In 1971 she led India to a decisive victory in the Bangladesh Liberation War; and oversaw the creation of Bangladesh.
• In 1972 she achieved electoral success in the national elections following the war, securing a strong mandate.
• In 1975 convicted of electoral malpractice; and responded by declaring a state of Emergency, suspending civil liberties, and imposing authoritarian rule.
• In 1977 ended the Emergency and called for general elections, which resulted in a massive defeat for her and the Congress Party.
• In 1980 she made a political comeback by winning the general elections and returning as Prime Minister.
• In 1980 her son Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash, a personal and political blow to her.
• In 1984 she ordered Operation Blue Star to remove Sikh militants from the Golden Temple, escalating tensions with the Sikh community.
• On October 31, 1984, assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in retaliation for Operation Blue Star.

She married Feroze Gandhi on 26 March 1942. He was a journalist and a member of the Indian National Congress.

Together, they had two sons, Rajiv Gandhi (born in 1944) and Sanjay Gandhi (born in 1946), who followed in their parents' footsteps and ventured into Indian politics.

• Five-Year Plans: Gandhi oversaw three Five-Year Plans, two of which met their growth targets.
• Socialist Stance Debate: Gandhi's commitment to socialism is debated, with some seeing it as opportunistic. She formed alliances with communists despite her anti-communist stance in the 1950s.
• Criticism of Opportunism: Critics accused her of adopting populist policies for political gain and manipulating leftist support during unstable times.
• Economic Recovery and Green Revolution: Gandhi inherited a struggling economy, recovering it through liberalisation efforts, but later abandoned these policies. The Green Revolution under her leadership significantly improved India's food security.
• Nationalisation and Public Sector: Her government reversed liberalisation efforts, expanded the public sector, and introduced new licensing requirements for industries.
• Achievements of 1967-75: Though she introduced reforms to address the needs of the rural poor and abolish nobility privileges, growth during this period fell short of targets.
• Emergency and the Fifth Five-Year Plan: The Fifth Plan, marked by the 1975 state of emergency, was criticised for being hastily assembled but managed significant economic growth.
• Inflation Control and Growth: Gandhi successfully curbed inflation during her first term, particularly during the emergency. In her second term, despite inheriting a weak economy, she reduced inflation and achieved significant growth.
• Operation Forward and Sixth Plan: Gandhi's second term focused on pragmatic economic reforms, deregulating the private sector and improving public sector efficiency.
• Unemployment: While unemployment remained constant at 9% during the 1970s, it fell to 8.3% by 1983 due to Gandhi's economic policies.

• In a 1952 letter, Gandhi stated she was "not a feminist" but believed in women's capabilities, reflecting her complicated stance on gender issues.
• Growing up with male cousins, she experienced a sense of natural equality and was largely unaware of gender differences until her teenage years.
• Before becoming Prime Minister, she engaged with women’s organizations within the Congress Party, helping to establish its Women's Section in 1956.
• As the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, she stepped into the political spotlight and aimed to mobilize women in politics.
• Gandhi admired Joan of Arc, seeing parallels between her aspirations and those of the French heroine, as she sought to lead her people to freedom.
• Born in 1917, she was deeply involved in the independence movement by 1947 and held various cabinet positions before becoming Prime Minister in 1966.
• She worked actively to organize women politically and expressed frustration over their slow mobilization for Indian causes.
• Gandhi felt guilty about balancing her political career and motherhood, emphasizing that motherhood was a vital part of her identity and fulfilment.
• Despite her symbolic representation of women’s power, she did not appoint women to full cabinet positions during her time in office.
• Many viewed her as an icon of feminism, despite her personal views and political decisions not explicitly favouring women’s roles in governance.

• Nationalization of banks: In 1969, she nationalized 14 major banks to reduce wealth concentration and boost rural credit. This move aimed to promote economic development, support the poor, and align with her socialist policies, marking a key shift in India's financial system.
• Green Revolution (1960s-1970s): Initiated during her leadership in the late 1960s, boosted India's agricultural output through high-yield seeds, modern techniques, and better irrigation. It made India self-sufficient in food production, especially in wheat and rice, improving food security but also creating some environmental and regional disparities.
• Bilingualism: To address opposition from non-Hindi-speaking states against making Hindi the sole official language, Indira Gandhi amended the constitution in 1967 to recognize both Hindi and English as official languages. This bilingual policy aimed to unite diverse regions and strengthen her leadership. Critics, however, viewed it as a tactic to undermine rival Congress leaders from the north, while she gained support from southern states. She led India to victory in the war, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh. Nuclear program: She oversaw the development of India's nuclear program, culminating in the first nuclear test in 1974.
• 20-Point Program: Launched in 1975, aimed to address socio-economic challenges in India by focusing on agriculture, poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, women's empowerment, and housing. It sought to enhance productivity and promote inclusive development. While it had some successes, it faced criticism for implementation issues and limited impact on poverty reduction, reflecting Gandhi's commitment to social justice and development.
• Military Strategy Against Insurgencies: In the late 1960s and 1970s, she deployed the Indian Army to quell militant Communist uprisings in West Bengal and retaliated against the Mizo uprising in Mizoram with airstrikes, marking a first for India. The defeat of Pakistan in 1971 weakened the Mizo separatist movement, leading to negotiations and Mizoram's elevation to a union territory in 1972. A military offensive in Nagaland resulted in the Shillong Accord of 1975, ending large-scale conflict, though sporadic violence and ethnic tensions continued.
• India's Nuclear Programme: Indira Gandhi advanced India's nuclear program, authorized in 1967 as a response to China's nuclear test. The program culminated in 1974 with the successful underground nuclear test "Smiling Buddha" at Pokhran, which drew international criticism, especially from Pakistan. Despite the backlash, the test significantly boosted Gandhi's domestic popularity and strengthened the Congress Party's image in India.

Indira Gandhi was killed on October 31, 1984, by her Sikh bodyguards as revenge for Operation Blue Star, a military action she had ordered to remove militants from the Golden Temple. Her assassination triggered violent anti-Sikh riots across India.

• As a child, Indira was deeply influenced by her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, and often played the role of a leader among her friends, even organizing mock meetings. This early leadership spirit foreshadowed her future political career.
• Rabindranath Tagore named her Indira Priyadarshini, which means "seeing everything with kindness" in Sanskrit, and she became known as Indira Priyadarshini Nehru.
• At the start of her first term as Prime Minister, the media and opposition critics often labeled her as a "Goongi goodiya" (Hindi for "dumb doll"), suggesting that she was merely a puppet of the Congress party leaders who had engineered her election and were attempting to limit her authority.
• When she became Prime Minister in 1966, she was often underestimated due to her gender. During a meeting with foreign diplomats, she famously remarked, “I am not a woman. I am a prime minister.” This statement showcased her determination to be recognized for her capabilities rather than her gender.
• The decision to impose a state of emergency in 1975 was controversial. Gandhi felt it was necessary due to rising political unrest. However, she later acknowledged that the move led to widespread criticism and a significant loss of civil liberties.
• The assassination of her son, Sanjay Gandhi, in 1980 had a profound impact on her. She often spoke about him in her later speeches, emphasizing his contributions to India’s modernization efforts and how his loss affected her personally and politically.
• In her final speech before her assassination in 1984, Indira Gandhi spoke about the need for peace and communal harmony. She addressed the nation, urging people to rise above differences, highlighting her commitment to unity even in her last moments.