Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office at 40, the youngest Prime Minister in India’s history, after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi. He championed technology and telecommunications, laying the groundwork for India’s IT revolution, and he was himself assassinated in 1991.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Rajiv Ratna Gandhi |
| Born | 20 August 1944, Bombay (now Mumbai), India |
| Died | 21 May 1991, Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu (aged 46) |
| Office | 6th Prime Minister of India (1984–1989) |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
| Constituency | Amethi |
| Parents | Feroze Gandhi, Indira Gandhi |
| Spouse | Sonia Gandhi (m. 1968) |
| Children | Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra |
| Honour | Bharat Ratna (1991, posthumous) |
Early Life
Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi and grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru. He studied at The Doon School and then engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge, and Imperial College London, though he did not complete a degree. At Cambridge he met Sonia Maino, whom he married in 1968. He became a commercial pilot with Indian Airlines and showed little interest in politics.
Political Career
Reluctant politician
After his younger brother, Sanjay, died in a plane crash in 1980, Rajiv was persuaded to enter politics. He won Sanjay’s Amethi seat in 1981.
Prime Minister
When Indira Gandhi was assassinated on 31 October 1984, Rajiv was sworn in as Prime Minister the same day. In the December 1984 election the Congress won more than 400 seats, the largest majority in Indian history. His government pushed computerisation and telecommunications, including the C-DOT telephone exchanges, and passed the anti-defection law. It also lowered the voting age to 18 and promoted panchayati raj. His tenure was also marked by controversy:
The Congress lost the 1989 election.
Assassination
On 21 May 1991, while campaigning at Sriperumbudur near Chennai, Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber from the Sri Lankan Tamil militant group LTTE. He was 46. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. His widow, Sonia, later led the Congress, and his children Rahul and Priyanka are both leading figures in the party.
Legacy
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Rajiv Gandhi born?
Rajiv Gandhi was born on 20 August 1944 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India.
When did Rajiv Gandhi die?
Died: 21 May 1991, Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu (aged 46).
