# First Indira Gandhi ministry

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The First Indira Gandhi ministry was formed on 24 January 1966 under the premiership of Indira Gandhi who was elected as the Prime Minister of India by the Congress Parliamentary Party to succeed Gulzarilal Nanda who was serving as the acting prime minister since 11 January 1966 following the untimely demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri. The cabinet remained in office until the 1967 general election in which Indira Gandhi was re-elected to office.

## Background

Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away suddenly on 11 January 1966 at Tashkent during his visit to Uzbek SSR, just a day after signing the Tashkent Declaration which formally ended the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was succeeded by Home Minister Gulzarilal Nanda as the Acting Prime Minister. Nanda remained the prime minister for thirteen days until the election of Indira Gandhi who served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the cabinets of Shastri and Nanda. Indira Gandhi was formally elected as the Prime Minister by the ruling Indian National Congress party. She was thereupon formally sworn-in as the nation's third prime minister on 24 January 1966 by President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

## Composition

Gandhi's council of ministers included a majority of the ministers from her predecessor's cabinet. Outgoing acting prime minister Gulzarilal Nanda was re-appointed home minister. She retained Defence Minister Yashwantrao Chavan, Education Minister M. C. Chagla, Railways Minister S. K. Patil, Finance Minister Sachindra Chaudhuri, Communications and Parliamentary Minister Satya Narayan Sinha, Agriculture Minister Chidambaram Subramaniam, External Affairs Minister Swaran Singh in their respective portfolios. Other ministers who were retained from the predecessor cabinet included Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Damodaram Sanjivayya, Manubhai Shah, Mehr Chand Khanna, Raj Bahadur, Surendra Kumar Dey, Sushila Nayyar, Jaisukhlal Hathi, Kotha Raghuramaiah, O. V. Alagesan, Ram Subhag Singh, Bali Ram Bhagat, A. M. Thomas, C. M. Poonacha, Jagannath Rao, C. R. Pattabhiraman, Bibudhendra Mishra, Tribhuvan Narain Singh, Shah Nawaz Khan, Dajisaheb Chavan, Purnendu Sekhar Naskar, B. S. Murthy, Lalit Narayan Mishra, T. S. Soundaram, Bhakt Darshan, Sham Nath, B. C. Bhagawati, Shyam Dhar Mishra.

## Ministers
### Cabinet Ministers

| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | Remarks |
| Prime Minister Minister of Atomic Energy And also in-charge of all other important portfolios and policy issues not allocated to any Minister. | Indira Gandhi | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Home Affairs | Gulzarilal Nanda | 24 January 1966 | 9 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of Home Affairs | Indira Gandhi | 9 November 1966 | 13 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of Home Affairs | Yashwantrao Chavan | 13 November 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Labour, Employment and Rehabilitation | Jagjivan Ram | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of External Affairs | Swaran Singh | 24 January 1966 | 13 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of External Affairs | M. C. Chagla | 13 November 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Railways | S. K. Patil | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Defence | Yashwantrao Chavan | 24 January 1966 | 13 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of Defence | Swaran Singh | 13 November 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Transport and Aviation | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation | Chidambaram Subramaniam | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Finance | Sachindra Chaudhuri | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Communications | Satya Narayan Sinha | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Education | M. C. Chagla | 24 January 1966 | 13 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of Education | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 13 November 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Industry | Damodaram Sanjivayya | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Planning | Asoka Mehta | 24 January 1966 | 25 March 1966 | INC | Renamed as Planning and Social Welfare. |
| Minister of Planning and Social Welfare | Asoka Mehta | 25 March 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC | |
| Minister of Commerce | Manubhai Shah | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Law | Gopal Swarup Pathak | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Irrigation and Power | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 29 January 1966 | 13 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of Irrigation and Power | Kanuri Lakshmana Rao | 13 November 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC | Minister of State was responsible. |

### Ministers of State

| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | Remarks |
| Minister of Works, Housing and Urban Development | Mehr Chand Khanna | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Information and Broadcasting | Raj Bahadur | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Mines and Metals | Surendra Kumar Dey | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Health and Family Planning | Sushila Nayyar | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs | Jaisukhlal Hathi | 24 January 1966 | 13 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of Defence Supplies in the Ministry of Defence | Jaisukhlal Hathi | 24 January 1966 | 13 November 1966 | INC |
| Minister of Technical Development and Supply | Kotha Raghuramaiah | 24 January 1966 | 25 March 1966 | INC | Renamed as Supply, Technical Development and Materials Planning. |
| Minister of Supply, Technical Development and Materials Planning | Kotha Raghuramaiah | 25 March 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC | |
| Minister of Social Welfare | Kotha Raghuramaiah | 28 January 1966 | 25 March 1966 | INC | Merged with Ministry of Planning. |
| Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals | O. V. Alagesan | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways | Ram Subhag Singh | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Irrigation and Power | Kanuri Lakshmana Rao | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance | Bali Ram Bhagat | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence | A. M. Thomas | 24 January 1966 | 31 January 1966 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence | Jaisukhlal Hathi | 13 November 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence (Department of Defence Production) | A. M. Thomas | 31 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation | C. M. Poonacha | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Law | C. R. Pattabhiraman | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Rehabilitation | Jagannath Rao | 24 January 1966 | 14 February 1966 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs | Dinesh Singh | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation | Panampilly Govinda Menon | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry | Bibudhendra Mishra | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of Iron and Steel | Tribhuvan Narain Singh | 29 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Minister of State in the Department of Parliamentary Affairs Minister of State in the Department of Communications | Jagannath Rao | 14 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |

### Deputy Ministers

| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Rehabilitation | Shah Nawaz Khan | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Rehabilitation | Dajisaheb Chavan | 14 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Home Affairs | Purnendu Sekhar Naskar | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Home Affairs | Vidya Charan Shukla | 14 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Health and Family Planning | B. S. Murthy | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Irrigation and Power | Lalit Narayan Mishra | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Education | T. S. Soundaram | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Education | Bhakt Darshan | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Planning | Dajisaheb Chavan | 24 January 1966 | 14 February 1966 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Department of Social Welfare | Maragatham Chandrasekar | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Railways | Sham Nath | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Works, Housing and Urban Development | Bijoy Chandra Bhagavati | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Defence | Shyam Dhar Mishra | 24 January 1966 | 14 February 1966 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Iron and Steel | Prakash Chandra Sethi | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation | Annasaheb Shinde | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation | Shyam Dhar Mishra | 14 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Department of Parliamentary Affairs Deputy Minister in the Department of Communications | Vidya Charan Shukla | 24 January 1966 | 14 February 1966 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals | Sardar Iqbal Singh | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | Nandini Satpathy | 29 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Commerce | Mohammad Shafi Qureshi | 29 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation | Jahanara Jaipal Singh | 15 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Mines and Metals | Syed Ahmad Mehdi | 15 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |

### Parliamentary Secretaries

| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of Atomic Energy | Sarojini Mahishi | 15 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of Communications | Bhanu Prakash Singh | 15 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs | S. C. Jamir | 15 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |
| Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs | Daying Ering | 15 February 1966 | 13 March 1967 | INC |

## Trivia

* Two of the cabinet ministers, viz. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy would later serve as the 5th and 6th President of India respectively. Reddy would also serve as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha on two separate occasions.
* Minister of Law Gopal Swarup Pathak would later be elected as the 4th Vice President of India in 1969.
* Chidambaram Subramaniam, Satya Narayan Sinha, Gopal Swarup Pathak, Jaisukhlal Hathi, Bali Ram Bhagat, C. M. Poonacha, Tribhuvan Narain Singh, Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, Bhanu Prakash Singh, S. C. Jamir would later be appointed as governors of several states.
* Tribhuvan Narain Singh would later serve as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Prakash Chandra Sethi as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and S. C. Jamir as Chief Minister of Nagaland.