First and only female Prime Minister of India
Indira Gandhi is credited with initiating the Green Revolution, an agricultural transformation program that aimed to increase food production and improve food security in India. The program successfully increased crop yields and helped make India self-sufficient in food production.
In 1969, Indira Gandhi nationalized 14 major banks in India, which helped improve the accessibility of banking services to the poor and small-scale businesses.
In 1971, under Indira Gandhi's leadership, India played a key role in the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan, which helped establish a new independent country in South Asia.
Indira Gandhi was instrumental in launching India's space program, which successfully launched its first satellite in 1975, making India the sixth country to have a satellite in orbit.
Indira Gandhi also initiated India's nuclear program, which led to the successful testing of India's first nuclear bomb in 1974.
Indira Gandhi's election campaign slogan in 1971 was "Garibi Hatao" (Remove Poverty), which reflected her commitment to poverty reduction and economic development.
A champion for women's rights and empowerment. During her tenure, several laws were passed to improve the status of women, including the Equal Remuneration Act, the Maternity Benefit Act, and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
In 1975, declared a state of emergency in India, which suspended several civil liberties and led to the arrest of opposition leaders. Although controversial, the national emergency also led to the implementation of several reforms, such as the abolition of the zamindari system and the introduction of land reform measures.