POLITICAL JOURNEY OF PV NARASIMHA RAO FROM STUDENT LEADER TO PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA
Abstract
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao popularly known as P.V. Narasimha Rao born on June 28, 1921, near Karimnagar, was 9th Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996. Widely recognized for his efforts to liberalize the Indian economy in the early 1990’s, Rao was conferred the eventually receiving a law degree from the latter institution. He entered politics as a Congress Party activist working for independence from Britain. He served in the Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly from 1957 to 1977, supporting Indira Gandhi in her split from the Congress Party organization in 1969; initially called the New Congress Party, the splinter group took the name Congress (I) Party in 1978. He held various ministerial positions in the Andhra Pradesh government from 1962 to 1973, including that of chief minister (head of government) from 1971. In that latter post he implemented a revolutionary land-reform policy and secured political participation for the lower castes. He was elected to represent Andhra Pradesh districts in the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of the Indian parliament) in 1972 and, under Gandhi and her son and successor, Rajiv Gandhi, served in various ministries, notably as foreign minister (1980–84, 1988–89). Besides his political career, Rao was known as a distinguished scholar-intellectual who once was chairman of the Telugu Academy in Andhra Pradesh (1968–74). He was fluent in six languages, translated Hindi verses and books, and wrote fiction in Hindi, Marathi, and Telugu.
