Morarji Desai
| 4th Prime Minister of India | |
|---|---|
| In office 24 March 1977 – 28 July 1979 |
|
| President | Basappa Danappa Jatti(Acting) Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Preceded by | Indira Gandhi |
| Succeeded by | Charan Singh |
| Minister of Home Affairs | |
| In office 1 July 1978 – 28 July 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Charan Singh |
| Succeeded by | Yashwantrao Chavan |
| 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of India | |
| In office 13 March 1967 – 16 July 1969 |
|
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Succeeded by | Charan Singh Jagjivan Ram |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 13 March 1967 – 16 July 1969 |
|
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Sachindra Chaudhuri |
| Succeeded by | Indira Gandhi |
| In office 13 March 1958 – 29 August 1963 |
|
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Preceded by | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Succeeded by | T. T. Krishnamachari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 February 1896 Bhadeli, Bombay Presidency, British India (now in Gujarat, India) |
| Died | 10 April 1995 (aged 99) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Political party | Janata Dal (1988–1995) |
| Other political affiliations |
Indian National Congress(1934–1969) Indian National Congress-Organisation (1969–1977) Janata Party (1977–1988) |
| Spouse(s) | Gujraben Desai (m. 1911) |
| Alma mater | University of Mumbai |
| Profession |
|
| Awards | Bharat Ratna Nishan-e-Pakistan |
| Signature |  |
Morarji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) was an Indian independence activist and served between 1977 and 1979 as the 4th Prime Minister of India for the government formed by the Janata Party. During his long career in politics, he held many important posts in government such as: Chief Minister of Bombay State, Home Minister, Finance Minister and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of India. On the international scene, Desai holds international fame for his peace activism and made efforts to initiate peace between two rival South Asian states, Pakistan and India[citation needed]. After India’s first nuclear explosion in 1974, Desai helped restore friendly relations with China and Pakistan, and vowed to avoid armed conflict such as Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. He was also accused of scaling down the Indian covert operations agency, the R&AW.
Morarji Desai campaigned for the Janata Party in 1980 General Election as a senior politician but did not contest the election himself. In retirement, he lived in Mumbai and died on 10 April 1995 at the age of 99. From 13 December 1994, when former French Prime Minister Antoine Pinay died until his own death, Desai was the world’s oldest living former head of state. He was much honoured in his last years as a freedom-fighter of his generation.
Morarji Desai was a strict follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s principles and a moralist. He was a vegetarian “both by birth and by conviction
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