Which of the following prime minister had the longest tenure?

Appeared in: BSF Staff Nurse - 2021

Explanation

Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India.
He served from August 15, 1947, until his death in office on May 27, 1964.
His tenure lasted for 16 years and 286 days, making him the longest-serving Prime Minister in India's history.

Option A: P.V. Narasimha Rao served as Prime Minister for a single full term of 5 years, from 1991 to 1996. This is significantly shorter than Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure.
Option B: Morarji Desai's tenure as Prime Minister was relatively short, lasting about 2 years and 126 days, from 1977 to 1979.
Option D: Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as Prime Minister for three non-consecutive terms, totaling about 6 years. His longest single term was from 1999 to 2004.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Tenures of Indian Prime Ministers as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This is a general knowledge question. A broad awareness of national history and governance is part of the well-rounded education expected of nursing professionals.
Understanding the political history of India provides context for the evolution of the country's public health system and policies over the decades.
What if the question asked for the shortest tenure? Among these options, Morarji Desai's tenure of about 2 years would be the shortest. However, the shortest tenure for any Indian PM was Gulzarilal Nanda, who served as acting PM twice for 13 days each.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question from the subject of General Knowledge.
First, read the question carefully to understand what is being asked: identify the Prime Minister with the 'longest tenure' from the given list.
Recall the approximate service periods for each of the four Prime Ministers listed.
Compare the durations: Nehru (17 years), Vajpayee (6 years), Rao (5 years), and Desai (~2 years).
Identify that Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure is significantly longer than the others.
Select the option corresponding to Jawaharlal Nehru.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QRvQn-TPNM6JCMgygcWzb6

Practise the full BSF Staff Nurse - 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.