Rajiv Gandhi Biography: Quick Facts

Rajiv
Gandhi Biography
Rajiv Gandhi served as the sixth Prime Minister of India. Go
through this biography to know in details about his life, profile,
career and timeline.
Quick Facts
Nationality Indian
Religion
Hindu
Political
ideology
Indian National Congress
Born on
20 August 1944 AD
Zodiac
Sign
Leo
Born in
Mumbai
Died on
21 May 1991 AD
Place of
death
Sriperumbudur
Father
Feroze Gandhi
Mother
Indira Gandhi
Spouse:
Sonia Gandhi (m. 19681991)
Children
Rahul, Priyanka
Education
Trinity College, Cambridge, Imperial College

London, University of Cambridge, T he Doon
School
Quick Facts
Awards
1991 - Bharat Ratna
A Nehru-Gandhi scion, Rajiv Gandhi was one of the most

popular politicians of India, who went on to become the Prime
Minister of the country. Interestingly, this political stalwart
wasnt even interested in joining politics, leave alone becoming
the leader of nation. Trained as a commercial pilot, he was
happy in his life which was extremely private sans all public
attention, until a tragic accident changed the course of his life
and his family. His brother, Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash
leaving behind a void that could be filled by none other than
Rajiv Gandhi. To fill in the void, he stepped into his brothers
shoes quite reluctantly but within a short span of time became a
frontrunner in Indian politics. Today, the era under his prime
ministership is regarded as one of the most progressive times.
He laid the foundation of information technology revolution
whose rewards we are reaping today. He spread the network of
telephones to the rural and remote corners of the country
through PCOs (Public Call Offices). He also brought a positive
uproar in the educational sector by launching the national
educational policy. In addition to this, he set up schools,
colleges and institutions and gave a fillip to higher education.
To know more about his life, career, profile and timeline, read
on.
Childhood & Early Life
Rajiv Gandhi was born in Indias politically affluent family

to Feroze Gandhi, member of the Indian National
Congress party and editor of the National Herald
newspaper, and Indira Gandhi.
Strained relationship of his parents led to his relocation to
Delhi along with his mother and younger brother. It was
during this time that his mother contributed significantly in
the Indian political scenario, assisting her father
Jawaharlal Nehru who was serving as the Prime Minister
of the country.
Academically, he attained his preliminary education from
Welhams Boys School and T he Doon School in Dehradun
before moving to London to complete his A levels. He
enrolled at the Trinity College Cambridge in 1962 to study
engineering. Four years henceforth, he moved out but
without a degree.
Following year, i.e. in 1966, he was offered a seat at
Imperial College London, which he took up but a year later
dropped out of the same too. Same year, his mother
ascended to premiership.
Upon returning to India, he, unlike his family members,
was dispassionate about politics and instead took to
working as a professional pilot for Indian Airlines.
T he tragic untimely death of his younger brother, Sanjay
Gandhi, in 1980 changed the course of his life, as he was
forced to enter politics.
Political Care e r
Succumbing to the pressure of the Congress party
politicians and his mother, he reluctantly made his entry
into the world of politics, a move that earned the wrath
from press, public and opposition politicians as they saw
his emergence as a forced hereditary participation.
Soon, he found himself in the midst of active politics. He
acquired significant party influence and became an
important political advisor.
In 1981, he won Amethi Lok Sabha seat, once held by his

brother, by defeating Sharad Yadav.
In 1982, he became member of the Asian Games
Organizing Committee and played a vital role in successful
conduct of the games.
In the subsequent years, he was elected as the General
Secretary of the All India Congress Committee and was
chosen as the President of the Youth Congress. Press and
public criticized this move as his mother s effort to groom
him for prime ministerialship.
Following the assassination of his mother on October 31,
1984, he succeeded her to become the Prime Minister of
the country. He was also unanimously elected as the
President of the Congress Party.
A fresh election was called by the President Zail Singh in
which the Congress party won a landslide victory, and
Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister once again.
During his tenure as the prime minister, he brought
energy, enthusiasm, and vision to a country divided on the
basis of creed, caste and religion. Securing his office, he
first resolved to deal with the Punjab problem which
caused turbulence in the country.
He worked towards eliminating the corrupt and criminal
politicians from the Congress party and looked to bring
about reforms in the bureaucracy.
It was during his premiership that science and technology
were given foremost impetus. He worked to raise the
educational standard by both modernizing and expanding
the sector so as to be reachable to the masses against
the limited few. It was during his rule that a new education
policy was framed and Indira Gandhi Open National
University was established.
On the foreign policy front, unlike his predecessors, he
took a liberal view and looked to modify the bilateral
relations with the United States by expanding economic
and scientific cooperation.
He promoted a sustained and continued cooperation

among members of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation Countries (SAARC). Furthermore,
he brought forth an action plan before the Special Session
on Disarmament at the United Nations.
During his reign, he brought about a revolution in
countrys information technology and telecom industry, by
initiating MT NL Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited in
1986.
However, not all was glorious and magnificent during his
tenure as the Prime Minister as the time was marked by
numerous controversies. T he biggest industrial disaster
took place in Bhopal at a Union Carbide plant which
caused poisonous gas leak that took an estimated 16000
lives and injured more than half a million.
T he Bofors scandal was yet another black mark in his
career. It involved alleged payoffs by the Swedish Bofors
arms company through Italian businessman and Gandhi
family associate Ottavio Quattrocchi, in return for Indian
contracts. T he scandal shattered his image of honest
politician.
In 1987, he sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to
end the Sri Lankan Civil War between the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LT T E) and the Sri Lankan military.
T his action earned him the wrath of Sri Lankan political
parties as well as LT T E.
Controversies, scandals and disasters marred the belief of
people in Congress and Rajiv Gandhis popularity
declined rapidly. In the 1989 general elections, Congress
emerged as the single largest party but could not achieve
majority. Rajiv Gandhi resigned from the post of Prime
Minister and in his place V.P. Singh became the Prime
Minister. Rajiv Gandhi was elected as the Leader of the
Opposition.
Rajiv Gandhis last public meeting was at Sriperumbudur
on May 21, 1991, where he was campaigning for Lok
Sabha elections. He was assassinated by a suicide

bomber at the meeting.
Aw ards & Achie v e m e nts
In 1991 he was awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously,
Indias highest civilian award.
Pe rsonal Life & Le gacy
During his college days in London, he fell in love with an
Italian girl, named Albina Maino, who later came to be
known as Sonia Gandhi. T hey married in 1968. T he
couple was blessed with two children, son Rahul Gandhi
in 1970 and daughter Priyanka Gandhi in 1972.
He was assassinated by a female suicide bomber on May
21, 1991 at a public meeting in Sriperumbudur. T he
woman bomber bent down to touch his feet, detonating a
belt laden with 700 grams of RDX explosives. T he massive
explosion took the life of about 25 people including Rajiv
Gandhi.
T hree days later, on May 24, 1991, he was given a state
funeral and later cremated according to Hindu ritual on the
banks of the river Yamuna. T he site is today known as Vir
Bhumi.
Triv ia
T his politician was the son of a politically power NehruGandhi family. T hough politics ran in the blood of this
young and energetic gentleman, he aspired to become a
pilot and also started his career as a pilot.

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Rajiv

Indian National Congress

Sonia Gandhi (m. 19681991)

Trinity College, Cambridge, Imperial College

1991 - Bharat Ratna

A Nehru-Gandhi scion, Rajiv Gandhi was one of the most

Rajiv Gandhi was born in Indias politically affluent family

In 1981, he won Amethi Lok Sabha seat, once held by his

He promoted a sustained and continued cooperation

Sabha elections. He was assassinated by a suicide

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