Morarji Ranchodji Desai Biography and Timeline

Birth of Morarji Ranchodji Desai

Birth of Morarji Ranchodji Desai, future Prime Minister of India

Bombay Legislature

Appointed Member of Bombay Legislature.

Minister of Finance

Appointed Minister of Finance.

Role range: 1946-1952

Chief Minister

Appointed Chief Minister of Bombay.

Role range: 1952-1956

Economy of India

As Finance Minister, Morarji Desai oversees fiscal policy during India's planned industrial development.

Role range: 1958-1963

Minister of Finance

Morarji Desai becomes Finance Minister in the Union government.

Role range: 1958-1963

Resignation of Morarji Ranchodji Desai

Morarji Desai leaves the government after losing the Finance portfolio during the dispute over bank nationalisation.

Role range: 1958-1969

Janata Dal (United) Party

Leads a split from the ruling Congress Party & forms the Janata Dal (United) Party

Janata Government Formed

Morarji Desai forms India's first Union government headed by a non-Congress party.

Role range: 1977-1979

Morarji Desai becomes Prime Minister and states that his government does not

Morarji Desai becomes Prime Minister and states that his government does not intend to develop nuclear weapons.

Role range: 1977-1979

Prime Minister of India

Morarji Desai becomes India's first Prime Minister from a non-Congress government.

Role range: 1977-1979

Nuclear Power

At his first press conference as prime minister, Desai states that his government does not believe in nuclear weapons.

Role range: 1977-1979

Nuclear Power

Desai says India will consider the Non-Proliferation Treaty only if established nuclear powers accept meaningful disarmament.

Role range: 1977-1979

Nuclear Power

Morarji Desai publicly argues that nuclear weapons do not provide useful defence and questions further explosive testing.

Role range: 1977-1979

1977 Election Outcome

The Janata Party victory creates India's first non-Congress central government.

Role range: 1977-1979

Nuclear Power

The Desai government accepts safeguards connected with Soviet heavy-water supplies for India's nuclear programme.

Role range: 1977-1979

Nuclear Power

Desai tells Parliament that his government does not intend to manufacture nuclear weapons or conduct further nuclear explosions.

Role range: 1977-1979

Conference of Nuclear Technology

India participates in the International Conference on Transfer of Nuclear Technology held in Shiraz, Iran. This conference is organized by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran.

Role range: 1977-1979

High-Value Note Demonetisation

The government demonetises high-denomination banknotes of 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 rupees.

Role range: 1977-1979

Forty-fourth Amendment

The Forty-fourth Amendment reverses several Emergency-era constitutional changes and strengthens safeguards for civil liberties.

Role range: 1977-1979

Janata Party Split

Factional conflict breaks apart the Janata Party government and precipitates a new general election.

Role range: 1977-1979

Resignation of Morarji Ranchodji Desai

Morarji Desai resigns as Prime Minister after the Janata coalition loses its parliamentary majority.

Role range: 1977-1979