P. V. Narasimha Rao

Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was the twelfth Prime Minister of the Republic of India, and led one of the most important administrations in India's modern history, overseeing a major economic transformation and several incidents affecting national security. Mr. Rao, called Father of Indian Economic Reforms, is best remembered for launching India's free market reforms that brought the nearly bankrupt nation back from the edge.



Early Life

A polyglot, Rao was said to speak 13 languages, including Urdu, Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, Telugu and English with fluency akin to a native speaker. His mother tongue was Telugu. Along with his cousin Pamulaparthi Sadasiva Rao, P.V. edited a Telugu weekly magazine called "Kakatiya Patrika" during 1948 to 1955. His father's name was P. V. Ranga Rao. They belonged to a poor Brahmin family from a village called "Vangara(pedda)" in Karimnagar District of Andhra Pradesh, India. He also learned several European languages that are typically not spoken in India, including French and Spanish. Rao studied at Osmania University and the Universities of Mumbai and Nagpur; he completed Bachelor's and Master's degrees in law.

Rao with Dr.MGRRao was an active freedom-fighter during the Indian Independence movement and, after independence, he joined politics full time. Rao served brief stints in the cabinet (1962-1971) and as chief minister of the state of Andhra Pradesh (1971-1973).

When the Indian National Congress split in 1969, he remained loyal to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and stayed so during Emergency period (1975 - 77). He rose to national prominence in 1972 by handling several divergent portfolios, most significantly Home, Defence and Foreign Affairs (1980-1984), in the cabinets of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Ascent to Prime Minister

After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and the general elections of 1991, Rao was chosen to lead the Congress party. and since the Congress won in parliament Rao was invited to head the government. He was the first person outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to serve as Prime Minister for five continuous years and was the first Prime Minister to hail from South India and so the first from the state of Andhra Pradesh. He was elected from Nandyal with a majority of 5 lakhs Votes and his win was recorded in Guinness Book Of World Records.

Narsimha Rao Quotes

*"When I don't make a decision, it's not that I don't think about it. I think about it and make a decision not to make a decision."
*"Inaction is also an action."
*"Law will take its own course of action."
*"Time itself is the solution to all problems."


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