Indira Ghandi has been in the position for almost 16 years and so far she is the only woman to hold the post of Head of Government in India.
Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India on 24.01.1966. This is the first time India has received a female head of government. Interestingly, neighboring Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) had its first premiere almost six years earlier. In 1960, in Ceylon, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first woman to become prime minister in contemporary world history.
At the time she became Prime Minister of India, she was 48 years old. She was born in 1917 as the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, also Indian Prime Minister, the first in history. Her original name was Indira Nehru, and she got her last name after marrying Feroze Gandhi. Interestingly, neither Indira nor Feroze was related to the famous Mahatm Gandhi, despite the same surname.
