Indira Gandhi Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi presided over the Emergency, a 21-month period in which emergency powers were imposed on India, from June 1975 to March 1977. (more) the Emergency Indian history Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/the-Emergency-India Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Gitanjali Roy Gitanjali Roy is senior editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over two decades of editorial experience across digital and broadcast media. Gitanjali Roy Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Feb 7, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was the Emergency in India? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Emergency was a 21-month period from June 1975 to March 1977 when emergency powers were applied across India, curtailing civil liberties. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who faced protests and allegations of corruption, advised Pres. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to declare a state of emergency." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " Why was the Emergency imposed in India? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Emergency was declared by Indian Pres. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was facing allegations of corruption and was being urged to resign. There were protests against her government by leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan. A court ruling had also stripped Gandhi of her parliamentary privileges." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What happened during the Emergency? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "There was censorship of the press, arrests of Indira Gandhiu2019s political opponents, forced sterilizations, and a crackdown on trade unions and workersu2019 rights." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did the Emergency end? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Emergency ended in March 1977 when Indira Gandhi and her party were defeated by the Janata Party in a general election she had called in January that year. The Janata Party subsequently amended the constitution to prevent similar future occurrences." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What changes were made to the Indian Constitution after the Emergency? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The constitution was amended to replace u201Cinternal disturbanceu201D with u201Carmed rebellionu201D as grounds for declaring an emergency." } } ] } Top Questions What was the Emergency in India? The Emergency was a 21-month period from June 1975 to March 1977 when emergency powers were applied across India, curtailing civil liberties. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who faced protests and allegations of corruption, advised Pres. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to declare a state of emergency.

　　Why was the Emergency imposed in India? The Emergency was declared by Indian Pres. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was facing allegations of corruption and was being urged to resign. There were protests against her government by leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan. A court ruling had also stripped Gandhi of her parliamentary privileges.

　　What happened during the Emergency? There was censorship of the press, arrests of Indira Gandhi’s political opponents, forced sterilizations, and a crackdown on trade unions and workers’ rights.

　　How did the Emergency end? The Emergency ended in March 1977 when Indira Gandhi and her party were defeated by the Janata Party in a general election she had called in January that year. The Janata Party subsequently amended the constitution to prevent similar future occurrences.

　　What changes were made to the Indian Constitution after the Emergency? The constitution was amended to replace “internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion” as grounds for declaring an emergency.

　　the Emergency, period of 21 months (June 1975–March 1977) in India during which emergency powers were applied across the country at the behest of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of the Indian National Congress (Congress Party). The Emergency has been widely condemned for its curtailment of civil liberties, arrests of Gandhi’s political opponents, and censorship of the press. The Constitution of India allows the president to declare a state of emergency on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet of ministers. Emergency powers have been applied thrice—the first two occasions during wartime—but only the third occasion is referred to as ...(100 of 1048 words)

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