Know 10 inspiring facts about him

Shastri was born on October 2, 1904, to Sharada Prasad Srivastava and Ramdulari Devi in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh.

He took over as the third Prime Minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru's death in May 1964.

During his school days, Shastri used to cross the Ganga river several times daily while carrying a bag and cloth on his head.

Shastri's integrity and modesty were renowned throughout his life.

After India's 1962 war with China ended in defeat, Shastri's leadership assisted in resurrect the nation.

Shastri was the first person who used water jets rather than a lathi charge to disperse crowds while serving as Uttar Pradesh's Minister of Police and Transport Control.

He took the initiative of hiring women as conductors while serving as the transport minister.

When there was a food scarcity in 1965, Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" boosted the morale of both soldiers and farmers.

Shastri was displeased when his son received an unfair promotion at work, so he promptly issued an order to rescind the promotion.

After Shastri's sudden death, widow Lalita used her pension to pay back a Rs 5,000 automobile loan he had taken from the Punjab National bank.

He was the first person to receive the Bharat Ratna posthumously, and a memorial Vijay Ghat was built in Delhi in his honor.