Indira Gandhi Nationalised 14 Banks in 1969

In 1969, Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, decided to take control of 14 big banks all at once.

This happened on the night of July 19.

The government did this to make sure banks helped the country grow in the way they wanted.

They wanted more people in rural areas to have access to banks and to give money to farmers and small businesses.

This was a big deal because it changed how banks worked in India.

Later, in 1980, Indira Gandhi did it again and took control of six more banks.

The Reserve Bank of India said this was one of the most important economic decisions made since India became independent in 1947.