Similarities | Both were prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement | Both were committed to non-violent resistance and civil disobedience as means of achieving independence |
| Both were proponents of socialism and believed in the redistribution of wealth | Both were critical of the caste system and worked to eliminate it |
| Both were committed to women's rights and education for all | Both were deeply spiritual and believed in the importance of personal ethics and morality |
Differences | Nehru was more secular and believed in the separation of religion and politics | Gandhi was deeply religious and believed in the integration of spirituality and politics |
| Nehru was more Western-educated and drew heavily on socialist and modernist ideals | Gandhi was deeply rooted in Indian traditions and culture, and drew on Hindu concepts such as ahimsa (non-violence) and satyagraha (truth force) |
| Nehru was more willing to compromise and work within the British colonial system | Gandhi was more confrontational and believed in complete non-cooperation with colonial authorities |
| Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India, serving from 1947 until his death in 1964 | Gandhi did not hold any official political office, but was a major influence on Indian politics and society until his assassination in 1948 |