PRESIDENTS OF INDIA
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Date of Birth : Dec 3, 1884
Date of Death : Feb 28, 1963
Place of Birth : Zeradei, Bihar
Tenure Order : 1st President
Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Date of Birth : Sept 5, 1888
Date of Death : April 17, 1975
Place of Birth : Tiruttani, Madras
Tenure Order : 2nd President
Dr.Zakir Hussain
Date of Birth : Feb 8, 1897
Date of Death : May 3, 1969
Place of Birth : Hyderabad
Tenure Order : 3rd President
Justice Mohd. Hidayatullah
Date of Birth : Dec 17, 1905
Date of Death : -
Place of Birth : Maharashtra
Tenure Order : Jul 20, 1969
Varahagiri Venkatagiri
Date of Birth : Aug 10, 1894
Date of Death : 1980
Place of Birth : Orissa
Tenure Order : Aug 24, 1969
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Date of Birth : May 13, 1905
Date of Death : Feb 11, 1977
Place of Birth : Delhi
Tenure Order : 5th President
B.D.Jatti
Date of Birth : Sep 10, 1912
Date of Death : -
Place of Birth : Karnataka
Tenure Order : Feb 11, 1977
Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
Date of Birth : May 19, 1913
Date of Death : -
Place of Birth : Andhra Pradesh
Tenure Order : 6th President

Giani Zail Singh
Date of Birth : May 5, 1916
Date of Death : Dec 25, 1994
Place of Birth : Faridkot
Tenure Order : July 25, 1982
R.Venkataraman
Date of Birth : Dec 4, 1910
Date of Death : -
Place of Birth : Tamil Nadu
Tenure Order : 8th President
Dr.Shanker Dayal Sharma
Date of Birth : Aug 19, 1918
Date of Death : Dec 26, 1999
Place of Birth : India
Tenure Order : 9th President
K.R.Narayan
Date of Birth : Oct 27, 1920
Place of Birth : Kerala
Tenure Order : July 25, 1997
Dr. A.P.J. Adbul Kalam
Date of Birth : Oct 15, 1931
Place of Birth : Tamil Nadu
Tenure Order : July 25, 2002
Pratibha Patil
Date of Birth : Dec 19, 1934
Place of Birth : Nadgaon, Maharashtra
Tenure Order : July 25, 2007
Dr. Rajendra Prasad

1st President of India
In office
26 January 1950 – 13 May 1962
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Preceded by Office Created
Succeeded by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Born
3 December 1884
Jiradei, SiwanBihar, British India
Died 28 February 1963 (aged 78)
Political party Indian National Congress
Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was the youngest son of Mahadev Sahay from the
village Ziradei, then the Saran district of Bihar. Dr. Prasad is considered to be one of the architects of the Indian
Republic, having drafted its first constitution and serving as the first president of free India.

During the independence movement, he left his law work and joined the Congress Party, playing a prominent role
in the Indian Independence Movement. He served as the president of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the first
constitution of the Republic, which lasted from 1948 to 1950. He also briefly served as a cabinet minister in the
first Government of the Indian Republic.[1]
Early life
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, son of Mahadev Sahai, was born in Zeradei village, in the Siwan district of Bihar, on 3
December 1884. He was the youngest in a large family, & was close to his mother and eldest brother. He was
known as "Rajen" to his family and friends. His father, Mahadev Sahay, was a scholar of both the Persian and
Sanskrit languages, while his mother, Kamleshwari Devi, was a religious woman. Zeradei's population was diverse,
with both Muslims and Hindus living in relative harmony.
[edit] Student Life
When Rajendra Prasad was five years old, his parents put him under a Mawlawi, an accomplished Muslim scholar,
to learn the Persian language, followed by Hindi and arithmetic. After the completion of traditional elementary
education, Rajendra Prasad was sent to the Chhapra District School. At the age of 12, Rajendra Prasad was
married to Rajavanshi Devi. He, along with his elder brother Mahendra Prasad, then went on to study at T.K.
Ghosh's Academy in Patna.
Since childhood, Rajendra Prasad was a brilliant student. He placed first in the entrance examination to the
University of Calcutta and was awarded Rs.30 per month as a scholarship. In 1902, Rajendra Prasad joined the
Presidency College. He was initially a student of science and his teachers included Jagadish Chandra Bose and Prafulla
Chandra Roy. Later he decided to focus on the arts. Prasad lived with his brother in the Eden Hindu Hostel. A
plaque still commemorates his stay in that room. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was instrumental in the formation of the
Bihari Students' Conference in 1908. It was the first organization of its kind in the whole of India, which would
later produce many of the premier figures of Bihar like Bihar Vibhuti Dr Anugrah Narayan Sinha & Bihar Kesari
Sri Krishna Singh.
In 1915, Rajendra Prasad graduated with a Masters in Law, passing his examination with honors. He then went
on to complete his Doctorate in Law.
Career
[edit] As a teacher
Rajendra Prasad served in various educational institutions as a teacher. After completing his MA in economics,
Dr. Prasad joined as a professor at the Bhumihar Brahman College in Muzaffarpur, on July 1908 and later went on
to become the principal. However later on he left the college for his legal studies. In Kolkata too he worked as
Professor of Economics.
[edit] As a lawyer
Rajendra Prasad practiced law and pursued studies at Bhagalpur in Bihar and eventually emerged as a popular
and eminent figure of the region. In 1916, Rajendra Prasad joined the High Court of Bihar and Orissa. Such was

his intellect and his integrity, that often when his adversary failed to cite a precedent, the judges would ask
Rajendra Prasad to provide a precedent.
[edit] During the Independence Movement
Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai and Babu Rajendra Prasad (Center) at the AICC Session, April 1939
Dr. Prasad was drawn into the Indian independence movement soon after starting his career as a lawyer. During one
of the fact-finding missions at Champaran, Mahatma Gandhi asked him to come with his volunteers. Rajendra Prasad
was so greatly moved by the dedication, courage, and conviction of Mahatma Gandhi that he quit his duties in
the university to aid the movement. He also responded to the call by Gandhi to boycott Western educational
establishments by asking his son, Mrityunjaya Prasad, to drop out of his studies and enroll himself in Bihar
Vidyapeeth, an institution he along with his colleagues founded on the traditional Indian model[2]
.
During the course of the independent movement, he formed a friendship with Dr. Rahul Sankrityayan, the great
Indian writer, freedom fighter, and polymath. In many of his articles he mentioned about his meeting with Dr.
Rahul Sankrityayan and narrated about their close friendship and Rahulji's love toward his nation. He wrote
articles for the revolutionary publications Searchlight and the Desh and collected funds for these papers. He
toured widely, explaining, lecturing, and exhorting the principles of the independence movement.
He took an active role in helping the affected people during the 1914 floods that struck Bihar and Bengal. When
the earthquake of Bihar occurred on 15 January 1934, Rajendra Prasad was in jail, During that period, he passed
his responsibility to his close colleague and eminent Gandhian Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha.[3]
He was released two
days later, and set himself for the task of raising funds to help the people. The Viceroy of India had raised his own
fund, though Rajendra Prasad's fund collected over 38 Lakhs (Rs. 3,800,000), three times what the Viceroy raised.
During the 1935 Quetta earthquake, when he was forbidden to leave the country, he set up relief committees in
Sindh and Punjab.
He was elected as the President of Indian National Congress during the Bombay session in October 1934. He again
became the president when Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose resigned in 1939.
After India became an independent republic in 1950, he was elected as the first President of India. Prasad acted
independently of politics, following the expected role of the president that the constitution set down. Following
the tussle over the enactment of the Hindu Code Bill, he took a more active role in the affairs of the nation. He set
several important precedents for later presidents to follow.
In 1962, after twelve years as the president, he announced his decision to retire. He was subsequently awarded
the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award.
Rajendra Prasad died on 28 February 1963 [4]

Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan BR Kt. OM FBA
2nd President of India
In office
13 May 1962 – 13 May 1967
Prime Minister
Gulzarilal Nanda (1st term)
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Gulzarilal Nanda (2nd term)
Vice President Zakir Hussain
Preceded by Rajendra Prasad
Succeeded by Zakir Hussain
Born
5 September 1888
Thiruttani, Madras Presidency, British India
Died
17 April 1975 (aged 86)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Political party Independent
Spouse(s) Sivakamu

Children Five daughters and a son
Occupation Politician, Philosopher, Professor
Religion Hinduism
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (Telugu: సర్వేవ్వేపల్లిల్ల్వే ర్వాధాకృష్ణ్వే (OM, FBA 5 September 1888 – 17 April 1975)
was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He was the first Vice-President of India (1952–1962) and subsequently the
second President of India (1962–1967).
One of India's most influential scholars of comparative religion and philosophy, Radhakrishnan is considered through
his efforts to have built a bridge between the East and the West by showing that the philosophical systems of
each tradition are comprehensible within the terms of the other. He wrote authoritative exegeses of India's
religious and philosophical literature for the English speaking world. His academic appointments included the
King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921-?) and Spalding Professor of
Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University (1936–1952).
Among the many honours he received were a knighthood (1931), the Bharat Ratna (1954) and the Order of Merit in
1963. His birthday is celebrated in India as Teacher's Day on 5 September.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early life and education
o 1.1 Marriage
• 2 Career
• 3 Philosophy
• 4 Awards
• 5 Works by Dr. Radhakrishnan

• 6 Works on Dr. Radhakrishnan
• 7 References
• 8 External links
[edit] Early life and education
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born into a poor Telugu Brahmin family at Tiruttani, a town in Madras Presidency, British
India, 64 km to the northwest of Madras (now Chennai). His mother tongue was Telugu.[1]
His mother's name was
Sitamma. His early years were spent in Tirutani and Tirupati. His father was a subordinate revenue official in the
service of a local Zamindar (landlord). His primary education was at Primary Board High School at Tirutani. In
1896 he moved to the Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheral Mission School in Tirupati.[2]
Dr. Radhakrishnan was awarded scholarships throughout his academic life. He joined the Voorhee's College in
Vellore but switched to the Madras Christian College at the age of 17. He graduated with a Master's degree in
Philosophy from the Madras Christian College in 1906, being one of its most distinguished alumni.[3]
Radhakrishnan wrote his thesis for the M.A. degree on "The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical
Presuppositions".[4]
He was afraid that his M.A. thesis, "The Ethics of the Vedanta" would offend his philosophy
professor, Dr. A.G. Hogg. Instead, Dr. Hogg commended Radhakrishnan on doing an excellent job.[citation needed]
Radhakrishnan's M.A. thesis was published when he was only 20.
Dr. Radhakrishnan studied philosophy by chance rather than by choice. Being a financially constrained student
at the time, when a cousin, after graduating from the same college, passed on his textbooks in philosophy to
Radhakrishnan, it automatically decided his academic course.[5][6]
Later on he felt deep interest in his subject and
wrote many acclaimed works on philosophy, both eastern and western.
[edit] Marriage
Radhakrishnan was married to Sivakami, a distant cousin, in 1904 at the age of 16. As per tradition the marriage
was arranged by the family. The couple had five daughters and a son, Sarvepalli Gopal. Sarvepalli Gopal went on to
a notable career as a historian. Sivakami died in 1956. They were married for over 51 years.[7]
Career
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan drawn by Bujjai and signed by Radhakrishnan in telugu as "Radhakrishnaiah".

In 1918 Radhakrishnan was selected as Professor of Philosophy by the University of Mysore. By that time he
had written many articles for journals of repute like The Quest, Journal of Philosophy and the International
Journal of Ethics. He also completed his first book, The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore. He believed
Tagore's philosophy to be the "genuine manifestation of the Indian spirit." Dr. Radhakrishnan's second book,
The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy was published in 1920.
In 1921 he was appointed as a professor in philosophy to occupy the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral
Science at the University of Calcutta. Radhakrishnan represented the University of Calcutta at the Congress of the
Universities of the British Empire in June 1926 and the International Congress of Philosophy at Harvard University in
September 1926. Another important academic event during this period was the invitation to deliver the Hibbert
lecture on the ideals of life which he delivered at Harris Manchester College, Oxford in 1929 and which was
subsequently published in book form as 'An Idealist View of Life'.
In 1929 Dr. Radhakrishnan was invited to take the post vacated by Principal J. Estlin Carpenter in Manchester College,
Oxford. This gave him the opportunity to lecture to the students of the University of Oxford on Comparative Religion.
For his services to education he was knighted by the British Government in 1931, but did not use the title in his
personal life, preferring instead his academic title of 'Doctor'.
He was the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936. In 1936 Radhakrishnan was named Spalding
Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford, and was elected a Fellow of All Souls College. In
1939 Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya invited him to succeed him as the Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
[8]
He served as its Vice-Chancellor till January 1948.
When India became independent in 1947, Dr. Radhakrishnan represented India at UNESCO (1946–52) and was
later Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union, from 1949 to 1952. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly of
India.
Dr. Radhakrishnan was elected as the first Vice President of India in 1952.[7]
He was elected as the second
President of India (1962–1967). When he became President, some of his students and friends requested him to
allow them to celebrate his birthday, 5 September. He replied,
"Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers'
Day."
His birthday has since been celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.[9]
Along with Ghanshyam Das Birla and some other social workers in the pre-independence era, Dr. Radhakrishnan
formed the Krishnarpan Charity Trust.
[edit] Philosophy
Dr. Radhakrishnan stated that Western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were influenced by theological
influences of their own culture.[10]
He wrote books on Indian philosophy according to Western academic standards,
and made all efforts for the West to give serious consideration to Indian philosophy. In his book "Idealist View
of Life", he made a powerful case for the importance of intuitive thinking as opposed to purely intellectual forms
of thought. He is well known for his commentaries on the Prasthana Trayi namely, the Bhagavadgita, the Upanishads
and the Brahma Sutra.
“
It is not God that is worshipped but the authority that claims to speak in His name. Sin becomes disobedience
to authority not violation of integrity. ”

[edit] Awards
Dr. Radhakrishnan was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 1938. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954 and
the Order of Merit in 1963. He received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 1961 and the Templeton Prize in
1975, a few months before his death. He donated the entire amount of the Templeton Prize to Oxford University.
In 1989, the Oxford University instituted the Radhakrishnan Scholarships in his memory. The scholarships were later
renamed the "Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships".[citation needed]
Radhakrishnan was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature for five consecutive years from 1933–1937, although
he did not win. His nominator was Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, father of Dag Hammarskjöld.[11]
[edit] Works by Dr. Radhakrishnan
• The Hindu View of Life (1926), 92 pages
• An Idealist View of Life (1929), 351 pages
• Review: E.A. Burtt (Cornell University), The Philosophical Review, Vol. 44, No. 2, (Mar., 1935), pp. 205-207
"Those who have read the author's previous volumes or have heard him speak are accustomed to associate with him warmth
and vigor of style, penetrating flashes of keen analysis, and detailed familiarity with past and present philosophies in both east
and west. In these respects none will find the book disappointing."
• Eastern Religions and Western Thought (1939), Oxford University Press, 396 pages
• Religion and Society (1947), 242 pages
• The Principal Upanishads (see article) (1953), 958 pages, HarperCollins Publishers Limited
• Recovery of Faith (1956), 205 pages
• A Source Book in Indian Philosophy (1957), 683 pages, Princeton University Press
• Review: E.A. Burtt (Cornell University), The Philosophical Review, Vol. 67, No. 3, (Jul., 1958), pp. 411-412
"I believe this is the first time I have written a review when no negative criticism of any kind seemed to me warranted. ... No
one interested in Indian thought who does not expect to master the original materials can dispense with this book."
[edit] Works on Dr. Radhakrishnan
Several books have been published on Dr. Radhakrishnan:
• Schilpp, Paul Arthur (1992) [1952, Tudor] The Philosophy Of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Motilal Banarsidass
ISBN 8120807928 http://books.google.com/books?
id=cDdpTcyJtxMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=8120807928&lr=&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false
• Murty, K. Satchidananda; Ashok Vohra (1990). Radhakrishnan: his life and ideas. SUNY Press. ISBN 0791403432.
http://books.google.com/books?id=x6FsaptULgAC&pg=PP1&dq=radhakrishnan&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
• Minor, Robert Neil (1987). Radhakrishnan: a religious biography. SUNY Press. ISBN 0887065546.
http://books.google.com/books?id=2LzRkWABC6sC&printsec=frontcover&dq=radhakrishnan&cd=5#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
• Gopal, Sarvepalli (1989). Radhakrishnan: a biography. Unwin Hyman. ISBN 0044404492. http://books.google.com/books?
id=ryluAAAAMAAJ&q=radhakrishnan&dq=radhakrishnan&cd=7.

Zakir Hussain (politician)
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Zakir Hussain
‫ک ر‬ِ‫ر‬ ‫زا‬‫حسین‬
3rd President of India
In office
13 May 1967 – 3 May 1969
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Vice President Varahagiri Venkata Giri
Preceded by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Succeeded by Varahagiri Venkata Giri
2nd Vice President of India
In office
13 May 1962 – 12 May 1967
President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Preceded by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Succeeded by Varahagiri Venkata Giri
11th Governor of Bihar
In office

6 July 1957 – 11 May 1962
Preceded by R.R Diwakar
Succeeded by Madabhushi Ananthasayanam Ayyangar
Born
8 February 1897
Hyderabad, India
Died
3 May 1969 (aged 72)
New Delhi, India
Political party Independent
Spouse(s) Shahjehan Begum
Religion Islam
Dr. Zakir Hussain (8 February 1897 - 3 May 1969) (Urdu: ‫ک ر‬ِ‫ر‬ ‫زا‬‫حسین‬ ), was the third President of India from 13
May 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969. He was the first elected Muslim president of India.
He was awarded the highest Indian national honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1963.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early life and background
• 2 Career
• 3 References
• 4 External links
[edit] Early life and background
Hussain was born in Kaimganj, India. Zakir Hussain was an ethnic Afridi (Pashtun). His family had migrated to
Hyderabad from Kaimganj, district Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. His father died when he was ten years old, and his
mother died in 1911 when he was fourteen years old. He attended Islamia High School, Etawah, and was then
educated at the Anglo-Muhammadan Oriental College (now Aligarh Muslim University, where he was a prominent
student leader).[1][2]
[edit] Career
Hussain, then only 23, was among the small group of students and teachers who founded a National Muslim
University, first founded in Aligarh on Friday 29 October 1920 then shifted to Karol Bagh, New Delhi in 1925,
then after shifted again on 1 March 1935 in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi and named it Jamia Millia Islamia (a central
university). He subsequently went to Germany to obtain a PhD from the University of Berlin in Economics. While in

Germany, Hussain was instrumental in bringing out the anthology of arguably the greatest Urdu poet Mirza
Assadullah Khan "Ghalib" (1797–1868).[3]
He returned to India to head the Jamia Millia Islamia which was facing closure in 1927. He continued in that
position for the next twenty-one years providing academic and managerial leadership to an institution that was
intimately involved with India's struggle for freedom from the British Rule and experimented with value base
education on the lines advocated by Mahatma Gandhi and Hakim Ajmal Khan[4]
. During this period he continued to
engage himself with movements for educational reforms in India and was particularly active in the affairs of his
old alma mater the MAO College, now the Aligarh Muslim University. During this period Hussain emerged as one of
the most prominent educational thinkers and practitioners of modern India. His personal sacrifice and untiring
efforts to keep the Jamia afloat in very adverse circumstances won him appreciation of even his arch political
rivals like Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
Soon after India attained independence, Hussain agreed to be the Vice chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim
University which was facing trying times in post partition India because of active involvement of a section of its
teachers and students in the movement for creation of Pakistan, where incidentally Hussain's relatives brother Dr.
Mahmood Hussain and nephew General Rahimuddin Khan would migrate to and achieve eminence. Dr Hussain,
again, provided leadership during a critical phase of the history of the University at Aligarh from 1948-1956.
Soon after completing his term as Vice Chancellor he was nominated as a member of the Upper House of Indian
Parliament in 1956, a position he vacated in 1957 to become Governor of the State of Bihar.
After serving as the Governor of Bihar from 1957 to 1962, and as the second Vice President of India from 1962 to
1967, Hussain was elected President of India on 13 May 1967. In his inaugural speech he said that the whole of
India was his home and all its people were his family.
Hussain died on 3 May 1969, the first Indian President to die in office. He is buried on the campus of the Jamia
Millia Islamia (or Central University) in New Delhi.

Mohammad Hidayatullah
Mohammad Hidayatullah
6th Vice President of India
In office
31 August 1979 – 30 August 1984
President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Preceded by Basappa Danappa Jatti
Succeeded by Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Acting
President of India
In office
20 July 1969 – 24 August 1969
Preceded by Varahagiri Venkata Giri
Succeeded by Varahagiri Venkata Giri
11th Chief Justice of India
In office
25 February 1968 – 16 December 1970
Nominated by none (per convention as he was the senior most judge)

Preceded by Kailas Nath Wanchoo
Succeeded by Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah
Born
17 December 1905
Lucknow, British Raj
Died 18 September 1992 (aged 86)
Political party Independent
Mohammad Hidayatullah, OBE (Hindi:मुहम्मद िहदायतुल्लाह) (17 December 1905 - 18 September 1992) was the
first Muslim Chief Justice of India. He served as the Acting President of India on two occasions and was also the sixth Vice-
President of India for one complete term. The Hidayatullah National Law University at Naya Raipur is named after him.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early life and education [1][2]
• 2 Judicial Career
• 3 Other roles
o 3.1 Presidency
o 3.2 Career in Nagpur
o 3.3 Teaching
• 4 Legacy
• 5 Notes
• 6 See also
• 7 External links
[edit] Early life and education [1][2]
After completing primary education at the Government High School of Raipur in 1922, Hidayatullah attended
Morris College in Nagpur, where he was nominated as the Phillip's Scholar in 1926. Following the trend of Indians
studying British law abroad, Hidayatullah attended Trinity College at the University of Cambridge from 1927 to 1930.
Here he secured the 2nd order of merit and was awarded a Gold Medal for his performance in 1930.
While at Cambridge, Hidayatullah was elected and served as the President of the Indian Majlis in 1929. Also
while here, he pursued English and Law Tripos from the renowned Lincoln's Inn. In addition he secured a place of
Barrister-at-Law in 1930.
[edit] Judicial Career

After graduation, Hidayatullah returned to India to serve as an advocate at the Nagpur High Court from 1930 to
1946. During this time he served as Government Pleader from 1942–1943, as well as an Advocate General of the
Central Provinces and Berar (now Madhya Pradesh) from 1943 to 1946.
In 1946, Hidayatullah was appointed as a judge at the Nagpur High Court, where he served until being elevated
to Chief Justice of the Nagpur High Court in 1954. Hidayatullah served as the Chief Justice here until 1956, and
was subsequently appointed the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in November 1956.
Following this longstanding experience in the state's court circuit, Hidayatullah was eventually elevated as a
Justice to the Supreme Court of India in December 1958. After serving as a Justice for nearly 10 years, Hidayatullah
took oath as Chief Justice of India on 28 February 1968 - becoming the first Muslim Chief Justice of India. He
retired from this position on 16 December 1970 [1][2]
.
[edit] Other roles
[edit] Presidency
In 1969, Hidayatullah served as the Acting President of India being ex officio Chief Justice. He served from 20 July
to 24 August, as then Vice-President of India and Acting President of India V V Giri resigned to take part in
Presidential elections. After retiring from the post of Chief Justice, he was elected as the Vice President of India in
August 1979, serving a full term in office until 1984. During his term he served again as Acting President ex
officio Vice President of India.
Having served at all of these positions made Hidayatullah unique among other members of Indian history.
Justice Hidayatullah became the only person to have served in all three offices of Chief Justice of India, President of
India, and the Vice President of India. [1][2]
[edit] Career in Nagpur
Before becoming involved in national politics and serving as Supreme Court Justice, Hidayatullah was involved
in local and state affairs. The following are some of the committee positions he held:
• Member of the Nagpur Municipal Committee (1931–1933)
• Member of the Nagpur University's Executive and Academic Councils (1934–1953)
• Member of the Nagpur Improvement Trust (1943–1945)
• Member of the Nagpur Bar Council (1943–1946)
• Chief Commissioner of the Madhya Pradesh Bharat Scouts and Guides (1950–1953)
Many of these positions, as well as those of High Court Justice were held prior to Indian Independence, they
were all considered service to Great Britain, thus Hidayatullah was conferred the honor of Order of British Empire by
the Royal Family of Britain in 1946.
[edit] Teaching
Having received an education at one of the premier legal institutions of the time, Hidayatullah was able to segue
into an academic career not long after returning to India. In 1935, he took a teaching post at University College
of Law - where he taught until 1943. Later he served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at Nagpur University from 1949
to 1953. In addition, he served as Faculty of Law at various other institutions throughout the 1950s: Sagar
University, Court Vikram University, and the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University.

Post-retirement Hidayatullah renewed his interest in Boy Scouts and served as Chief Scout of the All India Boy
Scouts Association from 1982 to 1992. [1]
[edit] Legacy
In his honor, the Hidayatullah National Law University was established in 2003, in his home town of Raipur, in the now
state of Chattisgarh.

V. V. Giri
Varahagiri Venkata Giri
4th President of India
In office
24 August 1969 – 24 August 1974
Vice President Gopal Swarup Pathak
Preceded by Muhammad Hidayatullah
Succeeded by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Acting
President of India
In office
3 May 1969 – 20 July 1969
Preceded by Zakir Hussain
Succeeded by Muhammad Hidayatullah
3rd Vice President of India

In office
13 May 1967 – 3 May 1969
President Zakir Hussain
Preceded by Zakir Hussain
Succeeded by Gopal Swarup Pathak
Born
10 August 1894
Berhampur, Ganjam, Madras Presidency, British India
Died
23 June 1980 (aged 85)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Nationality India
Political party Independent
Spouse(s) Saraswati Bai
Varahagiri Venkata Giri (Telugu: వరాహగిరి వేంకట గిరి) (10 August 1894 – 23 June 1980), commonly
known as V. V. Giri, was the fourth President of the Republic of India from 24 August 1969 to 23 August 1974.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early life
• 2 Career
• 3 Personal life
• 4 References
• 5 External links
[edit] Early life
He was born in a Telugu family to Varahagiri Venkata Jogaiah,[1]
residing in Berhampur in the Ganjam district of the
erstwhile Madras Presidency. The town and district are now part of the state of Orissa. His father was an eminent
lawyer and migrated to Berhampur from Chintalapalli village, now part of East Goadvari District - Andhra
Pradesh State.
In 1913, he went to University College Dublin to study law, but was expelled from Ireland in 1916 after becoming
involved with the Sinn Féin movement. Involvement which brought him into close contact with Eamon de Valera,
Michael Collins, Patrick Pearse, Desmond FitzGerald, Eoin MacNeill, James Connolly and others.

[edit] Career
Upon returning to India, he became heavily involved in the labour movement, becoming general secretary and
then president of the All-India Railwaymen's Federation and twice serving as president of the All-India Trade
Union Congress.
Giri became a member of the Imperial Legislative Assembly in 1934.[2]
In the 1936 General Election in Madras, Giri was put up as the Congress candidate in Bobbili against the Raja of
Bobbili and he won that election. He became minister of labour and industries in 1937 for the Congress Party
government formed by C.Rajagopalachari in the Madras Presidency. When the Congress governments resigned in
1942, he returned to the labour movement as part of the quit India movement and was imprisoned by the British. He
was lodged in Rajahmundry jail.
After India gained independence, he was first appointed high commissioner to Ceylon and then successfully ran
for parliament in 1952. He was elected for 1st Lok Sabha from Pathapatnam Lok Sabha Constituency[3]
and served as
minister of labour until resigning in 1954.
The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE) was founded in 1957 by a distinguished group of academicians and
public men engaged in promoting the study of labour and industrial relations. The team was headed by Shri Giri.
He served successfully as governor of Uttar Pradesh (1957–1960), Kerala (1960–1965) and Mysore (1965–1967).
He was elected as the third Vice President of India in 1967. Giri became acting president of India in 1969 upon the
death in office of Zakir Hussain and decided to run for that position in the ensuing election. The Congress Party
Official leadership led by Kamraj chose to support Neelam Sanjiva Reddy for the position, but he was able to prevail
anyway being the chosen candidate for Indira Gandhi who controlled the government, serving until 1974.
He received India's highest civilian decoration, the Bharat Ratna, in 1975.
He was a prolific writer and a good orator. He has written books on 'Industrial Relations' and 'Labour problems
in Indian Industry'
[edit] Personal life
His family lives in Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
5th President of India
In office
24 August 1974 – 11 February 1977
Vice President Basappa Danappa Jatti
Preceded by Varahagiri Venkata Giri
Succeeded by
Basappa Danappa Jatti (Acting)
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Born
13 May 1905
Delhi, Punjab, British India
Died
11 February 1977 (aged 71)
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Alma mater St Catharine's College, Cambridge
Profession Lawyer
Religion Islam
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (13 May 1905 - 11 February 1977) was the fifth President of India from 1974 to 1977.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early life and background

• 2 Political years
• 3 Honors
• 4 References
[edit] Early life and background
Shri Fakhruddin's grandfather, Shri Khaliluddin Ali Ahmed, of Kacharighat near Golaghat town , Assam, married
in one of the families who were the relics of Emperor Aurangzeb's bid to conquer Assam [1]
Ahmed was born on 13 May 1905, in Delhi, India. His father was Col. Zalnur Ali who married the daughter of the
Nawab of Lohari in Delhi [2]
He started his education in the Government High School from Gonda District, Uttar Pradesh, India. He
matriculated from the Delhi Government High School and went to England for higher education in 1923
continuing studies at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He started legal practice in the Lahore High Court in 1928. [3]
[edit] Political years
He met Jawaharlal Nehru in England in 1925. He joined the Indian National Congress and actively participated in the
freedom movement.
After Independence he was elected to the Rajya Sabha (1952-1953) and thereafter became Advocate-General of
the Government of Assam. He was elected on Congress ticket to the Assam Assembly on two terms (1957-1962)
and (1962-1967). He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Barpeta constituency in 1971. In the Central Cabinet
he was given important portfolios relating to Food and Agriculture, Cooperation, Education, Industrial
Development and Company Laws.
Picked for the presidency by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1974, he became the second Muslim to be elected
President. He used his constitutional authority as head of state to allow her to rule by decree once emergency rule
was proclaimed in 1975. He died in office.
[edit] Honors
He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Pristina, in Kosovo in 1975, during his visit to Yugoslavia.
He was elected President of the Assam Football Association and the Assam Cricket Association for several
terms; he was also the Vice-President of the Assam Sports Council.
In April 1967, he was elected President of the All India Cricket Association. He was a member of the Delhi Golf
Club and the Delhi Gymkhana Club from 1961.

Basappa Danappa Jatti
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This article is missing citations or needs footnotes. Please help add inline citations to guard against copyright violations
and factual inaccuracies. (January 2008)
Basappa Danappa Jatti
ಬಸಪಪ ದಾನಪಪ ಜತತ
Acting
President of India
In office
11 February 1977 – 25 July 1977
Preceded by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Succeeded by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
5th Vice President of India
In office
31 August 1974 – 30 August 1979
President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Preceded by Gopal Swarup Pathak
Succeeded by Muhammad Hidayatullah

5th Chief Ministers of Mysore State
In office
16 May 1958 – 9 March 1962
Preceded by Siddavanahalli Nijalingappa
Succeeded by S.R. Kanthi
Born
10 September 1912
Savalgi, Jamakhandi, Bijapur, British Raj
Died 7 May 2002 (aged 89)
Nationality Indian
Political party Independent
Religion Hindu
Basappa Danappa Jatti (Kannada: ಬಸಪಪ ದಾನಪಪ ಜತತ)(10 September 1912–June 7, 2002) was born to Kannada
Lingayat family at Savalgi, Bijapur district of Karnataka state. Jatti graduated as a lawyer from Sykes Law College,
Kolhapur and became a pleader in Jamakhandi. He was President of India (acting) from 11 February 1977 to 25
July 1977.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Biography
• 2 Religion
• 3 See also
• 4 Titles Held
• 5 External links
[edit] Biography
Soft-spoken Jatti rose from a humble beginning as a Municipality member to India’s second-highest office
during a five-decade-long chequered political career.
Born in Savalgi in Jamakhandi Taluk of Bijapur district, Mr Jatti entered politics as a Municipality member at
Jamakhandi in 1940 and later became its President. He was eventually elected to the Jamakhandi State
Legislature.

A Law Graduate from Rajaram College, Kolhapur, he practised for a brief period as a pleader in Jamakhandi. He
was appointed minister of Jamakhandi state, and subsequently became its Chief Minister. On 8 March 1948 after
Jamakhandi was merged with Bombay state, he returned to legal practice and continued it for 20 months. Jatti
was also nominated as member of the Bombay State Legislative Assembly to represent the merged area, and,
within a week of his nomination, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the then Bombay Chief Minister,
B G Kher. He worked in that capacity for a couple of years.
After the 1952 general elections, he was appointed Minister of Health and Labour of the then Bombay
Government and held that post till the reorganisation of states.
Jatti became member of the Mysore Legislative Assembly after the reorganisation and was Chairman of the Land
Reforms Committee. He became Chief Minister in 1958 and continued in that office until 1962.
Re-elected from Jamkhandi constituency in the third general elections, Jatti was appointed Finance Minister on 2
July 1962 in the Nijalingappa Ministry. He was re-elected to the fourth Assembly from the same constituency
and appointed as Minister of Food and Civil Supplies.
Jatti subsequently moved onto the national scene and was appointed Lt Governor of Pondicherry in 1968. He
became Orissa Governor in 1973 and, in 1974, assumed office as the fifth Vice-President until 1980. He became acting
President for a brief period after the death of Fakruddin Ali Ahmed. After demitting office as Vice-President,
Jatti continued to be in the limelight as a keen observer of the political situation in the country.
A deeply religious man, he was also founder president of the Basava Samithi, which propagated the preachings
of 12th century saint philosopher Basaveshwara. He was also involved in various organisations concerned with
social activities.
[edit] Religion
Outside of politics, Jatti was founder president of the Basava Samithi, a religious movement propagated the
preachings of 12th century saint, philosopher and Hindu refomer Basaveshwara.

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
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Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
6th President of India
In office
25 July 1977 – 25 July 1982
Preceded by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Succeeded by Zail Singh
1st Chief minister of Andhra pradesh
In office
1 November 1956 – 11 January 1960
Succeeded by Damodaram Sanjivayya
8th Secretary General of Non-Aligned Movement
In office
7 March 1983 – 12 March 1983
Preceded by Dr. Zakir Hussain
Succeeded by Zail Singh

Born
19 May 1913
Illur village of district Anantapur in the State of Andhra Pradesh
Died
1 June 1996 (aged 83)
Bangalore, India
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (Telugu: నీలం సంజీవ రెడ్డిడ్డ్ ) (19 May 1913 - 1 June 1996) was the sixth President of
India, serving from 1977 to 1982 and was the only person to be elected President of India unopposed.
Reddy was born in Illur village of district Anantapur in the State of Andhra Pradesh. He had his primary education at
the High School run by Theosophical Society Adyar, Madras. The spiritual atmosphere of the school left a deep impact
on his mind. He joined the Government Arts College at Anantapur for his higher studies.
Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Anantapur in July 1929 was the turning point in Reddy's life. He came under the profound
influence of Gandhiji's thoughts, words and actions. He discarded his foreign clothes and took to Khadi as his
dress. He gave up his studies and joined the Indian Independence Movement. In 1931 he left his studies to join
Congress Party.
He was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1946 and became the Secretary of the Madras Congress
Legislature Party. In 1947, he became a Member of the Indian Constituent Assembly. He was Minister for Prohibition,
Housing and Forests in the composite state of Madras from 1949 to 1951. He was Elected as President of the
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in 1951. In 1952, he was elected as a Member of the Rajya Sabha.
He served as the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in October 1956 and again from 1962 to 1964. He also served
as President of the Indian National Congress from 1959 to 1962.
The degree of Honorary Doctor of Laws was conferred on him by the Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi in 1958.
On 9 June 1964, He was appointed a Member of the Union Cabinet and took over the portfolio of Steel and
Mines. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in November, 1964.
He was Union Minister of Transport, Civil Aviation, Shipping and Tourism from January 1966 to March 1967 in
the Cabinet. He was Elected to the Lok Sabha from Hindupur constituency in Andhra Pradesh. He was elected Speaker
of Lok Sabha on 17 March 1967, where he won unprecedented acclaim and admiration.
In 1969, following the death of Dr. Zakir Hussain, then President of India, Sanjiva Reddy was nominated as the
official candidate of Congress party. Even before the election he resigned from his Lok Sabha speakership in
order not to take advantage of a position while contesting for another as a party candidate. However Indira
Gandhi, knowing that Sanjiva Reddy was too independent a person to toe her line, took the stance of allowing
the party electors to vote according to their conscience, rather than asking to vote for the party candidate. This
actually implied her support to V.V.Giri and Sanjiva Reddy lost the election. He retired from active politics,
returned to his native village Illuru to take up what was always close to his heart, and his fore-fathers occupation
of farming.
He entered active politics again in 1975 along with Shri Jayaprakash Narayan. In March 1977, he fought the Lok
Sabha election from Nandyal constituency in Andhra Pradesh as a Janata Party candidate. He was the only non-
Congress candidate to get elected from Andhra Pradesh. He was unanimously elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on
26 March 1977.

He was regarded as the best speaker ever in the Lok Sabha of Indian parliament he also said that he would not remain
as the "rubber stamp president" and proved himself to be most dynamic president of India
He was elected President by the electoral college in July 1977.He was the youngest President and also the only
unanimous President of India up to now.
He died in Bangalore, India in 1996.
Zail Singh
Giani Zail Singh

Zail Singh (right), the President of India at Award giving Ceremony at his Presidential residence - Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi
7th President of India
In office
25 July 1982 – 25 July 1987
Vice President
Muhammad Hidayat Ullah (1982-1984)
R. Venkataraman (1984-1987)
Preceded by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Succeeded by R. Venkataraman
9th Secretary General of Non-Aligned Movement
In office
March 12, 1983 – September 6, 1986
Preceded by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Succeeded by Robert Mugabe
Born 5 May 1916
Died
25 December 1994 (aged 78)
Chandigarh, India
Political party Congress
Spouse(s) Giani Zail Singh
Occupation politician, statesman
Religion Sikhism

Giani Zail Singh (Punjabi: ਜ਼ੈਲ ਿਸਿੰਘ, 5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) was an Indian politician and member of the
Congress Party. He served as the seventh President of India. He was the President of India during Operation Blue Star, the
assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.[1]
Sardar Zail Singh, a Sikh by religion, was given the title of Giani, as he was educated and learned about Guru
Granth Sahib at Shaheed Sikh Missionary College in Amritsar. However, he did not have formal secular education.
He had a humble start in life and his father was a Sikh Tarkhan Ramgarhia who was killed in an automobile accident.
[2]
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early years
• 2 Chief Minister of Punjab
• 3 Home Minister
• 4 President of India
• 5 Death
• 6 References
[edit] Early years
In 1947, with the reorganization of India along secular lines and the amalgamation of hundreds of princely states,
Giani Zail Singh stood squarely on the side of democracy and opposed the autocratic Raja Harindar Singh of
Fareedkot.[3]
Known as a bold and honest broker for the people, Zail Singh was called on to be the Revenue
Minister of the newly amalgamated princely states of Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Kalsia,
Nalagarh and Malerkotla, designated the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), under Chief Minister Gian
Singh Rarevala of Patiala in 1949. In the Congress Government formed on 23 May 1951, he became Agriculture
Minister. From 1956 to 1962, Giani Zail Singh served as a member of India's upper house of parliament (Rajya
Sabha).
[edit] Chief Minister of Punjab
The emerging spectre of Sikh separatism in the early 1970s served the Congress Party well and helped to elect
Giani Zail Singh as Chief Minister of Punjab in 1972. Voters ran from the traditional Sikh party, the Shiromani
Akali Dal. Of a total of 104 seats, the Congress won 66 and their Communist allies 10. Independents took 3, a
Marxist 1, and the Akalis just 24.[4]
As a lifelong Congress member, Giani Zail Singh still managed to “out-Sikh”
the Akalis during his tenure as chief minister. He arranged massive religious gatherings, started public functions
with a traditional Sikh prayer, inaugurated a highway named after Guru Gobind Singh, and named a township after
the Guru's son.[5]
[edit] Home Minister
In the 1980 election, Zail Singh was elected a member of the lower house of the legislature (Lok Sabha), and
picked on January 14 to join Indira Gandhi's cabinet as Minister for Home Affairs (Security). During his tenure,

Giani Zail Singh (Punjabi: ਜ਼ੈਲ ਿਸਿੰਘ, 5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) was an Indian politician and member of the
Congress Party. He served as the seventh President of India. He was the President of India during Operation Blue Star, the
assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.[1]
Sardar Zail Singh, a Sikh by religion, was given the title of Giani, as he was educated and learned about Guru
Granth Sahib at Shaheed Sikh Missionary College in Amritsar. However, he did not have formal secular education.
He had a humble start in life and his father was a Sikh Tarkhan Ramgarhia who was killed in an automobile accident.
[2]
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early years
• 2 Chief Minister of Punjab
• 3 Home Minister
• 4 President of India
• 5 Death
• 6 References
[edit] Early years
In 1947, with the reorganization of India along secular lines and the amalgamation of hundreds of princely states,
Giani Zail Singh stood squarely on the side of democracy and opposed the autocratic Raja Harindar Singh of
Fareedkot.[3]
Known as a bold and honest broker for the people, Zail Singh was called on to be the Revenue
Minister of the newly amalgamated princely states of Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Kalsia,
Nalagarh and Malerkotla, designated the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), under Chief Minister Gian
Singh Rarevala of Patiala in 1949. In the Congress Government formed on 23 May 1951, he became Agriculture
Minister. From 1956 to 1962, Giani Zail Singh served as a member of India's upper house of parliament (Rajya
Sabha).
[edit] Chief Minister of Punjab
The emerging spectre of Sikh separatism in the early 1970s served the Congress Party well and helped to elect
Giani Zail Singh as Chief Minister of Punjab in 1972. Voters ran from the traditional Sikh party, the Shiromani
Akali Dal. Of a total of 104 seats, the Congress won 66 and their Communist allies 10. Independents took 3, a
Marxist 1, and the Akalis just 24.[4]
As a lifelong Congress member, Giani Zail Singh still managed to “out-Sikh”
the Akalis during his tenure as chief minister. He arranged massive religious gatherings, started public functions
with a traditional Sikh prayer, inaugurated a highway named after Guru Gobind Singh, and named a township after
the Guru's son.[5]
[edit] Home Minister
In the 1980 election, Zail Singh was elected a member of the lower house of the legislature (Lok Sabha), and
picked on January 14 to join Indira Gandhi's cabinet as Minister for Home Affairs (Security). During his tenure,

he is believed to have worked with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to promote the personality of Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale at the expense of the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership.
[edit] President of India
With the retirement of Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as President of India, the members of the Congress Party on 15 July 1982
unanimously nominated Giani Zail Singh to fill the largely ceremonial office. In the general vote, he received
almost unanimous support, including even the members of dissident parties such as Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab
(India)and the Communists in Bengal. Nonetheless, some in the media felt that the president had been chosen for
being an Indira loyalist rather than an eminent person. “If my leader had said I should pick up a broom and be a
sweeper, I would have done that. She chose me to be President,”[6]
Singh was quoted to have said after his
election. Giani Zail Singh took the oath of office on 25 July 1982.
President Zail Singh served in a largely ceremonial capacity beside the shrewdly political Prime Minister
Gandhi, though protocol dictated that he should be briefed every week by the prime minister on affairs of state.
The day before the army was sent into Amritsar to attack the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, the Golden Temple, Mrs.
Gandhi and the president met for more than an hour, but she omitted even sharing a word about her plan.[7]
. In the
anti-government sentiment that followed, many Sikhs called on Giani Zail Singh to resign his post. On advice
from Yogi Bhajan that the situation for Sikhs would only deteriorate if he were to quit, Zail Singh kept his position.
However he was subsequently called before the Akal Takhat to apologize and explain his inaction at the descration
of the holy site and killing of innocent Sikhs. At the death of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Zail Singh in his role as
President appointed her surviving son, Rajiv Gandhi successor. Theirs was an uneasy relationship[citation needed]
. Giani
Zail Singh served as President of India until 1987.[8]
[edit] Death
Whenever Giani Zail Singh was in Punjab or close to it, he rarely missed a chance of paying his respects at the
shrine of Anandpur Sahib. On one such pilgrimage, he was involved in a serious auto crash near Kiratpur Sahib in
Ropar district on 29 November 1994. He subsequently died at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in
Chandigarh on 25 December 1994 and was cremated at Ekta Sthal in the Raj Ghat area.[9]

R. Venkataraman
Ramaswamy Venkataraman
8th President of India
In office
25 July 1987 – 25 July 1992
Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi,
V. P. Singh,
Chandra Shekhar,
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Vice President Shankar Dayal Sharma
Preceded by Zail Singh
Succeeded by Shankar Dayal Sharma
7th Vice-President of India
In office
31 August 1984 – 27 July 1987
President Giani Zail Singh
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,

Rajiv Gandhi
Preceded by Muhammad Hidayat Ullah
Succeeded by Shankar Dayal Sharma
Defence Minister of India
In office
1982 – 30 August 1984
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Finance Minister of India
In office
1980–1982
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Minister of Industries, Labour, Cooperation, Power, Transport and Commercial Taxes (Madras state)
In office
1957–1967
Premier
K. Kamaraj,
M. Bhaktavatsalam
Member of Parliament
for Madras South
In office
1977–1984
Prime Minister
Morarji Desai,
Charan Singh,
Indira Gandhi
Preceded by Murasoli Maran
Succeeded by Dr. Vyjayantimala Bali
Member of Parliament
for Thanjavur

In office
1951–1957
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Preceded by None
Succeeded by Vairavar Thevar
Member of the Constituent Assembly of India
In office
1946–1951
Born
4 December 1910
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Died
27 January 2009 (aged 98)
New Delhi, India
Political party Indian National Congress
Spouse(s) Janaki Venkataraman
Occupation lawyer
Religion Hindu
Ramaswamy Venkataraman (Tamil: ராமசுவாமி ெவங்கட்ராமன்) (4 December 1910 – 27 January 2009[1]
) was
an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union minister and as the eighth
President of India.[2]
Venkataraman was born in Rajamadam village in Tanjore district, Madras Presidency. He studied law and practised in
the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In his young age, he was an activist of the Indian independence
movement and participated in the Quit India Movement. He was appointed member of the Constituent Assembly and
the provisional cabinet. He was elected to Lok Sabha four times and served as Union Finance Minister and
Defence Minister. In 1984, he was elected the seventh Vice-President of India and in 1987, he became the 8th
President of India and served from 1987 to 1992. He also served as a State minister under K. Kamaraj and M.
Bhaktavatsalam.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Early life
• 2 Political career

o 2.1 As Minister of Industries
• 3 Honours and accolades
• 4 Death
• 5 Works
• 6 Books on R. Venkataraman
• 7 Notes
• 8 References
• 9 External links
[edit] Early life
Venkataraman was born in Rajamadam village near in Pattukottai, near Tanjore district in Tamil Nadu. He had his
school education in National College Higher Secondary School at Trichy.
Educated locally and in the city of Madras (now Chennai), Venkataraman obtained his Master Degree in
Economics from Madras University. He later qualified in Law from the Law College, Madras. Venkataraman was
enrolled in the Madras High Court in 1935 and in the Supreme Court in 1951 [3]
While practicing law, Venkataraman was drawn into the movement for India's freedom from Britain's colonial
subjugation. His active participation in the Indian National Congress's celebrated resistance to the British
Government, the Quit India Movement of 1942, resulted in his detention for two years under the Defence of India
Rules. Venkataraman's interest in the law continued during this period. In 1946, when the transfer of power from
British to Indian hands was imminent, the Government of India included him in the panel of lawyers sent to
Malaya and Singapore to defend Indian nationals charged with offences of collaboration during the Japanese
occupation of those two places. In the years 1947 to 1950, Venkataraman served as Secretary of the Madras
Provincial Bar Federation.
Venkataraman acquired, early in his legal career, an abiding interest in the law pertaining to labour. On his
release from prison in 1944, he took up the Organisation of the Labour Section of the Tamil Nadu Provincial
Congress Committee. He founded, in 1949, the Labour Law Journal which publishes important decisions pertaining
to labour and is an acknowledged specialist publication. He came to be intimately associated with trade union
activity, founding or leading several unions, including those for plantation workers, estate staff, dock-workers,
railway workers and working journalists.
[edit] Political career
Law and trade union activity led to Venkataraman's increasing association with politics. He was the member of
constituent assembly that drafted India's constitution. In 1950 he was elected to free India's Provisional Parliament
(1950–1952) and to the First Parliament (1952–1957). During his term of legislative activity, Venkataraman
attended the 1952 Session of the Metal Trades Committee of International Labour Organisation as a workers'
delegate. He was a member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Conference in New Zealand. Venkataraman was also Secretary to the Congress Parliamentary Party in 1953-
1954.
Although re-elected to Parliament in 1957, Venkataraman resigned his seat in the Lok Sabha to join the State
Government of Madras as a Minister. There Shri Venkataraman held the portfolios of Industries, Labour,

Cooperation, Power, Transport and Commercial Taxes from 1957 to 1967. During this time, he was also Leader
of the Upper House, namely, the Madras Legislative Council.
[edit] As Minister of Industries
Venkataraman was appointed a Member of the Union Planning Commission in 1967 and was entrusted the
subjects of Industry, Labour, power, Transport, Communications, Railways. He held that office until 1971. In
1977, Venkataraman was elected to the Lok Sabha from Madras (South) Constituency and served as an
Opposition Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
Venkataraman was also, variously, a member of the Political Affairs Committee and the Economic Affairs
Committee of the Union Cabinet; Governor, International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, and the Asian Development Bank. Venkataraman was a Delegate to the United Nations General
Assembly in 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1961. He was Leader of the Indian Delegation to the 42nd
Session of the International Labour Conference at Geneva (1958) and represented India in the Inter
Parliamentary Conference in Vienna (1978). He was a member of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal
from 1955 to 1979 and was its President from 1968 to 1979.
In 1980, Venkataraman was re-elected to the Lok Sabha and was appointed Union Minister of Finance in the
Government headed by Smt. Indira Gandhi. He was later appointed Union Minister of Defence, here he is credited
for initiating India's missile programme, he shifted A P J Abdul Kalam from space programme to the missile
programme, and consolidated the entire missile system, naming it as Integrated Guided Missile Development Program [4]
.
Later he was to serve as Vice-President of India and then as a President of India starting 1987, where he had the unique
distinction working with four prime ministers, and appointing three of them: V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar and P
V Narasimha Rao, during his five-year term, which saw the advent of coalition politics in India [5][6]
.
[edit] Honours and accolades
Venkataraman received the Doctorate of Law (Honoris Causa) from University of Madras, the Doctorate of Law
(Honoris Causa) from Nagarjuna University. He is Honorary Fellow, Madras Medical College; Doctor of Social
Sciences, University of Roorkee; Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) from University of Burdwan. He was awarded
The Tamra Patra for participation in the freedom struggle, the Soviet Land Prize for his travelogue on K. Kamaraj's visit
to the Socialist countries. He was the recipient of a Souvenir from the Secretary-General of the United Nations
for distinguished service as President of the U.N. Administrative Tribunal. The title of "Sat Seva Ratna" was
conferred on him by His Holiness the Sankaracharya of Kancheepuram.
[edit] Death
On 12 January 2009, Venkataraman was admitted to the Army Research and Referral Hospital with complaints
of Urosepsis (a toxic condition caused by the extravasation of urine into bodily tissues).[7]
His condition grew
critical on 20 January, when he was detected with low blood pressure and E. coli tract infection.
Venkataraman died at the Army Research and Referral Hospital, New Delhi on 27 January 2009 at 1430 IST[7]
due
to multiple organ failure at the age of 98.[8]
With Venkataraman's death, Abdul Kalam became the only surviving former President of India.
[edit] Works
• Role of Planning in Industrial Development, by Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Govt. of India Press,
1969.

• The Role of a Private Member of Parliament, by Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Harold Laski Institute of
Political Science, 1986.
• My Presidential Years - R Venkataraman, by R Venkataraman. 1995. HarperCollins/Indus. ISBN 8172232020.
• R. Venkataraman on Contemporary Issues, by Ramaswami Venkataraman, K. Venkatasubramanian. Published by
Variant Communications, 1996.
• Relevance of Gandhi: And Other Essays, by K Swaminathan, Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Gandhigram
Trust, 1998.
[edit] Books on R. Venkataraman
• President R. Venkataraman, by Nand Gopal Chaudhry. Published by Manas Publications, 1987. ISBN 8170490189.
• The Great Humanist Ramaswami Venkataraman, by Attar Chand. Published by Gian Pub. House, 1987. ISBN
8121201063.
• So May India be Great: Selected Speeches and Writings of President R. Venkataraman, by Ramaswami
Venkataraman. Published by Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1990.
• Selected Speeches, 1984–87, 10 September 1984-14 May 1987: 10 September 1984-14 May 1987, by Ramaswami
Venkataraman. Published by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1991.
• President R. Venkataraman Selected Speeches: July 1987-December 1989., by Ramaswami Venkataraman.
Published by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1991.