HISTORY OF THE PRESIDENCY

The following article was published in THE TIMES OF INDIA, Hyderabad edition on 23 Jan 2010 Sat

Rajendra Prasad
(1884-1963)
Term of Office | January 26, 1950 to May 13, 1962
First President of independent India. A freedom fighter, Rajendra Prasad was the only president to serve two terms in office

Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan
(1888-1975)
Term of Office | May 13, 1962 to May 13, 1967
A prominent philosopher, writer, a Knight of the Realm who held the position of vicechancellor of Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University. He was also made a Knight of the Golden Army of Angels by Pope Paul VI

Zakir Husain (1897-1969)
Term of Office | May 3, 1967 to May 3, 1969
He was vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna. Husain died before his term of office ended

Shri Varahagiri Venkata Giri
(1894-1980)
Term of Office | May 3, 1969 to July 20, 1969 and August 24, 1969 to August 24, 1974
The only person to have the distinction of serving as both acting president and President of India. V V Giri was
a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, and his previous positions included minister of labour and high commissioner to Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
(1905-1977)
Term of Office | August 24, 1974 to February 11, 1977
A veteran politician, he held various cabinet posts including food & agriculture, education, industrial development, etc. He died in 1977 before his term ended, and was the second president to have died in office

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1913-1996)
Term of Office | July 25, 1977 to July 25, 1982
N S Reddy was the first CM of Andhra Pradesh. He was the only MP from Janata Party to get elected from Andhra. He was unanimously elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on March 26, 1977 and relinquished this office on July 13, 1977 to become the 6th President of India

Giani Zail Singh
(1916-1994)
Term of Office | July 25, 1982 to July 25, 1987
Zail Singh served as Punjab CM and later as Union home minister in the Indira Gandhi government

R Venkataraman
(1910-2009)
Term of Office | July 25, 1987 to July 25, 1992
A former freedom fighter, he first served as minister of finance and industry and later as minister of defence

Shankar Dayal Sharma
(1918-1999)
Term of Office | July 25, 1992 to July 25, 1997
Sharma had been chief minister of MP, and then Union minister for communications. He also served as the governor of Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra. As vice-president, broke down in the Rajya Sabha while witnessing an ugly row by the members

K R Narayanan (1920-2005)
Term of Office | July 25, 1997 to July 25, 2002
India’s first Dalit president. Served as India’s ambassador to Thailand, Turkey, China and the US. Regarded as an independent president who set several precedents and enlarged the scope of the highest constitutional office

A P J Abdul Kalam
(born 1931)
Term of Office | July 25, 2002 to July 25, 2007
Eminent scientist and visionary who played a leading role in the development of India’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. Kalam also received the Bharat Ratna and has authored 4 books

Pratibha Patil
(born 1934)
Term of Office | July 25, 2007 -
Patil is the first woman to become the President of India. She was also the first woman Governor of Rajasthan. In 2009, Patil followed Kalam’s prededent and flew in a fighter aircraft