List of Presidents of India
The President of India is the head of state and
first citizen of India. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the
Indian Armed Forces. Although the president is vested such powers by the
constitution of India, the position is largely a ceremonial role and the
executive powers are de facto exercised by the Cabinet Ministers and Prime
Minister. The post of President is known in Hindi as Rashtrapati, a Sanskrit
neologism meaning "lord of the realm". The President is elected by
the Electoral College composed of elected members of the parliament houses, Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and also members of the Vidhan Sabha, the state
legislative assemblies.
There have been 13 presidents of India since the
introduction of the post in 1950. The post was established when India was
declared as a republic with the adoption of the Indian constitution. Apart from
these thirteen, three acting presidents have also been in office for short
periods of time. Varahagiri Venkata Giri became Acting President of India in
1969 following the death of Zakir Hussain, who died in office. Giri was elected
President a few months later. He remains the only person to have held office
both as a president and acting president. The President may remain in office
for a tenure of five years, as stated by article 56, part V, of the
constitution of India. In the case where a president's term of office is
terminated early or during the absence of the president, the vice president
assumes office. By article 70 of part V, the parliament may decide how to
discharge the functions of the president where this is not possible, or in any
other unexpected contingency. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, is
the only person to have held office for two terms.
The current President is Pranab Mukherjee
elected on 25 July 2012. Mukherjee held various posts in the cabinet ministry
for the Government of India such as Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, Defence
Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. He originally comes
from West Bengal and is also the first Bengali to hold the post of the
President. The ex- president, Pratibha Patil, who was in office till 25 July
2012, was elected as the 12th President of India in 2007. She is also the first
woman to serve as President of India.
PRESIDENTS
SL No
|
Name
|
From Date
|
To Date
|
1
|
Rajendra
Prasad
(1884–1963)
|
26 January 1950
|
13 May 1962
|
2
|
Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan
(1888–1975)
|
13 May 1962
|
13 May 1967
|
3
|
Zakir
Hussain
(1897–1969)
|
13 May 1967
|
3 May 1969
|
4
|
Varahagiri
Venkata Giri
(1894–1980)
|
24 August 1969
|
24 August 1974
|
5
|
Fakhruddin
Ali Ahmed
(1905–1977)
|
24 August 1974
|
11 February 1977
|
6
|
Neelam
Sanjiva Reddy
(1913–1996)
|
25 July 1977
|
25 July 1982
|
7
|
Giani
Zail Singh
(1916–1994)
|
25 July 1982
|
25 July 1987
|
8
|
Ramaswamy
Venkataraman
(4 December
1910–2009)
|
25 July 1987
|
25 July 1992
|
9
|
Shankar
Dayal Sharma
(19
August 1918–1999)
|
25 July 1992
|
25 July 1997
|
10
|
Kocheril
Raman Narayanan
(27
October 1920–2005)
|
25 July 1997
|
25 July 2002
|
11
|
A. P. J.
Abdul Kalam
(15
October1931– )
|
25 July 2002
|
25 July 2007
|
12
|
Pratibha
Patil
(1934– )
|
25 July 2007
|
25 July 2012
|
13
|
Pranab
Mukherjee
(1935– )
|
25 July 2012
|
Incumbent
|
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