About Indian Presidents
Indian Presidents: The Historic year, 1947 is when the country of India achieved its independence from undemocratic British rule. In the year 1947, Indian keeping its “tryst with destiny” said Jawaharlal Nehru started the slow building process of the nation.
Constitution of India
The formation of Constituent Assembly took place and the draft of an epic Constitution of India was formed. It was the lengthiest constitution in the world, which evidences the country diversity and represents the values like equality, justice, liberty, dignity and fraternity.
The Indian Constitution was formed on Republic Day, 26th January 1950. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first President of India, the first constitutional head of the state.
List of Indian Presidents
From 1950 to till today, India has 14 Presidents of India who worked full time. It has 3 periods when India was led b Acting Presidents. Here is the Chronological order list of Indian Presidents:
The Following are the List of Indian Presidents Along with their Tenure
| S. No. | Name of the Indian Presidents | Tenure Term |
| 1 | Rajendra Prasad | 1950 – 62 |
| 2 | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 1962 – 67 |
| 3 | Zakir Hussain | 1967 – 69 |
| – | VV Giri (Acting President) | 1969 – 69 |
| – | Mohammad Hidayatullah (Acting President) | 1969 – 69 |
| 4 | V.V Giri | 1969 – 74 |
| 5 | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 1974 – 77 |
| – | Basappa Danappa Jatti (Acting President) | 1977 – 77 |
| 6 | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | 1977 – 82 |
| 7 | Giani Zail Singh | 1982 – 87 |
| 8 | R Venkataraman | 1987 – 92 |
| 9 | Shankar Dayal Sharma | 1992 – 97 |
| 10 | K R Narayanan | 1997 – 02 |
| 11 | APJ Abdul Kalam | 2002 – 07 |
| 12 | Pratibha Patil | 2007 – 12 |
| 13 | Pranab Mukherjee | 2012 – 17 |
| 14 | Ram Nath Kovind | 2017 to Present |
The President is the head of the Nation and also the Chief Commander of country’s armed forces. All decisions taken by the Honourable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and the Government are taken in the name of President.
Here are the details of Presidents of India and their tenures.
1. Rajendra Prasad:
In-Office: 26th Jan 1950 to 12th May 1962
A leading figure of the Quit India Movement and an inspirational freedom fighter, Rajendra Prasad was elected to be India’s First President by the Constituent Assembly. Later, in 1951, he was also elected by Electoral College. In the year 1957, he was elected again as President. He was the only President who served two terms. Prasad set high standards of the office for the future occupants.
Political Belonging: Indian National Congress.
2. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan:
In-Office: 14th May 1962 to 13th May 1967
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, an accomplished scholar and academic, teacher and philosopher, was elected as the second president of India. Radhakrishnan was knighted in the year 1931 and received Bharat Ratna in the year 1954. His election as President brought a great priority to the academic development and education system of the nation. Before his election as President, Sarvepalli was free from any political involvement and this made a trendsetter.
Political Belonging: Independent.
3. Zakir Husain:
In-Office: 13th May 1967 to 3rd May 1969
Zakir Husain was another educationist and an eminent scholar. He stepped into the footsteps of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and became the third president of India. He was the co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia University located in Delhi and Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. Husain also achieved Bharat Ratna in the year 1963. Husain was the Muslim President of the nation and also the first Indian President to die in the office.
Political Belonging: Independent.
4. V. V. Giri – Acting President:
Term: 3rd May 1969 to 20th July 1969
The death of Zakir Husain in the President’s office made a requirement to upgrade Varahagiri Venkata Giri, the Vice President to the position of Acting President of India. He served in this position for over a couple of months and then step downed of it to be considered as a candidate in the upcoming elections of the president.
5. Muhammad Hidayatullah – Acting President:
Term: 20th July 1969 to 24th August 1969
Mohammad Hidayatullah was a well-known person. He was an eminent scholar and jurist. He had served as Chief Justice of India between 1968 and 1980 and achieved a blemish-free reputation. With Varahagiri Venkata Giri’s resignation as acting president, he took over the position as the next acting president of India until the presidential elections were conducted.
Political Belonging: Independent.
6. V. V. Giri:
In-Office: 24th August 1969 to 24th August 1974
V V Giri had served as First High Commissioner of India to Ceylon, which now later Sri Lanka between 1947 and 1951. He also served as
- Governor of Uttar Pradesh between 1956 and 1960
- Kerala Governor between 1960 and 1965
- Governor of Karnataka between 1967 and 1969 before serving as Vice President and then President.
Political Belonging: Independent.
7. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed:
In-Office: 24th August 1974 to 11th February 1977
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was a minister before being elected as Indian President. His tenure was the most controversial since a state of emergency had been announced across the nation. Elections and other civil freedoms along with the freedom of the press held back at this time and Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister assumed ungovernable authority.
Political Belonging: Indian National Congress.
8. Basappa Danappa Jatti – Acting President:
Term: 11th Feb 1977 to 25th July 1977
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was the 2nd President to lose life in the office and Basappa Danappa Jatti, the Vice President was elected as the Acting President. He earlier served as Chief Minister of Mysore State.
9. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy:
In-Office: 25th July 1977 to 25th July 1982
NS Reedy was another popular freedom fighter and an inspirational revolutionist from South India. Initially, he was a member of the Indian National Congress. He worked as Union Minister under Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. He served as the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh State and also worked as Speaker of Lok Sabha. In the year 1975, he joined in Janata Party and by the year 1977, he was elected as Indian President.
Political Belonging: Janata Party
10. Giani Zail Singh:
In-Office: 25th July 1982 to 25th July 1987
Giani Zail Singh is a leading politician who belongs to the Indian National Congress. He served as the Home Minister and held various ministerial positions before becoming a President. His tenure was also one of the most controversial political periods marked clearly by Operation Blue Star.
Political Belonging: Indian National Congress
11. Ramaswamy Venkataraman:
In-Office: 25th July 1987 to 25th July 1992
Ramaswamy Venkataraman was an eminent freedom fighter who later became a member of Congress Party and became Lok Sabha Member for 4 times. After serving as Defence Minister and Minister of Finance, he elected as the Vice President. Later, he became the Indian President.
Political Belonging: Indian National Congress
12. Shankar Dayal Sharma:
In-Office: 25th July 1992 to 25th July 1997
Shankar Dayal Sharma was another great politician of the Indian National Congress Party who had served as CM of Bhopal between 1952 and 1956. He also served as Cabinet Minister twice between 1956 and 1967 and again between 1972 and 1974. In 1992, he elected as Indian President. His commitment to the “rule of law” has greatly appreciated.
Political Belonging: Indian National Congress
13. Kocheril Raman Narayanan:
In-Office: 25th July 1997 to 25th July 2002
He was known as the eminent political leader and an accomplished scholar. As an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, he had been Ambassador of India to several countries including Japan, the USA, the UK, Turkey, and China. He very often referred, as “the best diplomat of the country”. Subsequently, he served as a cabinet Minister being a Lok Sabha Member.
In the year 1997, he elected as the first Dalit President of India. For his dedication and involvement in the Government, he often called “working president”.
Political Belonging: Independent.
14. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam:
In-Office: 25th July 2002 to 25th July 2007
Abdul Kalam is well known among the Indian Presidents. He an eminent scientist, he was well known as an architect of India’s nuclear missile program. The younger generation has inspired by him of the nation to foster (encourage) values and education. He receives Bharat Ratna and he called as the “People’s President”. There are many Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Achievements and Awards
Political Belonging: Independent.
15. Pratibha Patil:
In-Office: 25th July 2007 to 25th July 2012
Pratibha Patil the first woman and the only woman to elect as India’s President. She had worked as Governor of Rajasthan State between 2004 and 2007.
Political Belonging: Indian National Congress
16. Pranab Mukherjee:
In Office: 25th July 2012 to 25th July 2017
Pranab Mukherjee is a senior politician who belongs to the Indian National Congress Party. Between 1980 and 1985, he served as the leader of Rajya Sabha, and between 2004 and 2006, he served as Defence Minister, between 2009 and 2012, he served as Minister of External Affairs and between 2009 and 2012, he served as India’s Finance Minister.
Political Belonging: Indian National Congress
17. Ram Nath Kovind – Incumbent President
He is the 14th and existing Indian President. On 25th July 2017, he assumed the office. From 1994 to 2006, he served as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, and from 2015 to 2017, he served as 35th Governor of Bihar. The 2nd Dalit to become the Indian President. He worked as a lawyer for sixteen years and practiced at Delhi High court till 1993.
Political Belonging: Bharatiya Janata Party
Important Details of Indian Presidents
- India Official Website: https://www.india.gov.in
- Facebook of India: https://www.facebook.com/NationalPortalIndia
- India Twitter: https://twitter.com/indiagovin
- Republic of India Support Mail: indiaportal@gov.in
- Governor of India: Sri Raghuram Rajan
- President of India: Sri Ram Nath Kovind
- Prime Minister of India: Sri Narendra Modi