List of Presidents of India from 1950 to 2024

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Get here the list of presidents of India from 1950 to 2024 with their terms, qualifications, and other professions.

When India became a republic nation on 26 January 1950 and the Constitution came into force, the office of the President was created. The President of India is the head of state of the Republic of India and is considered the country’s first citizen. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces.

According to Article 53 of the Constitution of India, the President can exercise his powers either directly or by a subordinate authority. But they have been given some exceptions. Due to this, the Prime Minister will exercise all the executive powers of the President. The President always acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of both the Houses of the Parliament of India and the Legislative Assemblies of each of the states and territories of India.

When India became a republic country in 1950, Rajendra Prasad became the first President of the country. So far, 14 Presidents have held this post. Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th and current President, having assumed office on 25 July 2017. Here we have shared the list of presidents of India in which you will get to know about their names, terms, birthdates, and qualifications. Let’s find the complete list of presidents of India.

SL NoList of PresidentsFromToTerm in Office
1Rajendra Prasad26 January 195013 May 196212 years, 107 days
2Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan13 May 196213 May 19675 years, 0 days
3Zakir Husain13 May 19673 May 19691 year, 355 days
4V. V. Giri3 May 196920 July 196978 days (Acting President)
5Mohammad Hidayatullah20 July 196924 August 196935 days (Acting President)
6V. V. Giri24 August 196924 August 19745 years, 0 days
7Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed24 August 197411 February 19772 years, 171 days
8B. D. Jatti11 February 197725 July 1977164 days (Acting President)
9Neelam Sanjiva Reddy25 July 197725 July 19825 years, 0 days
10Zail Singh25 July 198225 July 19875 years, 0 days
11Ramaswamy Venkataraman25 July 198725 July 19925 years, 0 days
12Shankar Dayal Sharma25 July 199225 July 19975 years, 0 days
13K. R. Narayanan25 July 199725 July 20025 years, 0 days
14A. P. J. Abdul Kalam25 July 200225 July 20075 years, 0 days
15Pratibha Patil25 July 200725 July 20125 years, 0 days
16Pranab Mukherjee25 July 201225 July 20175 years, 0 days
17Ram Nath Kovind25 July 2017Present4 years, 287 days
List of Presidents in India

List of Presidents of India and their birthdays, profession & Qualification

1. Rajendra Prasad

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of independent India who supported Gandhiji in India’s freedom movement. He held the office for the longest time from 1950 to 1962.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of independent Ind
  • Presidency Term: 26 January 1950 to 13 May 1962
  • Birth Date: 3 December 1884
  • Birth Place: Ziradei, Siwan, Bihar.
  • Death: 28 February 1963
  • Qualification: M.A. in Economics, Masters in Law, Doctorate in Law
  • Other Profession: Indian independence activist, lawyer
  • Best Known for: The first president of India, Indian independence activist
  • Awards: Bharat Ratna

2. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as the second President of India from 1962 to 1967. Before becoming president, he was also the first Vice President of India from 1952 to 1962. His contribution to the defense of Hinduism from uninformed Western criticism is significant. Radhakrishnan believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”. Hence since 1962, his birthday “5th September” is celebrated as Teacher’s Day every year in India.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as the second President of India
  • Presidency Term: 13 May 1962 to 13 May 1967
  • Birth Date: 5 September 1888
  • Birth Place: Tiruttani, Madras district in the Madras Presidency (Now in Tamil Nadu)
  • Death: 17 April 1975
  • Qualification: Master in Philosophy
  • Other Profession: The first Vice-president of India, a Teacher
  • Best Known for: The first Vice-president of India, One of the Great teachers, 
  • Awards: Bharat Ratna

3. Zakir Husain

Zakir Husain was the third president of India who served 1 year and 355 days in office. He was also the first president of India to die in tenure.

Zakir Husain was the third president of India
  • Presidency Term: 13 May 1967 to 3 May 1969
  • Birth Date: 8 February 1897
  • Birth Place: Hyderabad, India
  • Death: May 3, 1969
  • Qualification: Doctorate in economics
  • Other Profession: Governor of Bihar (1957-62), Vice president of India (1962-67)
  • Awards: Bharat Ratna

4. V.V. Giri

Varahagiri Venkata Giri was succeeded as the Acting President for 78 days after the death of Dr. Zakir Hussain on 3 May 1969. But he had to leave this post on 20 July 1969 for the presidential election. After winning the presidential election, he again held the office of President for 5 years on 24 August 1969 and became the 4th president of India. He was the only President to be elected in the election, who won as an independent candidate.

Varahagiri Venkata Giri was the 4th president of India
  • Presidency Term: 3 May 1969 to 20 July 1969 (Acting President), 24 August 1969 to 24 August 1974 (Full Term)
  • Birth Date: 10 August 1894
  • Birth Place: Berhampur, Odisha
  • Death: 24 June 1980 (Due to heart attack)
  • Qualification: Barrister-at-Law, D. Litt., LL.D.
  • Other Profession: Vice President of India (1967-69), Governor of Karnataka (1965-67), Governor of Kerala (1960-65), Governor of Uttar Pradesh (1956-60)
  • Best Known for: Activist in labour movement
  • Awards: Bharat Ratna

5. Mohammad Hidayatullah

Mohammad Hidayatullah became the Acting President of India for 35 days when V. V. Giri (Who served as acting president due to the death of Zakir Husain) resigned to contest the Presidential elections. Again he was served as the acting president of India from 6 October 1982 to 31 October 1982 when president Zail Singh went to the U.S. for medical treatment.

Mohammad Hidayatullah became the Acting President of India for 35 days
  • Presidency Term: 20 July 1969 to 24 August 1969
  • Birth Date: 17 December 1905
  • Birth Place: Lucknow, City in Uttar Pradesh
  • Death: 18 September 1992 (Bombay, Maharashtra, India)
  • Qualification: B.A., M.A., LL.D. (Honoris Causa), D. Litt. (Honoris Causa), gold medalist
  • Other Profession: 11th Chief Justice of India, 6th Vice President of India, Chief Justice, Barrister-at-Law

6. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was the 5th president and second Muslim President of India after Zakir Husain. He is also the second President of India to die in office tenure. He has served as the President for 2 years, 171 days.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was the 5th president and second Muslim President of India
  • Presidency Term: 24 August 1974 to 11 February 1977
  • Birth Date: 13 May 1905
  • Birth Place: Delhi, India
  • Death: 11 February 1977 due to a heart attack on his office while preparing to attend his daily Namaz prayer
  • Qualification: Lawyer
  • Other Profession: Lawyer
  • Awards: Doctorate by the University of Pristina

7. B. D. Jatti

After the death of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed in office, B. D. Jatti became the acting President of India and held office for 164 days from 11 February 1977 to 25 July 1977. Apart from this, he was the fifth Vice President of India serving from 1974 to 1979. He was always respected as a man who set an example of selfless service and always preferred value-based politics. He was said to be an ordinary man with extraordinary thinking.

B. D. Jatti became the acting President of India and held office for 164 days
  • Presidency Term: 11 February 1977 to 25 July 1977 as an acting president
  • Birth Date: 10 September 1912
  • Birth Place: Jamkhandi, Bijapur, Karnataka
  • Death: 7 June 2002
  • Qualification: Lawyer
  • Other Profession: Minister for Education of Jamkhandi, Dewan of Jamkhandi, Deputy Minister for Health and Labour in Bombay, Chief Minister of Mysore state, Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry, Governor of Odisha, Vice-President of India
  • Best Known for: Selfless Person

8. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy served as the sixth president of India from 1977 to 1982. He worked with three governments, Prime Ministers Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, and Indira Gandhi. Beginning a long political career with the Indian National Congress party in the independence movement, he held several key positions in independent India – as the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, twice Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and as a Union Minister.

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy served as the sixth president of India from 1977 to 1982
  • Presidency Term: 25 July 1977 to 25 July 1982
  • Birth Date: 19 May 1913
  • Birth Place:  Illur, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh
  • Death: 1 June 1996
  • Qualification: Honorary Doctor of Laws
  • Other Profession: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Congress President, Union Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha
  • Best Known for: Indian independence activist

9.  Zail Singh

Giani Zail Singh was the first Sikh to become the president of India. He was the seventh president of India and served from 1982 to 1987. He was unanimously nominated to serve as the President and was chosen the President by Indira Gandhi.

Giani Zail Singh was the first Sikh to become the president of India
  • Presidency Term: 25 July 1982 to 25 July 1987
  • Birth Date: 5 May 1916
  • Birth Place: Sandhwan, Punjab, India
  • Death: 25 December 1994 due to multiple injuries in a motor accident
  • Qualification: Learned about Guru Granth Sahib at Shaheed Sikh Missionary College in Amritsar
  • Other Profession: Minister of Agriculture, Chief Minister of Punjab

10. Ramaswamy Venkataraman

Ramaswamy Venkataraman served as the eighth president of India from 1987 to 1992. As an Indian independence activist, he participated in the Quit India Movement.

Ramaswamy Venkataraman served as the eighth president of India
  • Presidency term: 25 July 1987 to 25 July 1992
  • Birth Date: 4 December 1910
  • Birth Place: Rajamadam, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Death: 27 January 2009
  • Qualification: Master’s degree in economics, Doctorate of Law
  • Other Profession: Lawyer, Minister of Industries, Minister of Defence, Vice-President of India
  • Best Known for: Indian Freedom Fighter

11. Shankar Dayal Sharma

Shankar Dayal Sharma served as the ninth president of India from 1992 to 1997. Before being elected to become president, he served as the Vice President. He got 66% of the votes in the presidential election and became the President of India on 25 July 1992, defeating his opponent George Gilbert Swell.

Shankar Dayal Sharma served as the ninth president of India from 1992 to 1997
  • Presidency term: 25 July 1992 to 25 July 1997
  • Birth Date: 19 August 1918
  • Birth Place: Aamon, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
  • Death: 26 December 1999
  • Qualification: Doctorate in law
  • Other Profession: Chief Minister of Bhopal, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Governor of Punjab, Administrator of Chandigarh, Governor of Maharashtra, Vice President of India
  • Awards: Gold Medal for Social Service

12. K. R. Narayanan

K. R. Narayanan (Kocheril Raman Narayanan) served as the tenth president of India from 1997 to 2002. He was the first Dalit to occupy the office. He was elected President of India with the winning percentage of 95 of the votes of mainly upper-caste lawmakers. In his office, Narayanan expanded the role of the presidency. He played a key role in ending violence and corruption and improving international relations.

K. R. Narayanan (Kocheril Raman Narayanan) served as the tenth president of India
  • Presidency term: 25 July 1997 to 25 July 2002
  • Birth Date: 4 February 1921
  • Birth Place: Uzhavoor (Kottayam), Travancore, India
  • Death: 9 November 2005
  • Qualification: B. A. (Honors), M.A. in English literature, Bachelor of Science honors in Economics, specialization in political science
  • Other Profession: Journalist, Indian Ambassador to many countries, Vice President of India
  • Best Known for: the best diplomat in the country

13. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam comes first on the list of highly respected presidents of India, who is also known as the “People’s President”. He served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Now, India is a nuclear power country for his wonderful contribution to the field of science. He is known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missiles and launch vehicle technology.

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam comes first on the list of highly respected presidents of India
  • Presidency term: 25 July 2002 to 25 July 2007
  • Birth Date: 15 October 1931
  • Birth Place: Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Death: 27 July 2015 due to cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong.
  • Qualification: Graduation in physics, Aerospace Engineering 
  • Other Profession: Aerospace Scientist
  • Best Known for: Project director of India’s SLV-III launch, development of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests, Missile Man of India, People’s President, Greatest Indian
  • Awards: 7 honorary doctorates from 40 universities, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Von Braun Award, Bharat Ratna, and many recognitions

14. Pratibha Patil

Pratibha Patil served as the 12th president of India from 25 July 2007 to July 2012. She was the first and only female who served as the president of India.

Pratibha Patil served as the 12th president of India
  • Presidency term: 25 July 2007 to 25 July 2012
  • Birth Date: 19 December 1934
  • Birth Place: Chalisgaon, Maharashtra, India
  • Qualification: Master’s degree in Political Science and Economics, Bachelor of Law degree
  • Other Profession: Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Governor of Rajasthan

15. Pranab Mukherjee

Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, was a senior leader in the National Congress in his political career spanning five decades and served on several ministerial portfolios in the Government of India. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2019.

Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, was a senior leader in the National Congress
  • Presidency term: 25 July 2012 to 25 July 2017
  • Birth Date: 11 December 1935
  • Birth Place: Mirati, Birbhum, West Bengal, India
  • Death: 31 August 2020
  • Qualification: MA degree in political science and history, LL.B.
  • Other Profession: Upper-division Clerk, Lecturer of Political Science, Journalist, Leader of the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Leader of the Lok Sabha, Minister of External Affairs, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance
  • Awards: Padma Vibhushan, Bharat Ratna

16. Ram Nath Kovind

Ram Nath Kovind was the 14th President of India (25 July 2017 – 25 July 2022). Before entering politics, he was a lawyer for 16 years and practiced in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India till 1993. He was a Rajya Sabha MP from 1994 to 2006 and served as the Governor of Bihar from 2015 to 2017.

Ram Nath Kovind is now the 14th and current President of India
  • Presidency term: 25 July 2017 to 25 July 2022
  • Birth Date: 1 October 1945
  • Birth Place: Paraunkh, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in commerce, LLB
  • Other Profession: Rajya Sabha MP, Governor of Bihar

17. Smt. Droupadi Murmu

Smt. Droupadi Murmu is the current President of India, holding the office since July 25, 2022. Her journey to the highest office in India is an inspiring story of resilience, dedication, and a commitment to public service. Her historic election represents a significant step towards greater diversity and inclusivity in Indian politics and her tenure as President is promising to leave a lasting impact on the nation.

  • Presidency term: 25 July 2022 to present
  • Birth Date: 20 June 1958
  • Birth Place: Uparbeda, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India
  • Qualification: Rama Devi Women’s University (BA)
  • Other Profession: Politician, teacher

Some Questions and Answers

Who is the first president of Independent India?

Dr. Rajesh Prasad is the first president of Independent India. He was in office from 26 January 1950 to 13 May 1962 for 12 years, 107 days.

Who is the longest-serving president of India?

Rajendra Prasad is the first and longest-serving President of India. He became the President for 12 years and 107 days.

Who is the shortest-serving President of India?

Zakir Husain is the shortest-serving President of India. He remained in the office for only 1 year 355 days. He died on 3 May 1969 while in office.

How many presidents have completed five years term?

11 Presidents of India have completed their five-year terms. This list includes Rajendra Prasad, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, V. V. Giri, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Zail Singh, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K. R. Narayanan, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil, and Pranab Mukherjee. Now Ramnath Kovind is about to complete his five years term.

What is the meaning of acting president?

An acting president is a person who temporarily fills the role of president of a country when the current holding president is unavailable due to some incident. The incident such as on account of illness or leave or when the post is vacant such as for death, injury, resignation, dismissal.

Who has served as the Acting President of India?

V. V. Giri, Mohammad Hidayatullah, and B. D. Jatti have held position as acting presidents. After the death of Zakir Husain on 3 May 1969, V. V. Giri served as the acting President from 3 May 1969 to 20 July 1969. After the resignation of V. V. Giri on 20 July 1969 to contest the presidential election, Mohammad Hidayatullah became the acting President for 35 days from 20 July 1969 to 24 August 1969. He again served as the Acting President of India from 6 October 1982 to 31 October 1982 when President Zail Singh visited the US for medical treatment. After the death of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the President of India on 11 February 1977, B. D. Jatti served as the acting President of India for 164 days from 11 February to 25 July 1977.

Who is the most popular and highly respected President of India?

Every President is a respected person in the country. He is the first citizen of the country. Apart from this, the name of the people who like and love the most is A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. He was the President of India, who is also called the People’s President.

Who is the first female president of India?

Pratibha Patil is the only and first female president of India. She held the presidency for five years from 25 July 2007 to 25 July 2012.

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