List of Presidents of India from 1950 to 2024

August 13, 2024

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

As India’s 15th president, Draupadi Murmu is the first indigenous woman to hold the top constitutional position in the nation. According to the support provided by different parties, Draupadi Murmu of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) held a significant advantage against Yashwant Sinha of the opposition right from the start. In this article, there is everything you need to know about the Presidents of India from 1950 to 2024.

In India, the Head of State is the President. They are referred to as the nation’s first citizens. According to Articles 52 and 53 of the Indian Constitution, the President of India shall be able to exercise all of the Union’s administrative functions directly or through officers who report to him.

The Constitution of India was ratified on November 26, 1949, and it went into effect on January 26, 1950. Rajendra Prasad served as India’s first president under its constitution.

President of India: Some Important Facts

Some information about the Indian President and previous Presidents of India who have served the nation is provided below. These facts frequently form the basis of questions in the nation’s top competitive exams.

  • The first President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad had the longest tenure. He served as President of the nation for two terms.
  • The third Indian President, Zakir Hussain, had the shortest tenure. He died while working in his office.
  • There were three interim Presidents in addition to the full-time Presidents shown in the table above. They were Basappa, Mohammad Hidayatullah, and Varahagiri Venkata Giri. Danappa Jatti
  • Neelam Sanjiva Reddy served as Andhra Pradesh’s first Chief Minister and was India’s youngest President.
  • The procedure outlined in Article 61 of the Indian Constitution must be followed if the President of India intends to resign.  In the event of the Indian President’s resignation, the President must provide the Vice President with a handwritten letter.
  • Members of the House of Parliament and elected representatives from the legislative bodies of the States and Union Territories vote to choose the President.

List of Presidents of India from 1950 to 2024

On November 26, 1949, India’s Constitution was ratified (it went into effect on January 26, 1950), and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was chosen to serve as the country’s first President of India under the new system.

The 14th President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, finished his term in July 2022. Even though he was qualified, he chose not to run for office again. As a result, the current Indian President, Draupadi Murmu was chosen by the electoral college to be the 15th President of India in July 2022. Read all about the Indian President List 1950 to 2024 below:

Complete Indian President List  1950 to 2024:

  • Rajendra Prasad
  • Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
  • Zakir Hussain
  • Varahagiri Venkata Giri
  • Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
  • Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
  • Zail Singh
  • Ramaswamy Venkataraman
  • Shankar Dayal Sharma
  • Kocheril Raman Narayanan
  • Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
  • Pratibha Patil
  • Pranab Mukherjee
  • Ram Nath Kovind
  • Draupadi Murmu

President of India’s Qualifications:

A single transferable vote is used in the proportional representation process to elect the President. The impeachment procedure allows for the removal of the President.

The following list are the requirements:

  • He ought to be a citizen of India.
  • He should be at least 35 years old.
  • He should meet the requirements to be elected as a Lok Sabha member.
  • He shouldn’t have any lucrative positions in federal, state, or public authorities.

About The Presidents:

  • Rajendra Prasad (May 13, 1952 – May 13, 1957) and (May 13 1957 – May 13 1962)
  • He was elected twice as the President
  • He was also the President of the constituent assembly before being elected to this post.

  • Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (May 13 1962 – May 13 1967)
  • Radhakrishnan was a prominent philosopher and writer.
  • He also held the vice-chancellor of the Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University.

  • Zakir Hussain (May 13 1967 – May 3 1969)
  • He was the recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna.
  • He was the shortest-serving President and passed away in office.

  • Varahagiri Venkata Giri (3 May 1969 – 20 July 1969) and (24 August 1969 – 24 August 1974)
  • He was elected Vice President of India in 1967.
  • He served as the President for a short term due to the sudden death of Zakir Hussain in office.

  • Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (August 24, 1974 – February 11 1977)
  • He was the President during the Emergency.
  • He was the second president who died in office.

  • Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (July 25, 1977 – July 25, 1982)
  • He was the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
  • He became the youngest President who occupied Rashtrapati Bhavan and contested twice for the post of President.

  • Zail Singh (July 25 1982 – July 25 1987)
  • He was the Chief Minister of Punjab and the Union Home Minister

  • Ramaswamy Venkataraman (July 25 1987 – July 25 1992)
  • He is a receiver of “Tamra Patra” for his contributions to India’s freedom struggle.

  • Shankar Dayal Sharma (July 25 1992 – July 25 1997)
  • He was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and the Indian Minister for Communications.

  • Kocheril Raman Narayanan (July 25 1997 – July 25 2002)
  • He served as India’s ambassador to Thailand, Turkey, China and the United States of America.

  • Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (July 25 2002 – July 25 2007)
  • He led the development of India’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
  • He was also a Bharat Ratna recipient.

  • Pratibha Patil (25 July 2007 – 25 July 2012)
  • She was the first woman president of India.

  • Pranab Mukherjee (July 25 – July 25 2017)
  • He was awarded the best Parliamentary Award in 1997.
  • He also received Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

  • Ram Nath Kovind (July 25 2017 – July 25 2022)
  • He served as the Governor of Bihar.

  • Draupadi Murmu (current )
  • She is currently serving the country as the President of India.

Powers and Duties of the President of India:

Section I (The Executive) of Part V (The Union) of the Constitution contains information on the requirements, election, and removal of the President of India. That is, the Union Executive is covered by Articles 52 to 78 of Part V of the Constitution. The executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government in India are all headed by the president.

The President takes office on a day of appointment and serves for five years. He may, however, leave his position at any moment by sending a letter of resignation to the Vice-President. Furthermore, the procedure of impeachment may be used to remove him from office before the end of his term. The President may continue in office after his five-year term has ended until his replacement takes over. He is qualified to run for the position again.

The members of both Houses of Parliament, the state legislative assemblies, the union territories of Delhi and others, as well as the elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states are all chosen by the Electoral College to elect the Indian President.

Conclusion

Hence, this is the list of Presidents of India from 1947 to 2024. Take a look at the articles above to enhance your knowledge of the same. To know more official information, Read Former Presidents of India | President of India

To check out the list of India Prime Ministers, Click Here

Recommended reading:

List of famous personalities of India

UNESCO World Heritage Site India: A comprehensive list

Republic Day and Independence Day: Path to Freedom

List of Governor General of India

List of Chief Justice of India (1950-2023)

Frequently asked questions :

Who was the first woman President of India?

Pratibha Devisingh Patil was the first woman president of India. On July 25, 2007, Patil took the oath of office as India’s first female President. She is India’s 12th president. She holds this position for the first time as a woman and a Maharashtrian. The Indian Left and the ruling United Progressive Alliance both nominated Patil, a member of the Indian National Congress. She was Rajasthan’s first female governor.

Who is the most extended President in India?

Dr Rajendra Prasad was the longest-serving President in India. Freedom fighter and congress leader Dr Rajendra prasad served as the President of India for 12 years from 1950 to 1962, and remains the country’s longest President. He was also the first president of India and remained the only President to date to complete two terms in office. He passed away on February 28, 1963, at age 78.

How many presidents are there in India in 2022?

Since 1950, after the adoption of Indian constitution and the proclaimation of India as republic, there have been 15 presidents of India. Draupadi Murmu is currently serving India as the President of the country.

Who is the youngest President of India?

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. Reddy received the support of all political parties, including the opposition Congress party. He became the President without a challenge, becoming the first and only President to do so. Until Draupadi Murmu’s selection as President in 2022, he was the youngest President of India at 64.