Switzerland celebrates May 26th as Science India facts THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, JULY 31, 2017 Day, because back in 2006 APJ Abdul Kalam, 2 Prez Talks ex Indian President and the Missile man of Meet the 14 India visited the country. Hello Mr President 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 am Nath Kovind 1 Rajendra Prasad Excellent Order of the British Empire. merce, National Resources and Separate Revenue. (January 26, 1950- May 12, 1962) was sworn in as The first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad is a 4 Varahagiri Venkata Giri 10 Kocheril Raman Narayanan the 14th well known name in Indian history. He was not just a ( August 24, 1969- August 24, 1974) (July 25, 1997- July 25, 2002) President of political leader, but also a great freedom fighter and A Bharat Ratna awardee, VV Giri is the only person The first Dalit President, KR Narayanan was an edu- R played a pivotal role in the Indian freedom struggle. to have served both as an Acting President as well as cationist. He was also the first President to be elected India. The President, also Hailing from Bihar, he is the only President to have the President of the country. He also served as the In- from Kerela. KR Narayanan served as chancellor for known as Rashtrapati, is a served office for two terms, and remained in office dian Minister of Labour and High Commissioner many universities, including Vice- Chancellor of for 12 long years. to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Jawahar Lal Nehru University. He was also India’s Sanskrit neologism that ambassador to Thailand, Turkey, China and United translates into ‘Lord of the 2 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 5 Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed States of America. (May 13, 1962- May 13, 1967) (August 24, 1974- February 11, 1977) realm’. The head of state, A Bharat Ratna awardee, S Radhakrishnan was a The fifth President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed 11 APJ Abdul Kalam first citizen of India and the prominent philosopher and a writer, before he served served as a cabinet minister before being elected as (July 25, 2002- July 25, 2007) as the second President of independent India. He held the President. He became the second Indian President The ‘Missile Man of India,’ Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Commander-in-chief of many important positions in his career such as the to die in office after Zakir Husain. He also served as Abdul Kalam, better known as APJ Abdul Kalam was the Indian Armed Forces, is Vice Chancellor of Andhra University and Banaras the President during the Emergency in 1975-1977. the 11th President of India. Being a scientist and an a pivotal position in Indian Hindu University. The first south Indian president was administrator, he worked with country’s prestigious also made the Knight of the Golden Army of Angels * Basappa Danappa Jatti (Feb 11, 1977- July 25, 1977) organisations such as Indian Space Research Organi- politics. Since, the by Pope Paul VI. Basappa Danappa Jatti, the fifth vice-president of sation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Develop- introduction of the post in India was sworn in as the Acting President of India ment Organisation (DRDO) as an aerospace engineer, 3 Zakir Husain after the sudden death of President Fakhruddin Ali prior to his presidency. He was the third Indian Pres- 1950, India has seen 13 (May 13, 1967- May 3, 1969) Ahmed. He also served as the ex-officio Chairman of ident to receive Bharat Ratna and the first bachelor to Presidents. Priya Arya, GT The first Muslim President, Zakir Husain was the Vice Rajya Sabha. reside in the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The United Nations Network, tells you about Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. Conferred recognized Dr. Kalam’s birthday as ‘World Student’s with prestigious honours like the Padma Vibhushana 6 Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Day’ in 2015. them all. and Bharat Ratna, he was the shortest-serving Presi- (July 25, 1977- July 25, 1982) dent. Husain was the first President to do die in office. The youngest President of India, Neelam Sanjiva 12 Pratibha Patil Reddy served as the CM of Andhra Pradesh and (July 25, 2007- July 25, 2012) *VV Giri (May 3 - July 20, 1969) speaker of Lok Sabha. He held both the positions The first woman President, Pratibha Patil held the po- Varahgiri Venkata Giri was appointed as the twice. Reddy is the only person to be elected to sition of Governor of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2007. Acting President, following the death of the office of the President of India, unopposed. She served in both the houses of Indian Parliament, President Zakir Husain in office. Before from Amravati constituency. 14 serving as the Acting President, he was 7 Giani Zail Singh elected as the Vice President of India in the (July 25, 1982- July 25, 1987) 13 Pranab Mukherjee year 1967. He resigned from his post of Giani Zail Singh was the only Sikh politician to (July 25, 2012- July 25, 2017) Acting President to take part in the take the President’s oath. He also served as the From Defence Minister to Union Finance Minister to presidential elections. Home Minister. His knowledge for Sikh doctrines President, Pranab Mukherjee has an illustrious polit- and philosophies from the holy book of Sikhs, ical career to his credit. Often described as ‘man for *Mohammad Hidayatullah Guru Granth Sahib earned him the title of ‘Giani’. all seasons,’ he was also the leader of Rajya Sabha (July 20, 1969- August 24, from 1980 to 1985. 1969) 8 Ramaswamy Venkatraman Md Hidayatullah served (July 25, 1987- July 25, 1992) 14 Ram Nath Kovind as the Acting President The 8th President of India R Venkatraman, was an (July 25, 2017) until the election of VV Indian lawyer, politician and a freedom fighter too. Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th and the recently elected Giri as the President of He was a part of the Quit India Movement. He has President of India served as the 35th Governor of India, while serving as several accolades to his credit, prime being ‘Tamra Bihar from 2015 to 2017, prior to his presidency. The the Chief Justice of Parta’ for his contributions in India’s freedom strug- second Dalit leader to be elected to office, he was a the India (CJI). The gle, ‘Soviet Land Prize’ from Russian govt. lawyer for 16 years and practiced in Delhi High Court first Muslim CJI, he and Supreme Court of India until 1993. Between received the Most 9 Shankar Dayal Sharma 1977-78, Kovind also served as the personal assistant (July 25, 1992- July 25, 1997) of Prime Minister of India, Morarji Desai. He has also Shankar Dayal Sharma served as the 8th served on the Board of Management of Dr BR vice-president of India before taking Ambedkar University, Lucknow and as on the Board the chair of the 9th President of India. of Governors of IIMs Calcutta. He held many pivotal positions in his career such as the Chief Minister of *Acting President: An acting president is a person Bhopal, a cabinet minister holding who temporarily fills the role of a the portfolios of Education, Law, country’s president when the substantive president Public Works, Industry and Com- is unavailable (such as by illness or a vacation) or when the post is vacant (such as for death, injury, resignation, dismissal). .