List of Presidents of India (1950–2025)
India has had 15 individuals serve as President since the adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950. The President is the ceremonial head of state, elected indirectly by an Electoral College (MPs + MLAs) for a 5-year term (renewable once). No specific educational qualifications are required under the Constitution (Article 58), but the candidate must be an Indian citizen, 35+ years old, and eligible for Lok Sabha election. As on .1.11.2025
| No. | Name | Term | Party (at election) | Home State | Education Qualifications | Notable Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | Jan 26, 1950 – May 13, 1962 | Indian National Congress (INC) | Bihar | BA, MA, LLB (Calcutta University); PhD (Law) | First President; Only one to serve two full terms (12 years); Freedom fighter; Bharat Ratna (1962). |
| 2 | Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | May 13, 1962 – May 13, 1967 | Independent (supported by INC) | Tamil Nadu | BA, MA (Philosophy), Madras Christian College; D.Litt (Oxford) | Philosopher; Teachers’ Day (Sept 5) in his honor; Bharat Ratna (1954). |
| 3 | Dr. Zakir Husain | May 13, 1967 – May 3, 1969 | Independent (INC) | Uttar Pradesh | MA, PhD (Economics), Aligarh Muslim University; D.Litt (Berlin) | First Muslim President; Died in office (heart attack); Founded Jamia Millia Islamia. |
| – | V.V. Giri (Acting) | May 3 – Jul 20, 1969 | – | Odisha | – | Acting President after Zakir Husain’s death. |
| – | Justice M. Hidayatullah (Acting) | Jul 20 – Aug 24, 1969 | – | Maharashtra | – | Acting President; First (and only) Chief Justice to serve as acting President. |
| 4 | V.V. Giri | Aug 24, 1969 – Aug 24, 1974 | Independent | Odisha | BA, University College Dublin (Ireland) | First elected President (vs. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy); Resigned as VP to contest; Labor leader. |
| 5 | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | Aug 24, 1974 – Feb 11, 1977 | INC | Delhi | BA, St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge; Barrister (Inner Temple) | Signed Emergency proclamation (1975); Died in office (heart attack). |
| – | B.D. Jatti (Acting) | Feb 11 – Jul 25, 1977 | – | Karnataka | – | Acting President; Former Karnataka CM. |
| 6 | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | Jul 25, 1977 – Jul 25, 1982 | Janata Party | Andhra Pradesh | Intermediate (Government Arts College, Anantapur) | Youngest President (64); Only unopposed election; Former Lok Sabha Speaker. |
| 7 | Giani Zail Singh | Jul 25, 1982 – Jul 25, 1987 | INC | Punjab | Matriculation; Honorary DLitt (Punjabi University) | First Sikh President; Controversial during Operation Blue Star (1984). |
| 8 | R. Venkataraman | Jul 25, 1987 – Jul 25, 1992 | INC | Tamil Nadu | BA, MA (Economics), Loyola College; LLB (Law College, Madras) | Former Union Minister; Oversaw economic liberalization start. |
| 9 | Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma | Jul 25, 1992 – Jul 25, 1997 | INC | Madhya Pradesh | BA, MA, LLB (Allahabad University); PhD (Cambridge); Barrister (Lincoln’s Inn) | Freedom fighter; Former MP Governor. |
| 10 | K.R. Narayanan | Jul 25, 1997 – Jul 25, 2002 | INC (supported by Left) | Kerala | BA (English), Travancore University; MA (English), Kerala University; BSc (Economics), LSE | First Dalit President; Diplomat; Criticized communalism. |
| 11 | Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | Jul 25, 2002 – Jul 25, 2007 | Independent (supported by NDA) | Tamil Nadu | BSc (Physics), St. Joseph’s College; Aeronautical Engineering (MIT, Chennai) | “Missile Man”; People’s President; Youth icon; Bharat Ratna (1997). |
| 12 | Pratibha Patil | Jul 25, 2007 – Jul 25, 2012 | INC (UPA) | Maharashtra | BA, MA (Economics), Mooljee Jetha College; LLB (Government Law College, Mumbai) | First woman President; Former Rajasthan Governor. |
| 13 | Pranab Mukherjee | Jul 25, 2012 – Jul 25, 2017 | INC (UPA) | West Bengal | MA (History, Political Science), Calcutta University; LLB; Honorary D.Litt | Former Finance Minister; Bharat Ratna (2019); Authored several books. |
| 14 | Ram Nath Kovind | Jul 25, 2017 – Jul 25, 2022 | BJP (NDA) | Uttar Pradesh | B.Com, LLB (Kanpur University) | Second Dalit President; Former Bihar Governor; Focused on tribal welfare. |
| 15 | Droupadi Murmu (Current) | Jul 25, 2022 – Present | BJP (NDA) | Odisha | BA (Education), Rama Devi Women’s College, Bhubaneswar | First tribal President; Second woman; Former Jharkhand Governor; Santhali roots. |
