Updated on February, 2021
The President of India is the head of the state. He is elected by the members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) as well as of the Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan Sabha). The office period of the President is for a term of five years.
Eligibility
The qualifications one has to meet to be eligible to become a President are as follows;
- A citizen of India
- 35 years of age or above
- Qualified to become a member of the Lok Sabha
Duties and Power
- The primary duty of the President is to protect and defend the constitution and the law of India.
- He has the power to dissolve the Lok Sabha. Only when the President gives assent to a bill passed by the Parliament, can it become a law.
- The President appoints Governors of States, the Chief Justice, other judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts of India, the Chief Minister of National capital territory of Delhi, the Attorney General, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners,the Chairman and other Members of the Union Public Service Commission,etc.
- No money bill can be introduced in Parliament without President’s assent. The President is empowered with the powers to grant pardons (Article 72). The President can declare three types of emergencies: national, state, financial under articles 352, 356 & 360.
- The Chief Justice of India administers the President’s oath.
- The President may be removed before the expiry of the term through impeachment.
The 14th and current President is Ram Nath Kovind.
Here is the list of President of India till present
Name | Joined Office | Left Office | Political Party |
Dr. Rajendra Prasad | 26-Jan-1950 | 13-May-1962 | Indian National Congress |
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 13-May-1962 | 13-May-1967 | Independent |
Dr. Zakir Hussain | 13-May-1967 | 3-May-1969 | Independent |
Varahagiri Venkata Giri* | 3-May-1969 | 20-Jul-1969 | Independent |
Muhammad Hidayatullah* | 20-Jul-1969 | 24-Aug-1969 | Independent |
Varahagiri Venkata Giri | 24-Aug-1969 | 24-Aug-1974 | Independent |
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 24-Aug-1974 | 11-Feb-1977 | Indian National Congress |
Basappa Danappa Jatti* | 11-Feb-1977 | 25-Jul-1977 | Independent |
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | 25-Jul-1977 | 25-Jul-1982 | Janata Party |
Giani Zail Singh | 25-Jul-1982 | 25-Jul-1987 | Indian National Congress |
Ramaswamy Venkataraman | 25-Jul-1987 | 25-Jul-1992 | Indian National Congress |
Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma | 25-Jul-1992 | 25-Jul-1997 | Indian National Congress |
Kocheril Raman Narayanan | 25-Jul-1997 | 25-Jul-2002 | Independent |
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | 25-Jul-2002 | 25-Jul-2007 | Independent |
Pratibha Patil | 25-Jul-2007 | 25 July 2012 | Indian National Congress |
Dr. Pranab Mukherjee | 25-Jul-2012 | Incumbent | Indian National Congress |
Ram Nath Kovind | 25 July 2017 | Incumbent | Bharatiya Janata Party |
*Acting President
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