President of India 1950 to 2024 - Know All 15 Presidents of India with their tenures in chronological order

The presidency of India has been occupied by eighteen individuals since the country gained its independence in 1947. However, only 15 of them are elected. Three served as acting presidents. The office of President of India is the constitutional equivalent of a head of state. He is also the nominal commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces, and the chairman of the executive council of India.

Article 52 of the Indian constitution states that there should be a president of India. The term of office is five years from the date on which he or she enters office. He/ She is elected by an Electoral College consisting of members of both houses of Parliament and elected members of State legislatures. If you are preparing for any government job exam you should know the Presidents of India List From 1950 to 2024.

President of India in the Indian Constitution – Constitutional Provision for Indian President

Articles 52 to 62 of the Indian Constitution are the articles that define the President of India. The primary role of the President is to act as a ceremonial head of India and to exercise executive power in the country. However, the President’s role is not limited to this. They also have the power to speak in Parliament, sign bills into law, and declare war. Given below is the list of Articles that you should note down along with the list of Indian Presidents from 1950 to present because these articles are also important for exams.

Article 52 – There shall be a president of India
Article 53 – The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President. These powers should be exercised by him directly or through subordinates under him.
Article 54 – Election of President.
Article 55 – Manner of the election of President
Article 56 – Term of Office of President
Article 57 – Eligibility for Re-Election of President
Article 58 – Qualification For Election As President
Article 59 – Conditions of President’s Office
Article 60 – Oath or Affirmation by the President
Article 61 – Procedure for Impeachment of the President
Article 62 – Time of holding election to fill a vacancy in the office of president and term of office or person elected to fill casual vacancy.

Presidents of India List from 1950 to 2024

One of the most important things for a government job aspirant to know is the list of all the presidents of India. This list is important because it helps you understand how democracy works. It also helps them in knowing about the current situation of the country and its future.

Name of the President	Tenure	Interesting Facts by the president
Dr. Rajendra Prasad	26th January 1950 to 13th May 1962	First President of India
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan	13th May 1962 to 13th May 1967	2nd President of India. Teacher’s day is celebrated to commemorate his birthday
Dr. Zakir Husain	13th May 1967 to 3rd May 1969	First Muslim President of India
Varahagiri Venkata Giri (VV Giri)	3rd May 1969 to 20th July 1969	1st Acting President of India after the death of Dr. Zakir Hussain
Mohammad Hidayatullah	20th July 1969 to 24th August 1969	Served as acting President of India till the election of VV Giri
V.V. Giri	24th August 1969 to 24th August 1974	Only President elected as an Independent candidate
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed	24th August 1974 to 11th February 1977	2nd President of India died while working at the post of President
Basappa Danappa Jatti	11th February 1977 to 25th July 1977	Former Chief Minister of Mysore served as the president of India after the death of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy	25th July 1977 to 25th July 1982	The only president of India who was elected unopposed
Giani Zail Singh	25th July 1982 to 25th July 1987	First Sikh president of India
Ramaswamy Venkataraman	25th July 1987 to 25th July 1992	He was a receiver of “Tamra Patra” for his contributions to India’s freedom struggle
Shankar Dayal Sharma	25th July 1992 to 25th July 1997
KR Narayanan	25th July 1997 to 25th July 2002	First Dalit President of India
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam	25th July 2002 to 25th July 2007	First Scientist to become the president of India
Pratibha Patil	25th July 2007 to 25th July 2012	First Women President of India
Pranab Mukherjee	25th July 2012 to 25th July 2017
Ram Nath Kovind	25th July 2017 to 25th July 2022	Governor of Bihar
Draupadi Murmu	25th July 2022 to Present	First Tribal Woman to become the President of India

Also Read: Prime Minister of India

Details of All Elected Presidents of India From 1950 to Present

Dr. Rajendra Prasad – 26th January 1950 to 13th May 1962

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first president of India, and he was a great man who made a lasting impact on the country. He was born in a small village in Bihar in 1984. He was also a true patriot, and fought for India’s independence from British rule. Dr. Prasad is a symbol of pride for all Indians and a man who is admired for his achievements in both life and politics.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan – 13th May 1962 to 13th May 1967

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first Vice President of India and the second President of India. He was also a renowned philosopher, statesman, and writer. Teacher’s Day is celebrated in India on his Birthday. He was born in 1888 and died in 1975. His writings and speeches have had a significant impact on India’s freedom struggle and its independence from British rule. He also represented India at UNESCO from 1946 to 1952

Dr. Zakir Husain – 13th May 1967 to 3rd May 1969

Born into an Afridi Pashtun family in Hyderabad, Dr. Zakir Husain was the 3rd President of India. Before being elected as the president, he was the Governor of Bihar from 1957 to 1962. He is the first Indian president to die in office. His Mazar is in the campus of the Jamia Milia Islamia in Delhi. He became vice-chancellor of the Jamia Milia Islamia University at the age of 29.

V.V. Giri – 24th August 1969 to 24th August 1974

Varahagiri Venkata Giri or V.V. Giri was a political activist who became the 4th President of India. Born in Berhampur, Madras Presidency, V.V. Giri also served as the Governor of Kerala from 1960 to 1965. He got Bharat Ratna (India’s highest civilian award) in the year 1975 for his contribution to the area of public affairs.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed – 24th August 1974 to 11th February 1977

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was a Muslim scholar and politician who served as the fourth President of India. He is known for imposing the Emergency in August 1975. Please note that he was the 2nd Muslim president of India and 2nd president to die in office after Dr. Zakir Husain. In the year 2013, the Bangladesh government conferred him with the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour to recognise his role in helping Bangladesh win its independence.

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy – 25th July 1977 to 25th July 1982

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was the 6th President of the Republic of India. He was born in the village of present-day Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, on 19th May, 1913. Prior to becoming the president of India, he was a Union Minister. He was the first Chief Minister of United Andhra Pradesh and a two-time speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Check: Prime Minister and Presidents of all Countries

Giani Zail Singh – 25th July 1982 to 25th July 1987

Giani Zail Singh was a Sikh leader who served as the President of India from 1982 to 1987. He was born in 1916 in a small village called Sandhwan, Punjab, India. He was also the chief minister of Punjab from 1972 to 1977. Giani Zail Singh was a lifelong advocate for peace and justice.

Ramaswamy Venkataraman – 25th July 1987 to 25th July 1992

Born in the year 1910, Ramaswamy Venkataraman was a lawyer and 8th president of India. He was born in Rajamadam village in Tanjore district, Madras Presidency. He started to join Indian Freedom Movements at a young age. He was also a member of the constituent assembly that drafted the constitution of India. Venkataraman also served as minister under K. Kamaraj and M. Bhaktavatsalam.

Shankar Dayal Sharma – 25th July 1992 to 25th July 1997

Shankar Dayal Sharma was a famous lawyer who went on to become the 9th president of India. He was born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and got a doctorate in constitutional law from the University of Cambridge. Before getting the presidency, he served as governor of Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Maharashtra. During his tenure, he worked with 4 prime ministers.

KR Narayanan – 25th July 1997 to 25th July 2002

Born in Uzhavoor village of Kottayam district, Kerala was the first Dalit president of India. He was from the Indian Foreign Service and worked as a diplomat in Tokyo, London, Rangoon, Hanoi, and Canberra. You should also note that he was the president of India when the Kargil war broke out. He was also the 1st Indian president to vote when in office during the general election of 1998.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam – 25th July 2002 to 25th July 2007

Dr. Abdul Kalam was born in 1931 in Tamil Nadu, He was a teacher and scientist who went on to become the eleventh President of India. He was also the founder of India’s premier missile research centre, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Dr. Kalam was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1997. He was known for his simple living and high ethical standards. Dr. Kalam passed away in 2015 due to cardiac arrest.

Pratibha Patil – 25th July 2007 to 25th July 2012

Pratibha Patil was born on November 19, 1934, in the village of Jalgaon, Maharashtra. She was the first woman to be elected as President of India and served from 2007 to 2012. In 1991, she became a member of the Lok Sabha. She has served as the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, and Director of the National Federation of Urban Co-operative Banks and Credit Societies.

Pranab Mukherjee – 25th July 2012 to 25th July 2017

Dr. Pranab Mukherjee served as the president of India from 2012 to 2017. Mukherjee entered politics in 1969 when got elected to Rajya Sabha. He was one of the most prominent members of the Indian National Congress. Before becoming the president, he was Union Finance Minister from 2009 to 2012. He got the Bharat Ratna Award in 2019.

Ram Nath Kovind – 25th July 2017 to 25th July 2022

Ram Nath Kovind, born in 1945, is the 14th President of India. Kovind is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was the governor of Uttar Pradesh from 2015 to 2017. He became president on July 25, 2017. Kovind’s father was a local vaidya and his mother was a homemaker. Kovind is also a lawyer by profession.

Draupadi Murmu – 25th July 2022 to Present

Draupadi Murmu is the current president of India. Her life has been full of challenges and achievements, including being a mother to three children, 2 sons and 1 daughter. Her husband, sons, brother, and mother died just in a span of 7 years. She has the honour of being the first tribal woman to become the president of India.