The President is the head of the State and the first citizen of India, and the supreme commander of the armed forces. The President is elected indirectly by an electoral college of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and of the legislative assemblies of the states and of Delhi and Puducherry, by proportional representation through the single transferable vote and secret ballot. The term is five years, and a President may be re-elected. Disputes about the election are decided only by the Supreme Court (Article 71).
Minimum age: 35 years (Article 58).
Removal: impeachment for "violation of the Constitution" (Article 61) — no President has ever been impeached.
Oath administered by the Chief Justice of India (Article 60).
Resignation letter goes to the Vice-President.
Quick check: Disputes about the election of the President are decided by:
The Supreme Court
The Election Commission
The Delhi High Court
Parliament
Answer: A.
1950–1962
Dr Rajendra Prasad
1st President
A lawyer from Bihar who gave up a flourishing practice for the freedom movement, President of the Constituent Assembly and India's first President. He is the only President to have served two full terms. His birthday, 3 December, is celebrated as Advocates' Day.
Only President elected twice (1952 and 1957).
Awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1962.
3 December, his birthday, is Advocates' Day.
Quick check: Which President of India served two full terms?
S. Radhakrishnan
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Pranab Mukherjee
Rajendra Prasad
Answer: D.
1962–1967
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
2nd President
A philosopher and the first Vice-President of India (1952–1962), he became the second President. His birthday, 5 September, is celebrated as Teachers' Day.
First Vice-President of India.
5 September is Teachers' Day.
Quick check: Who was the first Vice-President of India?
Zakir Husain
G.S. Pathak
S. Radhakrishnan
V.V. Giri
Answer: C.
1967–1969
Dr Zakir Husain
3rd President
An educationist who co-founded the Jamia Millia Islamia, he was the first Muslim President of India and the first President to die in office (3 May 1969).
First President to die in office.
Co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia.
Quick check: Who was the first President of India to die in office?
V.V. Giri
Zakir Husain
Rajendra Prasad
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Answer: B.
1969–1974
V.V. Giri
4th President
A trade unionist who had studied law in Dublin, V.V. Giri was acting President after Zakir Husain's death, resigned to contest the 1969 election as an independent, and won in a famous contest decided on second-preference votes, with Indira Gandhi's call for a "conscience vote".
The only President elected on second-preference votes.
Acting President in 1969 before resigning to contest.
Quick check: Which President was elected in 1969 on the counting of second-preference votes?
V.V. Giri
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Zakir Husain
N. Sanjiva Reddy
Answer: A.
58 more entries under this heading
Justice M. Hidayatullah as Acting President · The Chief Justice who became acting President
