<P> Under the Constitution, of the Republic of India, the President replaced the Monarch as ceremonial head of state . The President was elected by the Electoral College for a five - year term . In the event of a vacancy the Vice-President served as Acting President . </P> <Dl> <Dt> Status </Dt> </Dl> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> President (Birth--Death) </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Tenure </Th> <Th> Elected </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Political affiliation (at time of appointment) </Th> <Th> Prime Minister </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Took office </Th> <Th> Left office </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Rajendra Prasad (1884--1963) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 26 January 1950 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1962 </Td> <Td> 1952 1957 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Nehru </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888--1975) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 May 1962 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1967 </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Nehru Nanda Shastri Nanda Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Zakir Husain (1897--1969) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 May 1967 </Td> <Td> 3 May 1969 (died in office .) </Td> <Td> 1967 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> V.V. Giri (1894--1980) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 3 May 1969 </Td> <Td> 20 July 1969 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Mohammad Hidayatullah (1905--1992) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 20 July 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1969 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> V.V. Giri (1894--1980) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 August 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1974 </Td> <Td> 1969 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 5 </Th> <Th> Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905--1977) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 August 1974 </Td> <Td> 11 February 1977 (died in office .) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> B.D. Jatti (1912--2002) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11 February 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1977 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Gandhi Desai </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 6 </Th> <Th> Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1913--1996) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1982 </Td> <Td> 1977 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Janata Party </Td> <Td> Desai Singh Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 7 </Th> <Th> Giani Zail Singh (1916--1994) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 1982 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1987 </Td> <Td> 1982 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Gandhi Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 8 </Th> <Th> R. Venkataraman (1910--2009) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 1987 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1992 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Gandhi Singh Shekhar Rao </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 9 </Th> <Th> Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918--1999) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 1992 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1997 </Td> <Td> 1992 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Rao Vajpayee Deve Gowda Gujral </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 10 </Th> <Th> K.R. Narayanan (1920--2005) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 1997 </Td> <Td> 25 July 2002 </Td> <Td> 1997 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Gujral Vajpayee </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 11 </Th> <Th> A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931--2015) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 2002 </Td> <Td> 25 July 2007 </Td> <Td> 2002 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Vajpayee Singh </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 12 </Th> <Th> Pratibha Patil (1934--) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 2007 </Td> <Td> 25 July 2012 </Td> <Td> 2007 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Singh </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 13 </Th> <Th> Pranab Mukherjee (1935--) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 2012 </Td> <Td> 25 July 2017 </Td> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Singh Modi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 13 </Th> <Th> Ram Nath Kovind (1945--) </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 July 2017 </Td> <Td> Incumbent </Td> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Bharatiya Janata Party </Td> <Td> Modi </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> President (Birth--Death) </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Tenure </Th> <Th> Elected </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Political affiliation (at time of appointment) </Th> <Th> Prime Minister </Th> </Tr>

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