India's Ninth President

NAME: Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma




BORN: August 19, 1918

DIED: December 26, 1999



PRESIDENCY: July 25, 1992 to July 25, 1997

Born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Sharma studied in St. John's College, Agra; Allahabad University; Lucknow University; Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University; Lincoln's Inn, London and Harvard Law School, USA. He taught Law at Cambridge University in 1946-47. While in Britain, Sharma took active interest in India's struggle for Independence, and later joined the Indian National Congress. After India became a Republic, Sharma took over as the Chief Minister of Bhopal in 1952 before the state of Madhya Pradesh was formed. He also occupied the posts of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra. Sharma was elected the Vice-President in 1987 and eventually the country's President in 1992. He is credited to have sworn in three prime ministers.