<Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> Name ( birth -- death ) </Th> <Th> Photograph </Th> <Th> Elected </Th> <Th> Took office </Th> <Th> Left office </Th> <Th> Term ( in months ) </Th> <Th> Vice President </Th> <Th colspan="2"> Candidate of </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Rajendra Prasad ( 1884 -- 1963 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1952 1957 </Td> <Td> 26 January 1950 </Td> <Td> 12 May 1962 </Td> <Td> 120 </Td> <Td> Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Prasad , from Bihar , was the first President of independent India and also the longest - serving President , as the only president to serve two terms in office . He was also a freedom fighter during the Indian independence movement . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan ( 1888 -- 1975 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1962 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1967 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> Zakir Husain </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Radhakrishnan was a prominent philosopher and writer and also held the position of vice-chancellor of the Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University . He received the Bharat Ratna award in 1954 before becoming the President . He was the first President from South India . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Zakir Husain ( 1897 -- 1969 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 1967 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1967 </Td> <Td> 3 May 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Varahagiri Venkata Giri </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Husain was vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University and a recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna . He died in office , the first to do so . He was also the shortest - serving President . He was also the first Muslim President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> -- </Th> <Td> Varahagiri Venkata Giri ( 1894 -- 1980 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 3 May 1969 </Td> <Td> 20 July 1969 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> He was elected Vice President of India in 1967 . Following the death of President Zakir Husain , Giri was appointed as Acting President . He resigned after a few months to take part in the presidential elections . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> -- </Th> <Td> Mohammad Hidayatullah ( 1905 -- 1992 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 20 July 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1969 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> Hidayatullah served as the Chief Justice of India and was also a recipient of the Order of the British Empire . He served as Acting President until the election of Giri as the President of India . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Varahagiri Venkata Giri ( 1894 -- 1980 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1974 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> Gopal Swarup Pathak </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Giri was the first person to have served as both an acting president and president of India . He was a recipient of the Bharat Ratna , and served as Indian Minister of Labour and High Commissioner to Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ) . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed ( 1905 -- 1977 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 August 1974 </Td> <Td> 11 February 1977 </Td> <Td> 36 </Td> <Td> Gopal Swarup Pathak ( 1974 ) <P> Basappa Danappa Jatti ( 1974 -- 1977 ) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Ahmed served as a Minister before being elected as president . He died in 1977 before his term of office ended , and was the second Indian president to die in office . He was also president during Emergency . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> -- </Th> <Td> Basappa Danappa Jatti ( 1912 -- 2002 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 11 February 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1977 </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> Jatti was the vice president of India during Ahmed 's term of office , and was sworn in as Acting President upon Ahmed 's death . He earlier served as the Chief Minister for the State of Mysore State . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 6 </Th> <Td> Neelam Sanjiva Reddy ( 1913 -- 1996 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1982 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> Basappa Danappa Jatti ( 1977 -- 1979 ) <P> Mohammad Hidayatullah ( 1979 -- 1982 ) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Janata Party
<Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> Name ( birth -- death ) </Th> <Th> Photograph </Th> <Th> Elected </Th> <Th> Took office </Th> <Th> Left office </Th> <Th> Term ( in months ) </Th> <Th> Vice President </Th> <Th colspan="2"> Candidate of </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Rajendra Prasad ( 1884 -- 1963 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1952 1957 </Td> <Td> 26 January 1950 </Td> <Td> 12 May 1962 </Td> <Td> 120 </Td> <Td> Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Prasad , from Bihar , was the first President of independent India and also the longest - serving President , as the only president to serve two terms in office . He was also a freedom fighter during the Indian independence movement . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan ( 1888 -- 1975 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1962 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1967 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> Zakir Husain </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Radhakrishnan was a prominent philosopher and writer and also held the position of vice-chancellor of the Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University . He received the Bharat Ratna award in 1954 before becoming the President . He was the first President from South India . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Zakir Husain ( 1897 -- 1969 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 1967 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1967 </Td> <Td> 3 May 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Varahagiri Venkata Giri </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Husain was vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University and a recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna . He died in office , the first to do so . He was also the shortest - serving President . He was also the first Muslim President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> -- </Th> <Td> Varahagiri Venkata Giri ( 1894 -- 1980 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 3 May 1969 </Td> <Td> 20 July 1969 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> He was elected Vice President of India in 1967 . Following the death of President Zakir Husain , Giri was appointed as Acting President . He resigned after a few months to take part in the presidential elections . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> -- </Th> <Td> Mohammad Hidayatullah ( 1905 -- 1992 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 20 July 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1969 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> Hidayatullah served as the Chief Justice of India and was also a recipient of the Order of the British Empire . He served as Acting President until the election of Giri as the President of India . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Varahagiri Venkata Giri ( 1894 -- 1980 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1969 </Td> <Td> 24 August 1974 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> Gopal Swarup Pathak </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> <Td> Giri was the first person to have served as both an acting president and president of India . He was a recipient of the Bharat Ratna , and served as Indian Minister of Labour and High Commissioner to Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ) . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed ( 1905 -- 1977 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 August 1974 </Td> <Td> 11 February 1977 </Td> <Td> 36 </Td> <Td> Gopal Swarup Pathak ( 1974 ) <P> Basappa Danappa Jatti ( 1974 -- 1977 ) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> Ahmed served as a Minister before being elected as president . He died in 1977 before his term of office ended , and was the second Indian president to die in office . He was also president during Emergency . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> -- </Th> <Td> Basappa Danappa Jatti ( 1912 -- 2002 ) </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> 11 February 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1977 </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> Jatti was the vice president of India during Ahmed 's term of office , and was sworn in as Acting President upon Ahmed 's death . He earlier served as the Chief Minister for the State of Mysore State . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 6 </Th> <Td> Neelam Sanjiva Reddy ( 1913 -- 1996 ) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1977 </Td> <Td> 25 July 1982 </Td> <Td> 60 </Td> <Td> Basappa Danappa Jatti ( 1977 -- 1979 ) <P> Mohammad Hidayatullah ( 1979 -- 1982 ) </P> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Janata Party
who became the first president of free india
who became the first president of free india
Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad