BharatNotes Current President (as of April 2026)
Smt. Droupadi Murmu — 15th President of India. Sworn in on 25 July 2022. She is the first person from a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and the second woman to hold the office. She is also the first President born in independent India and the youngest person to assume the office (aged 64 at inauguration).
Constitutional Framework — Key Articles
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 52 | There shall be a President of India |
| 53 | Executive power of the Union vested in the President |
| 54 | Election of the President by an electoral college |
| 55 | Manner of election — proportional representation by single transferable vote, secret ballot |
| 56 | Term of office — 5 years from date of assuming office |
| 57 | Eligible for re-election (no bar on number of terms) |
| 58 | Qualifications — citizen of India, aged 35+, qualified to be a Lok Sabha member, holds no office of profit |
| 59 | Conditions of office — no office of profit; official residence; emoluments |
| 60 | Oath or affirmation administered by Chief Justice of India (or senior-most SC judge) |
| 61 | Procedure for impeachment |
| 62 | Vacancy must be filled within 6 months |
| 71 | Disputes about presidential election decided by the Supreme Court |
| 72 | President's pardoning powers — pardon, commutation, remission, respite, reprieve |
Election of the President
Electoral College (Article 54)
The President is elected by an electoral college consisting of:
- Elected members of the Lok Sabha
- Elected members of the Rajya Sabha
- Elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan Sabhas)
- Elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of Delhi and Puducherry (added later)
Not included: Nominated members of Parliament, nominated members of State Legislatures, members of State Legislative Councils (Vidhan Parishads).
Voting Method (Article 55)
- Proportional representation by single transferable vote (STV)
- Secret ballot
- Electors mark preferences (1, 2, 3...) against candidate names
- Votes are transferred based on preferences until one candidate crosses 50% of valid votes
Vote Value Formula
- MLA vote value = (Total population of state / Total elected MLAs) × (1/1000)
- MP vote value = Total value of all MLA votes in India / Total elected MPs (LS + RS)
- Objective: parity between States collectively and the Union Parliament
Nomination Requirements
- At least 50 electors as proposers + 50 electors as seconders
- Security deposit: ₹15,000
Impeachment (Article 61)
| Stage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Notice | Resolution signed by at least 1/4th of total members of the initiating House; 14 days' notice |
| Passing the charge | 2/3rd majority of total membership of the initiating House (not just those present and voting) |
| Investigation | Other House investigates; President has the right to appear and be represented |
| Removal | Other House passes the charge by 2/3rd majority of its total membership — President removed from that date |
Ground: Violation of the Constitution (only ground). No President of India has ever been impeached.
Exam trap: The majority is of total membership, not of those present and voting — this is stricter than a simple majority.
Pardoning Powers (Article 72)
| Power | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pardon | Complete absolution — conviction and sentence both wiped out |
| Commutation | Substitution of punishment type with a lighter form (e.g., death → life imprisonment) |
| Remission | Reduction in the duration of sentence; character of punishment unchanged |
| Respite | Award of a lesser sentence on special grounds (pregnancy, disability, age) |
| Reprieve | Temporary suspension of sentence, especially death sentence, pending appeal or mercy petition |
Mnemonic: PC-RRR — Pardon, Commutation, Remission, Respite, Reprieve
Key distinction from Governor (Article 161): The Governor cannot pardon death sentences and cannot pardon in Court Martial cases — the President can do both.
The President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers and cannot exercise this power independently (Kehar Singh v. Union of India, 1989).
Complete List of Presidents of India (1950–Present)
| # | Name | Tenure | Party / Backing | State / Background | Notable Firsts / Key Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | 26 Jan 1950 – 13 May 1962 | INC | Bihar (Siwan) | First President; only President to serve two full terms (re-elected 1952 and 1957); lawyer, freedom fighter; also President of the Constituent Assembly |
| 2 | Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 13 May 1962 – 13 May 1967 | INC-backed | Tamil Nadu | Philosopher; former Vice-President; his birthday (5 September) is celebrated as Teachers' Day |
| 3 | Dr. Zakir Husain | 13 May 1967 – 3 May 1969 | INC-backed | Uttar Pradesh (Hyderabad) | First Muslim President; first President to die in office (died 3 May 1969 of cardiac arrest) |
| — | V.V. Giri (Acting) | 3 May 1969 – 20 Jul 1969 | — | — | Acting President as Vice-President after Zakir Husain's death; resigned to contest presidential election |
| — | Mohammad Hidayatullah (Acting) | 20 Jul 1969 – 24 Aug 1969 | — | — | Chief Justice of India; only CJI to serve as Acting President; also later served as Vice-President (1979–84) |
| 4 | V.V. Giri (Varahagiri Venkata Giri) | 24 Aug 1969 – 24 Aug 1974 | INC (Independent candidate, supported by Indira Gandhi) | Andhra Pradesh | Only person to serve as both Acting President and President; election was the first to go to second-preference vote counting; closely contested |
| 5 | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 24 Aug 1974 – 11 Feb 1977 | INC | Assam | Second Muslim President; second President to die in office (died 11 February 1977 of heart attack); signed the Proclamation of Emergency (June 1975) |
| — | B.D. Jatti (Acting) | 11 Feb 1977 – 25 Jul 1977 | — | Karnataka | Acting President as Vice-President after Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed's death |
| 6 | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | 25 Jul 1977 – 25 Jul 1982 | Janata Party | Andhra Pradesh (Illuru) | Only President elected unopposed (all other nominations rejected; election unnecessary); former Speaker of Lok Sabha; only Speaker to later become President |
| 7 | Giani Zail Singh | 25 Jul 1982 – 25 Jul 1987 | INC | Punjab (Faridkot) | First Sikh President; exercised Pocket Veto on the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill, 1986 |
| 8 | R. Venkataraman (Ramaswamy Venkataraman) | 25 Jul 1987 – 25 Jul 1992 | INC | Tamil Nadu | Former Finance Minister and Defence Minister; four different Prime Ministers were sworn in by him (Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar, P.V. Narasimha Rao) |
| 9 | Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma | 25 Jul 1992 – 25 Jul 1997 | INC | Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal) | Former Chief Minister of MP; Bharat Ratna awardee; also swore in H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral |
| 10 | K.R. Narayanan (Kocheril Raman Narayanan) | 25 Jul 1997 – 25 Jul 2002 | INC-backed (UPA backing) | Kerala (Uzhavoor) | First Dalit President (from Scheduled Caste community); former diplomat and Vice-President; exercised constitutional prerogative by sending Bihar dismissal for Cabinet reconsideration (1998) |
| 11 | Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam) | 25 Jul 2002 – 25 Jul 2007 | NDA (BJP-led) | Tamil Nadu (Rameswaram) | "People's President"; nuclear scientist and DRDO/ISRO contributor; "Missile Man of India"; Bharat Ratna (1997); only President to have been a scientist; won against Lakshmi Sahgal |
| 12 | Pratibha Patil | 25 Jul 2007 – 25 Jul 2012 | UPA (Congress-led) | Maharashtra (Jalgaon) | First woman President; former Governor of Rajasthan and Chief Minister of Maharashtra |
| 13 | Pranab Mukherjee | 25 Jul 2012 – 25 Jul 2017 | UPA (Congress) | West Bengal (Birbhum) | Veteran Congress politician; former Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister, Defence Minister; Bharat Ratna (2019) |
| 14 | Ram Nath Kovind | 25 Jul 2017 – 21 Jul 2022 | NDA (BJP-led) | Uttar Pradesh (Kanpur Dehat) | Second Dalit President (Scheduled Caste); former Governor of Bihar; defeated Meira Kumar |
| 15 | Droupadi Murmu | 25 Jul 2022 – present | NDA (BJP-led) | Odisha (Mayurbhanj) | First President from Scheduled Tribe (ST) community; first President born in independent India; youngest President at inauguration (aged 64); former Governor of Jharkhand; defeated Yashwant Sinha (22 Jul 2022 election result) |
Acting Presidents of India
| Name | Period | Reason | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| V.V. Giri | 3 May 1969 – 20 Jul 1969 | Death of President Zakir Husain | Vice-President |
| Mohammad Hidayatullah | 20 Jul 1969 – 24 Aug 1969 | V.V. Giri resigned as VP to contest presidential election | Chief Justice of India |
| B.D. Jatti (Basappa Danappa Jatti) | 11 Feb 1977 – 25 Jul 1977 | Death of President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | Vice-President |
| Mohammad Hidayatullah | 6 Oct 1982 – 31 Oct 1982 | President Zail Singh went abroad for medical treatment | Vice-President |
Constitutional basis for acting presidency: Under Article 65, the Vice-President discharges presidential functions when the President's office is vacant or the President is unable to discharge duties. If the VP is also unavailable, the Chief Justice of India (or senior-most SC judge available) acts as President.
Key "Firsts" — Exam Quick-Reference
| Category | President |
|---|---|
| First President | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Only President to serve two full terms | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| First Muslim President | Dr. Zakir Husain |
| Second Muslim President | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| First Sikh President | Giani Zail Singh |
| First Dalit (SC) President | K.R. Narayanan |
| Second Dalit (SC) President | Ram Nath Kovind |
| First Woman President | Pratibha Patil |
| First Tribal (ST) President | Droupadi Murmu |
| First President born in independent India | Droupadi Murmu |
| Youngest President at inauguration | Droupadi Murmu (age 64) |
| First scientist President | Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam |
| Only President elected unopposed | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Only person to serve as both Acting President and President | V.V. Giri |
| Only CJI to serve as Acting President | Mohammad Hidayatullah |
| Only Speaker to later become President | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| First President to die in office | Dr. Zakir Husain (3 May 1969) |
| Second President to die in office | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (11 Feb 1977) |
| "People's President" | Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam |
| Pocket Veto used by | Giani Zail Singh (Indian Post Office Amendment Bill, 1986) |
Presidents Who Died in Office
| President | Date of Death | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Zakir Husain (3rd) | 3 May 1969 | Cardiac arrest (at Rashtrapati Bhavan) |
| Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (5th) | 11 February 1977 | Heart attack (at Rashtrapati Bhavan) |
Exam Traps & Common Mistakes
1. Rajendra Prasad's terms: He served two full terms (1950–1957 and 1957–1962) — a total of 12 years. He is the ONLY President to do so. No other President has served more than one term.
2. V.V. Giri's sequence: When Zakir Husain died (3 May 1969), V.V. Giri became Acting President as Vice-President. He then resigned (20 Jul 1969) to contest the presidential election. Mohammad Hidayatullah (CJI) then became Acting President until V.V. Giri was sworn in as the 4th President (24 Aug 1969). Do NOT confuse the numbering: V.V. Giri is the 4th President, not the acting president who is separately counted.
3. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy — "unopposed" means all other nominations were rejected by the returning officer (not withdrawn by candidates). He is listed as the 6th President. He also had the distinction of previously losing the 1969 presidential election to V.V. Giri (contested by the Congress Syndicate's choice).
4. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed vs. Zakir Husain: Both are Muslim presidents who died in office — do not confuse. Zakir Husain = 3rd President, died 1969 (FIRST to die). Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed = 5th President, died 1977 (SECOND to die).
5. K.R. Narayanan — "first Dalit" vs. "first from Kerala": He is the first Dalit President AND the first from Kerala. Do not confuse Dalit (SC) with Tribal (ST) — those are different categories.
6. Ram Nath Kovind's end date: His term ended on 21 July 2022 (the date Droupadi Murmu was sworn in), not 25 July 2022. The result of the 2022 election was declared on 21 July 2022.
7. Article 61 — "total membership" majority: Impeachment requires 2/3rd of total membership (not of those present and voting) at both stages. This means absentees and abstentions count against the resolution — a stricter test.
8. Youngest President: Droupadi Murmu (64 at inauguration in 2022) is the youngest. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was also 64 when he took office (1977) — they share the record numerically, but Murmu is specifically confirmed as youngest by age in years.
9. "People's President": This title is associated exclusively with Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He was a scientist (DRDO/ISRO) and Bharat Ratna recipient (1997), nominated by NDA.
10. Pratibha Patil: First and (as of 2026) only woman President. Do not confuse with Prathiba Devi Singh Patil's role as Governor — she was Governor of Rajasthan before becoming President.
State/Community Representation — Pattern for Prelims
| State | Presidents |
|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | Radhakrishnan, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, R. Venkataraman |
| Andhra Pradesh | V.V. Giri, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Uttar Pradesh | Zakir Husain (associated), Ram Nath Kovind |
| West Bengal | Pranab Mukherjee |
| Maharashtra | Pratibha Patil |
| Kerala | K.R. Narayanan |
| Bihar | Rajendra Prasad |
| Punjab | Giani Zail Singh |
| Assam | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| Madhya Pradesh | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| Odisha | Droupadi Murmu |
| Karnataka | B.D. Jatti (Acting President) |
Chronological Party/Alliance Backing Pattern
| Era | Backing | Presidents |
|---|---|---|
| 1950–1967 | INC | Rajendra Prasad, Radhakrishnan |
| 1967–1982 | INC (mainly) | Zakir Husain, V.V. Giri, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| 1977–1982 | Janata Party | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (only non-Congress till NDA era) |
| 1982–2002 | INC / Congress-backed | Zail Singh, Venkataraman, S.D. Sharma, K.R. Narayanan |
| 2002–2007 | NDA (BJP-led) | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam |
| 2007–2017 | UPA (Congress-led) | Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee |
| 2017–present | NDA (BJP-led) | Ram Nath Kovind, Droupadi Murmu |
Note: The President is a constitutional, non-partisan office. "Party backing" refers to the political alliance that nominated and supported the candidate in the electoral college.
Recent Developments (2024–2026)
President Droupadi Murmu — Second Half of Term (2024–2026)
President Droupadi Murmu (15th President, sworn in 25 July 2022) has been in the second half of her five-year term. Key constitutional actions by the President in 2024–2026 include:
- Administering the oath of office to PM Narendra Modi for his third term on 9 June 2024 following the 18th Lok Sabha election result
- Administering the oath to Justice Sanjiv Khanna as 51st Chief Justice of India on 11 November 2024
- Administering the oath to Justice B.R. Gavai as 52nd Chief Justice on 14 May 2025
- Appointing K. Sanjay Murthy as the 15th Comptroller and Auditor General of India on 21 November 2024
- Constituting the 16th Finance Commission under Dr. Arvind Panagariya (former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman); the Commission submitted its report on 17 November 2025 for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31
These actions illustrate the President's role as the constitutional pivot around which key executive and judicial appointments revolve under Articles 124, 148, 155, 280, and 75.
UPSC angle: Prelims — 15th President Droupadi Murmu; first ST woman President, first President born in independent India. Mains — analyse the President's discretionary vs mandatory constitutional functions through recent examples.
Presidential Reference — Governor's Power to Withhold Bills (2024–2025)
In April 2024, the Supreme Court (in the Tamil Nadu Governor case) imposed timelines on Governors to act on pending Bills and used Article 142 to deem certain Bills as law. The Union Government subsequently filed a Presidential Reference to the Supreme Court under Article 143. A Constitution Bench in November 2025 held that no judicially imposed timelines can be placed on the President or Governors under Articles 200 and 201; "deemed assent" through Article 142 is impermissible as it violates the separation of powers.
The case directly concerns the President's role under Article 201 — when a Bill reserved by a Governor reaches the President, the President may give or withhold assent. This 2025 ruling confirms that the President's decisions under Article 201 are not judicially manageable through timelines.
UPSC angle: Prelims — Article 201 (Presidential assent to state Bills), Presidential Reference under Article 143. Mains — critically examine the Supreme Court's November 2025 ruling on Articles 200-201; what constitutional safeguards exist against indefinite withholding of assent?
Electoral Bonds Disclosure — President Gives Assent to EC Publication (2024)
Following the Supreme Court's 15 February 2024 judgment striking down the Electoral Bonds Scheme, the State Bank of India disclosed electoral bond data to the Election Commission by the court-mandated deadline. The EC published the data on its website in March 2024. The episode underscored the importance of Article 324 (ECI's constitutional mandate) operating in conjunction with Article 19(1)(a) — voters' right to information — under the supervision of the President-appointed constitutional body.
UPSC angle: Prelims — Electoral Bond Scheme struck down 15 February 2024; SBI disclosed data; EC published March 2024. Mains — connect this to the President's role in ensuring constitutional bodies function independently; analyse the interaction of Article 324 and Article 19(1)(a).
