Which of the following have acted as acting Presidents of India?

1) Dr. Zakir Husain.

2) Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah.

3) Varahagiri Venkatagiri.

a. 1, 2

b. 1, 3

c. 2, 3

d. All of the above

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

Former Presidents are -

1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad - 1950– 1962.

2. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - 1962–1967.

3. Dr. Zakir Husain - 1967-1969 (Died).

4. Varahagiri Venkatagiri - 1969-1969 (Acting).

5. Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah - 1969-1969 (Acting).

6. Varahagiri Venkatagiri - 1969-1974.

7. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed - 1974-1977 (Died).

8. B.D. Jatti - 1977-1977 (Acting).

9. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy - 1977-1982.

10. Giani Zail Singh - 1982-1987.

11. R. Venkataraman - 1987-1992.

12. Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma - 1992-1997.

13. K.R. Narayanan - 1997-2002.

14. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam - 2002-2007.

15. Smt. Pratibha Patil - 2007-2012.

16. Pranab Mukherjee - 2012-till date.

The current President is Pranab Mukherjee who is the 13th President of India.

The ex-president, Pratibha Patil, who was in office till July 2012, was elected as the 12th President of India in 2007.

She is also the first woman to serve as President of India.

7 presidents have been members of a political party before being elected.

6 of these were active party members of the Indian National Congress.

The Janata Party has had one member, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, who later became president.

Two presidents, Zakir Hussain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, have died in office.

Their vice-presidents functioned as acting president until a new president was elected.

Following Hussain's death, two acting presidents held office until the new president, Varahagiri Venkata Giri, was elected.

Varahagiri Venkata Giri himself, Hussain's vice president, was the first acting president.

When Giri resigned to take part in the presidential elections, he was superseded by Muhammad Hidayatullah as acting president.