Mohammad Hamid Ansari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mohammad Hamid Ansari
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Ansari in 2016
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| Vice President of India | |
| In office 11 August 2007 – 11 August 2017 |
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| President | Pratibha Patil Pranab Mukherjee Ram Nath Kovind |
| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Bhairon Singh Shekhawat |
| Succeeded by | Venkaiah Naidu |
| Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations | |
| In office January 1993 – January 1995 |
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| President | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| Preceded by | Chinmaya Gharekhan |
| Succeeded by | Prakash Shah |
| Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates | |
| In office 6 June 1976 – 24 January 1980 |
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| President | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed B. D. Jatti (acting) Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Preceded by | S. E. H. Rizvi |
| Succeeded by | Lalit Mansingh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 April 1937 Calcutta, Bengal, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Salma Ansari |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Afzal Ansari (nephew) Sibgatullah Ansari (nephew) Mukhtar Ansari (nephew) |
| Alma mater | Aligarh Muslim University |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Mohammad Hamid Ansari (born 1 April 1937) is an important Indian leader. He served as the Vice President of India for ten years, from 2007 to 2017.
Before becoming Vice President, he had a long career as a diplomat, working for India in many countries like Australia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. He also represented India at the United Nations. Later, he led the Aligarh Muslim University and was chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, which works for the rights of different groups in India.
He was first elected as Vice President on 10 August 2007. He was re-elected on 7 August 2012 and took his oath from Pranab Mukherjee, who was the President of India at the time. He chose not to run for a third term in 2017. His time as Vice President is one of the longest in Indian history, just like Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
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About Hamid Ansari's Life
Mohammad Hamid Ansari was born on 1 April 1937, in Kolkata, India. His parents were Mohammad Abdul Aziz Ansari and Aasiya Begum. Even though his family's original home is in Yusufpur, Ghazipur, he grew up in Kolkata.
His family has a long history, tracing back to a Sufi saint named Abdullah Ansari. His ancestors came to India with the Mughal emperor Babur in 1526. He is also related to Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, a famous freedom fighter and former president of the Indian National Congress.
Ansari went to St. Edward's School, Shimla for his early education. He studied political science at Aligarh Muslim University. He is married to Salma Ansari, and they have two sons and one daughter.
Hamid Ansari's Early Career
Diplomatic Work for India
In 1961, Ansari joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). This meant he worked as a diplomat for India. He served in Indian offices in cities like Baghdad, Rabat, Brussels, and Jeddah.
From 1976 to 1980, he was India's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. During this time, he helped get land for the Indian School from Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a very important leader there. He also served as India's ambassador to Australia (1985–1989), Afghanistan (1989–1990), Iran (1990–1992), and Saudi Arabia (1995–1999).
From 1993 to 1995, he was India's permanent representative of India to the United Nations. This means he was India's main voice at the UN. His colleague, T. P. Sreenivasan, said that Ansari strongly defended India against false claims about human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir.
Working in Education
After his diplomatic career, Ansari worked in education. From 1999 to 2000, he was a visiting professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
On 23 May 2000, he became the vice-chancellor (the head) of Aligarh Muslim University. After leaving this role in 2002, he was a visiting professor at Jamia Milia Islamia from 2003 to 2005.
Leading the Minorities Commission
On 6 March 2006, Ansari became the chairman of India's National Commission for Minorities (NCM). This commission works to protect the rights of minority groups in India. He resigned from this position when he was chosen as a candidate for Vice President.
Vice Presidency (2007–2017)
First Term as Vice President
On 20 July 2007, the ruling group in India, the UPA-Left, chose Ansari as their candidate for Vice President. Ansari said he felt "humbled" by their decision.
He won the election on 10 August 2007, getting 455 votes. He defeated his closest opponent, Najma Heptullah, by 233 votes.
Second Term as Vice President
In the 2012 Vice Presidential election, the UPA again chose Ansari as their candidate. The other main political group, the NDA, nominated Jaswant Singh.
Hamid Ansari was re-elected for his second term on 7 August 2012. He won by 252 votes against Jaswant Singh. Ansari was the first person to be re-elected as Indian Vice President since Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1957.
When Ram Nath Kovind became President of India in 2017, Ansari became the first Vice President to serve under three different Presidents. He holds the record for the longest time served as Vice President of India.
Hamid Ansari's Important Views
Ansari is an expert on West Asia. He has written about the Palestinian issue. He also questioned India's vote against Iran's nuclear program at the International Atomic Energy Agency. He believed India's decision was not fully independent.
In 2006, he led a group focused on building trust in Jammu and Kashmir. This group's report suggested that Kashmiri Pandits should have the clear right to return to their homes. This idea was adopted as a state policy.
See also
In Spanish: Mohammad Hamid Ansari para niños
- List of vice presidents of India
- Syed Akbaruddin
