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Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Mukherjee Portrait (cropped).jpg
Official portrait, 2012
13th President of India
In office
25 July 2012 – 25 July 2017
Prime Minister
Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Preceded by Pratibha Patil
Succeeded by Ram Nath Kovind
Minister of Finance
In office
24 January 2009 – 24 July 2012
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Preceded by Manmohan Singh
Succeeded by Manmohan Singh
In office
5 January 1982 – 31 December 1984
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Preceded by R. Venkataraman
Succeeded by V. P. Singh
Minister of Defence
In office
22 May 2004 – 26 October 2006
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Preceded by George Fernandes
Succeeded by A. K. Antony
Minister of External Affairs
In office
24 October 2006 – 22 May 2009
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Preceded by Manmohan Singh (acting)
Succeeded by S. M. Krishna
In office
10 February 1995 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by Dinesh Singh
Succeeded by Sikander Bakht
15th Leader of the Lok Sabha
In office
22 May 2004 – 26 June 2012
Preceded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Succeeded by Sushilkumar Shinde
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission
In office
24 June 1991 – 15 May 1996
Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by Mohan Dharia
Succeeded by Madhu Dandavate
14th Leader of the Rajya Sabha
In office
January 1980 – 31 December 1984
Preceded by K. C. Pant
Succeeded by V. P. Singh
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
10 May 2004 – 26 June 2012
Preceded by Abul Hasnat Khan
Succeeded by Abhijit Mukherjee
Constituency Jangipur
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
10 July 1969 – 10 July 1981
Constituency West Bengal
In office
14 August 1981 – 13 August 1987
Constituency Gujarat
Personal details
Born (1935-12-11)11 December 1935
Mirati, Bengal Presidency, British India
(present-day West Bengal, India)
Died 31 August 2020(2020-08-31) (aged 84)
New Delhi, India
Political party Indian National Congress
(1972–1986; 1989–2020)
Other political
affiliations
  • Bangla Congress
    (1967–1972)
  • Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress
    (1986–1989)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1957; died 2015)​
Children 3, including Sharmistha and Abhijit
Alma mater University of Calcutta
(BA, MA, LL.B.)
Awards
Nicknames
  • Pranab Da
  • Poltuda

Pranab Mukherjee (born 11 December 1935 – died 31 August 2020) was an important Indian politician. He served as the 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. He was the first person from West Bengal to become President.

Mukherjee had a long political career spanning five decades. He was a senior leader in the Indian National Congress party. He held many important jobs as a minister in the Government of India. Before becoming President, he was the Finance Minister from 2009 to 2012. In 2019, he received India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.

The President of Nepal, Ms. Bidya Devi Bhandari meeting the President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 18, 2017
Mukherjee with President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari

Early Life and Education

Pranab Mukherjee was born on 11 December 1935. This was during the time when India was ruled by the British. His birthplace was Mirati, a village in what is now West Bengal.

His father, Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee, was involved in India's fight for freedom. He was also a member of the West Bengal Legislative Council. Pranab's mother was Rajlakshmi Mukherjee.

Pranab Mukherjee went to Suri Vidyasagar College. He later earned degrees in political science, history, and law from the University of Calcutta. Before entering politics, he worked as a clerk and a college lecturer. He also worked as a journalist.

Political Journey

Pranab Mukherjee started his political career in 1969. The Prime Minister at the time, Indira Gandhi, helped him get elected. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of India's Parliament.

He quickly rose through the ranks. In 1973, he became a minister in Indira Gandhi's government. From 1982 to 1984, he served as the Finance Minister of India for the first time. He was also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha.

After Indira Gandhi's death in 1984, he was not as prominent in the Congress party. He even started his own party for a short time. However, he later rejoined the Congress party in 1989.

His political career got a new boost in 1991. Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao made him the head of the Planning Commission. Later, he became the Foreign Minister in 1995.

When the Congress party came back to power in 2004, Mukherjee won a seat in the Lok Sabha. This is the lower house of Parliament. He held many important jobs in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government. These included Defence Minister (2004–06), External Affairs Minister (2006–09), and Finance Minister (2009–12).

In July 2012, he was chosen to run for President. He easily won the election against P. A. Sangma. He received 70 percent of the votes.

In 2017, Mukherjee decided not to run for President again. He chose to retire from politics due to his age and health. His term ended on 25 July 2017. Ram Nath Kovind became the next President. In 2018, Mukherjee became the first former President to speak at an event for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Family Life

Pranab Mukherjee married Suvra Mukherjee on 13 July 1957. Suvra was born in Bangladesh. They had two sons and one daughter. Suvra passed away on 18 August 2015, when Pranab was still President. Their elder son, Abhijit Mukherjee, also became a Member of Parliament.

Mukherjee enjoyed reading, gardening, and listening to music.

Illness and Passing

Pranab Mukherjee passed away on 31 August 2020, at the age of 84. His death was caused by a lung infection.

The Indian government declared a seven-day period of national mourning. During this time, the national flag flew at half-mast. His funeral was held on 1 September with full state honors. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his body was taken to the crematorium in a van. His ashes were later placed in the Ganges river.

Awards and Recognition

Pranab Mukherjee received many honors during his life.

National Awards

Award Country Date Note Ref.
Padma Vibhushan Ribbon.svg Padma Vibhushan  India 2008 India's second-highest civilian award.
Bharat Ratna Ribbon.svg Bharat Ratna  India 8 August 2019 India's highest civilian award.

International Honors

Award Country Date Note Ref.
Noribbon.svg Bangladesh Liberation War Honour  Bangladesh 5 March 2013 Bangladesh's second-highest honor for foreign guests.
Cote d'Ivoire Ordre national GC ribbon.svg National Order of the Ivory Coast  Ivory Coast 14 June 2016 Grand Cross, the highest civilian honor of Ivory Coast.
Order of Makarios III (Cyprus) - ribbon bar.svg Order of Makarios III  Cyprus 28 April 2017 Grand Collar, the highest civilian honor of Cyprus.

University Degrees

Mukherjee received many honorary doctorate degrees from universities around the world. These include:

Other Recognition

  • Named "Best Finance Minister in the World" in 1984 by Euromoney magazine.
  • Named "Finance Minister of the Year for Asia" in 2010 by Emerging Markets.
  • Named "Finance Minister of the Year" in 2010 by The Banker.
  • Received Honorary Citizenship of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 2016.

Important Roles Held

Here are some of the key positions Pranab Mukherjee held:

  • Union Minister of Industrial Development: 1973–1974
  • Minister of State for Finance: 1974–1975
  • Union Minister of Revenue and Banking: 1975–1977
  • Leader of House of Rajya Sabha: 1980–1985
  • Union Minister of Finance: 1982–1984
  • Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission: 1991–1996
  • Union Minister of External Affairs: 1995–1996
  • Leader of House of Lok Sabha: 2004–2012
  • Union Minister of Defence: 2004–2006
  • Union Minister of External Affairs: 2006–2009
  • Union Minister of Finance: 2009–2012
  • President of India: 25 July 2012 – 25 July 2017.

Images for kids

See also

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