Shankar Dayal Sharma facts for kids
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Shankar Dayal Sharma
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| 9th President of India | |
| In office 25 July 1992 – 25 July 1997 |
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| Prime Minister | |
| Vice President | K. R. Narayanan |
| Preceded by | R. Venkataraman |
| Succeeded by | K. R. Narayanan |
| 8th Vice President of India | |
| In office 3 September 1987 – 25 July 1992 |
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| President | R. Venkataraman |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | R. Venkataraman |
| Succeeded by | K. R. Narayanan |
| Governor of Maharashtra | |
| In office 3 April 1986 – 2 September 1987 |
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| Chief Minister | Shankarrao Chavan |
| Preceded by | Kona Prabhakar Rao |
| Succeeded by | Kasu Brahmananda Reddy |
| In office 26 November 1985 – 2 April 1986 |
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| Chief Minister | Surjit Singh Barnala |
| Preceded by | Hokishe Sema |
| Succeeded by | Siddhartha Shankar Ray |
| 13th Governor of Andhra Pradesh | |
| In office 29 August 1984 – 26 November 1985 |
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| Chief Minister |
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| Preceded by | Thakur Ram Lal |
| Succeeded by | Kumudben Manishankar Joshi |
| 1st Chief Minister of Bhopal | |
| In office 31 March 1952 – 31 October 1956 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Cabinet Minister, Government of Madhya Pradesh | |
| In office 1956–1967 |
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| Departments | Education, Law, Public Works, Revenue, Industry and Commerce. |
| President of Indian National Congress | |
| In office 1972–1974 |
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| Preceded by | Jagjivan Ram |
| Succeeded by | Devakanta Barua |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 August 1918 Bhopal, Bhopal State, British India (now Madhya Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 26 December 1999 (aged 81) New Delhi, India |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Vimala Sharma |
| Children | 2 sons, 2 daughters |
| Alma mater |
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| Profession | Lawyer, Politician |
| Signature |  |
Shankar Dayal Sharma was an important Indian lawyer and politician. He was born on August 19, 1918, and passed away on December 26, 1999. He served as the ninth President of India from 1992 to 1997.
Born in Bhopal, he studied in several cities like Agra and Lucknow. He earned a special degree in constitutional law from the University of Cambridge. He was also a barrister from Lincoln's Inn and studied at Harvard University. In 1948-49, he was a leader in the movement to merge Bhopal State with India. He was even jailed for eight months for this cause.
Shankar Dayal Sharma was a member of the Indian National Congress party. He served as the Chief Minister of Bhopal State from 1952 to 1956. Later, he was a Cabinet Minister in the government of Madhya Pradesh from 1956 to 1971. He held many important jobs, including being the president of the Indian National Congress party from 1972 to 1974.
He also served as a Union Minister for Communications from 1974 to 1977. Before becoming President, he was the Governor of Andhra Pradesh (1984-1985), Punjab (1985-1986), and Maharashtra (1986-1987). In 1987, he was chosen as the eighth Vice President of India without anyone opposing him.
In 1992, Sharma was elected President of India. During his time as President, he worked with four different Prime Ministers. He decided not to run for a second term and was followed by K. R. Narayanan. He passed away in 1999 and was given a state funeral. His memorial is at Karma Bhumi in Delhi.
Contents
Shankar Dayal Sharma: India's Ninth President
Early Life and Education
Shankar Dayal Sharma was born on August 19, 1918, in Bhopal. At that time, Bhopal was a princely state in British India. His family was Hindu and belonged to the Brahmin community.
He finished his schooling in Bhopal. Then, he went on to study at St. John's College, Agra, and at the universities of Allahabad and Lucknow. He earned master's degrees in English literature, Hindi, and Sanskrit. He also got an L.L.M. degree. He was a top student and even won a gold medal for his social work. He was also a swimming and cross-country running champion in college.
Sharma earned a special degree called a doctorate in constitutional law from Cambridge University. His research was about how legislative powers are interpreted in federal systems. He also got a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of London. While in Cambridge, he was involved with student groups like the Tagore Society.
He started practicing law in Lucknow in 1940 and also taught law at the University. He soon joined the Indian National Congress party. In 1946, he became a member of Lincoln's Inn, a famous legal society in London. He also taught at Cambridge University for a year. The next year, he was a Brandeis Fellow at Harvard University.
Political Journey in Madhya Pradesh
From 1948 to 1949, Shankar Dayal Sharma was jailed for eight months. This was because he led a movement to merge the princely state of Bhopal with India. Even though the Nawab of Bhopal had agreed to join India, he was slow to sign the final agreement. The people of Bhopal wanted to join India, and their movement grew strong. In 1949, Bhopal State finally merged with the Indian Union.
Sharma was the president of the Bhopal State Congress party from 1950 to 1952. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Bhopal in 1952. He then became the Chief Minister of Bhopal State. In 1956, Bhopal State merged with the new state of Madhya Pradesh. Sharma played a key role in making sure Bhopal remained the capital of this new state.
He was elected to the Assembly in 1957, 1962, and 1967. During this time, he was a cabinet minister in the Madhya Pradesh government. He was in charge of different areas like education, law, public works, industry, and revenue. As education minister, he made sure that schools taught in a way that respected all religions.
From 1967 to 1968, he was the president of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee. He also served as the general secretary of the party from 1968 to 1972. When the Congress party split in 1969, Sharma supported Indira Gandhi.
Serving in Parliament
In 1971, Sharma was elected to the Lok Sabha (one of India's two houses of Parliament) from Bhopal. The next year, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made him the president of the Indian National Congress party.
As president, Sharma spoke out against the CIA. He accused them of causing violence in India. In October 1974, he became the Minister of Communications in Indira Gandhi's government. He stayed in that job until 1977. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhopal in 1980.
Governor Roles (1984–1987)
Governor of Andhra Pradesh
On August 15, 1984, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao, was removed from his position by the Governor. After protests, the Governor resigned, and Shankar Dayal Sharma took his place on August 24, 1984.
Sharma called for a meeting of the assembly. When the new Chief Minister could not prove he had enough support, Sharma removed him. He then reappointed N. T. Rama Rao as Chief Minister. Rama Rao won a vote of confidence, showing he had the support of the assembly.
A few months later, Sharma refused to approve some new laws (called ordinances) that the state government sent him. He said that such laws should be approved by the legislature, especially when elections were coming soon.
In July 1985, Sharma's daughter and son-in-law were killed. After this tragic event, Sharma was moved to Punjab as governor.
Governor of Punjab
Sharma became the governor of Punjab in November 1985. This was after state elections and during a time of unrest in Punjab. His time as governor was marked by continued violence. He was replaced in April 1986.
Governor of Maharashtra
Sharma was sworn in as Governor of Maharashtra in April 1986. He served in this role until September 1987. At that point, he was elected to become the Vice-President of India.
Becoming Vice President of India (1987–1992)
In 1987, the Congress party chose Shankar Dayal Sharma as their candidate for the vice-presidential election. He was the only candidate whose nomination was found valid. Because of this, he was declared elected without anyone opposing him on August 21, 1987.
Sharma became the Vice-President of India on September 3, 1987. He was also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (the other house of India's Parliament). He was only the third person to be elected Vice-President without opposition.
In 1991, after the death of Rajiv Gandhi, Sharma was offered the chance to become the president of the Congress party and the Prime Minister. However, he declined due to his health and age.
President of India (1992–1997)
In June 1992, the Congress party chose Sharma as their candidate for the presidential election. Other parties also supported him. The election was held on July 13, 1992. Sharma won with a large number of votes against his main opponent. He was declared elected on July 16, 1992, and became President of India on July 25, 1992.
Working with Prime Ministers
Sharma's time as President was important because the President gets to choose the head of government if no party wins a clear majority in Parliament. This happened several times during his presidency.
In 1992, a historic structure in Ayodhya was damaged. Sharma expressed his deep sadness and condemned the action. He said it went against India's tradition of respecting all religions. His strong words led the government to take action in the state where the event happened.
In 1995, Sharma dedicated the rebuilt Somnath temple in Gujarat to the Indian people. He said that all religions teach the same lesson of unity and that being human is most important. The same year, he made the government act against a governor who was trying to avoid legal action.
Towards the end of his term, in 1996, Sharma returned two proposed laws to the government. He said that since elections were coming soon, such important decisions should be left for the next government to make.
After the 1996 general elections, no single party won a majority. Sharma invited Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose party had the most seats, to become Prime Minister. He asked Vajpayee to prove he had enough support in Parliament within a short time. Vajpayee's government lasted only 13 days, which was the shortest in India's history at that time.
After Vajpayee resigned, Sharma appointed H. D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister. Gowda's government lasted ten months. When the Congress party withdrew its support, Gowda lost a vote of confidence. Sharma then appointed Inder Kumar Gujral as Prime Minister. Gujral's government lasted about 322 days before the Congress party again withdrew support.
International Visits
As President, Sharma made official visits to many countries. These included Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, The United Kingdom, Greece, and many others across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. At the end of his term, he decided not to seek another term as President.
Later Life and Legacy
Shankar Dayal Sharma passed away from a heart attack on December 26, 1999, in Delhi. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter. The Government of India declared seven days of national mourning in his honor. He was given a state funeral and was cremated on December 27, 1999. His memorial, called a samadhi, is at Karma Bhumi in Delhi.
Awards and Writings
In 1993, Sharma was made an honorary member of Lincoln's Inn, a respected legal institution. He also received honorary degrees (special awards from universities) from the University of Cambridge and other universities around the world, including those in Sofia, Bucharest, and Kiev.
Sharma was also a writer. He wrote several books in English and Hindi. Some of his books include The Congress Approach to International Affairs and Eminent Indians. He also worked as an editor for various journals and magazines.
Commemoration
A short documentary film about Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma's life and presidency was made in 1999. In 2000, India Post issued a postage stamp to honor him.
Several institutions are named after him in Bhopal, including the Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Ayurvedic College & Hospital. The Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Institute of Democracy was opened at the University of Lucknow in 2009.
The Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal is awarded every year at many universities in India. This medal was started in 1994 with money donated by Sharma himself.
