List of vice presidents of India since 1952

Venkaiah Naidu. (File Photo)

Venkaiah Naidu, the NDA candidate, became the Vice-President elect of India after he defeated opposition's candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi for the Vice-Presidential post. A prominent leader of BJP, he has earlier served as the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Urban Development and Information and Broadcasting in the Modi Cabinet. The Vice-President is the exofficio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and functions as its speaker. He can also hold the post of the Indian President in case of a vacancy. Here is a quick look at the former Vice-Presidents of India who have sworn the post following the adoption of Constitution in 1950.

Dr Sarvapallli Radhakrishnan

Dr Sarvapallli Radhakrishnan had served two terms as the vice-president of India. First term was from 1952 to 1957 and the second was from 1957 to 1962. He was born to Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sitamma in Thiruthani of Madras province on September 5, 1988. He has been awarded with the highest civilian award — Bharat Ratna — in the year 1954. India celebrates his birthday as Teacher’s Day.

Dr Zakir Hussain

Dr Zakir Hussain served as the second vice-president of India from May 13, 1962 to May 12, 1967 after Dr S. Radhakrishnan was elected as the President of India. He was born to a Pashtun family of the Afridi tribe in Hyderabad on February 8, 1897. Husain was also the co-founder of Jamia Milia Islamia. He was awarded with Bharat Ratna in 1963.

Dr Varahagiri Venkata Giri

Dr Varahagiri Venkata Giri was the third vice-president of India. He was in the post from May 13, 1967 – May 3, 1969. He was born in Odisha on August 10, 1894 to a Telgu Brahmin family. His father VV Jogayya Pantulu was a lawyer and his mother was Subhadramma. He was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1975.

Gopal Swarup Pathak

Gopal Swarup Pathak was the fourth vice-president of India. He served as the Vice-President from August 1969 to August 1974. He was born at Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly on February 26, 1896. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha from 1960-1956.

Basappa Danappa Jatti

Basappa Danappa Jatti was the fifth vice-president of India and served his post from 1974 to 1979. Jatti was born in Kannadiga Lingayat family on September 10, 1913 in Odisha. His father was a grocer. After the demise of Dr Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed he became the the Acting President of India from February-July 1977.

Muhammad Hidaytullah

Muhammad Hidaytullah was the sixth vice-president of India who served his term from August 31, 1979 to August 30, 1984. Hidayatullah was born in a well-known family of Khan Bahadur Hafiz Mohammed Wilayatullah, an upper-class family in 1905. He had also served as the Acting President of India from July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969 and from October 6, 1982 to October 21, 1982.

Dr Ramaswamy Venkataraman

Dr Ramaswamy Venkataraman was the seventh vice-president of India from August 25, 1982 to July 25, 1987. Venkataraman was born on December 4, 1910 at Rajamadam village in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu. He took over the eighth president of India.

Dr Shanker Dayala Sharma

Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma was the eight vice-president of India serving from 1987 to 1992. Sharma was born on August 19, 1918 at Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal. He was involved in the struggle for Indian independence from the British in 1940. He had then joined the Indian National Congress. Sharma had led public agitation after the Nawab of Bhopal expressed to retain Bhopal as princely state which had led to his arrest.

Kocheril Raman Narayanan

Kocheril Raman Narayanan was the ninth vice-president of India from August 21, 1992 – July 24, 1997. Narayanan was born as the fourth of seven children to Kocheril Raman Vaidyar at Perumthanam in Kerala on 27th October 1920. He was the first member of the Dalit community to hold the post.

Krishan Kant

Krishan Kant was the 10th vice-president of India from 1997 to 2002. He was born on February 28, 1927 to son of noted Congress politician and later parliamentarian, Lala Achint Ram. He was one of India's longest-serving governors.

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was the 11th vice-president of India serving from August 9, 2002 – July 21, 2007. He was born on October 23, 1923 in Rajasthan. Shekhawat is referred as "Rajasthan ka ek hi Singh" in his home state. He had entered politics in 1952 and became the MLA from Ramgarh.

Mohammad Hamid Ansari

Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the outgoing president of India. He has been in the post since August 11, 2007. Ansari was born in West Bengal’s capital Kolkata on April 1, 1937. Ansari was also the vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. He is popularly known for his role in ensuring compensation to the Gujarat riots victim.