Ramaswamy Venkataraman succeeded Giani Zail Singh as President.

While practicing law, the young Venkataraman was drawn into India's freedom movement. In 1946, when the transfer of power from British to Indian hands was imminent, the Government of India included him in the panel of lawyers sent to Malaya and Singapore to defend Indian nationals charged with offences of collaboration there during the Japanese occupation.

Law and trade union activity led to an increasing association with politics. He was elected to the first Parliament. Though he was re-elected to Parliament in 1957, he resigned to serve as a minister in political mentor K Kamaraj's government in Madras state. He held the portfolios of industries, labour, cooperation, power, transport and commercial taxes in Congress governments in the state from 1957 to 1967, and is credited with conceiving the industrial infrastructure that has stood Tamil Nadu so well.

In 1977, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Madras South constituency.

In 1980, when the Congress returned to power, Venkataraman served as finance and defence ministers in Indira Gandhi's government.

He was elected vice-president in August 1984. Venkataraman was sworn in on July 25, 1987 as India's eighth President.

Top: February 21, 1991. President Ramaswamy Venkataraman, accompanied by Vice-President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Satya Prakash Malaviya, Sudarshan Agarwal, then the secretary-general, Rajya Sabha, and K C Rastogi, then the secretary-general, Lok Sabha.

Below: December 20, 1989. President Ramaswamy Venkataraman, accompanied by Vice-President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, Prime Minister V P Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P Upendra, Sudarshan Agarwal, then the secretary-general, Rajya Sabha, and Dr Subhash C Kashyap, then the secretary-general, Lok Sabha.

Also see: People's choice