Pranab Mukherjee Birth Anniversary: 7 facts about the former President of India

One of the most reverred people in India is Pranab Kumar Mukherjee. From 2012 until 2017, he presided as India's 13th president. He was born on December 11th, 1935, into a Bengali Brahmin family in Mirati, which was then a village in British India's Bengal Presidency (West Bengal).

It is no surprise that Mukherjee had excellent political skills which led him to serve as the chief of numerous ministerial committees during his time in office.

Mukherjee entered active politics in 1969 and with the help of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he became member of Indian Parliament's Upper House on a Congress ticket. He also held numerous cabinet positions before being elected as President of India.

Pranab Mukherjee breathed his last on August 31, 2020. It would be his 86th birthday tomorrow. Ahead of his birth anniversary, here are interesting things you should know about him:

• Mukherjee attended the then-University of Calcutta-affiliated Suri Vidyasagar College in Suri (Birbhum). Later, he received an LL.B. and an MA in political science and history, all from the University of Calcutta.

• The former President was a founding member of the Bangla Congress; in addition to incorporating the Bangla Congress into the party, Indira Gandhi recruited him to the Indian National Congress in 1972.

• Pranab Mukherjee held the positions of Minister of External Affairs for India in 1995, Minister of Finance for the Union from 2009 to 2012, and Minister of Defence for India in 2004. Mukherjee, in addition to politics, also enjoyed reading, gardening, and music.

• While serving as the Minister of Defence, Mukherjee appeared on India TV's mock court television talk show "Aap Ki Adalat" to assess the performance of the UPA administration. He also served as Finance minister and in a 1984 survey by Euromoney, he was named as the world's best finance minister.

• Pranab Mukherjee became the country of India's first Bengali president. On July 25, 2012, the Chief Justice of India administered his oath of office. He encapsulated his experience of being on the highest post in Indian Executive in his book.

• Pranab Mukherjee breathed his last in 2020 when he was a patient at the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) facility in Delhi during the COVID-19 pandemic. He battled a number of diseases. His renal parameters started to "slightly derange," and days later, the issue got worse.

• He received the Bharat Ratna award in 2019 and the Padma Bhushan award in 2008.

Pranab Mukherjee's outstanding accomplishment as an Indian political leader continues to be cherished.

Published on: Saturday, December 10, 2022, 04:19 PM IST