President Droupadi Murmu paid floral tributes to Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, former President of India on his birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 13. 

Who was Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed?

• Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed served as the fifth President of India, holding the office from August 24, 1974, until his death on February 11, 1977. 

• He was born on May 13, 1905, in Hauz Qazi area of Old Delhi.

• Ahmed completed his initial education at the Government High School in Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, and later graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Afterward, he proceeded to England and was called to the Bar from Inner Temple, London.

• His political career began with his active participation in the Indian freedom struggle. He joined the Indian National Congress and was a loyal follower of Mahatma Gandhi, participating in Satyagraha and Quit India Movement for which he was arrested in 1942.

• After Independence, Ahmed held several significant political positions. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1952 and subsequently to the Lok Sabha in 1967. 

• He held portfolios such as food and agriculture, cooperation, education, industrial development, and company laws.

• In 1974, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was elected as the President of India succeeding V.V. Giri.

• His presidency is notable for his decision to proclaim a State of Emergency by the advice of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. 

• Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed passed away in office on February 11, 1977. He was the second Indian President to die in office after Zakir Hussain. 

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