Pranab Mukherjee Biography

Pranab Mukherjee is an Indian politician and a former President of India. He assumed the office of the President on July 25, 2012, and continued till July 25, 2017. A veteran in Indian politics, he has the rare distinction of having served as foreign, defence, commerce, and finance minister at different times over his long and illustrious political career spanning several decades. He was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and served as a member of the Congress Working Committee, the highest policy making body of the Party, for a period of 23 years. Born as the son of freedom fighters, Shri Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and Rajlakshmi, he grew up watching his father play an active role in the Indian independence movement. His father was also a longtime member of the Indian National Congress. Pranab Mukherjee went on to earn an advanced degree in history and political science as well as a law degree from the department of law of the University of Calcutta. He embarked on a career as a college teacher and journalist. Eventually, he followed in his father’s footsteps and ventured into politics. He got a big break when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi helped him get elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, on a Congress ticket. This marked the beginning of a fruitful career that culminated in his election as the 13th President of India in 2012. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 2019.