Former President Venkatraman passes away at 98

Posted by on Jan 27, 2009 in Indian Politicians

Former President of India R.Venkatraman passed away today in New Delhi. The former President was heading towards a century in his illustrious life but narrowly missed out by a couple of years. Shri Venkataraman had breathed his last at 14:30 hours in the Army Research and Referral Hospital with the end coming owing to multiple organ failure. The former President was hospitalized on the 12th of this month in New Delhi. Shri Venkatraman was the 8th President serving the country from 1987 to 1992. He was also the Vice-President before that period.
R Venkataraman
Ramaswamy Venkataraman was born in the town of Pattukkottai in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu on 4th December, 1910. He had studied Economics and Law during his younger days and later on got himself involved in the Freedom Struggle of his country. Venkatraman had actively participated in the 1942 Quit India Movement. Post freedom, he continued in the Indian National Congress for a long time and had held several important posts. One of the most significant portfolio that he had held apart from being elevated to Vice-Presidency and Presidency was that of the Finance Ministry. He became the Finance Minister and later the Defence Minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet in the eighties. His Presidential term saw as many as four Prime Mnisters for India – Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh, Chandrashekhar and P.V. Narasimha Rao.

The Government of India has announced seven days state mourning as a respect to this former President. Following Venkatraman’s death, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is the only surviving former President now.

Related Posts

Related News