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Heads of state of India
British Raj
Emperor of India
Victoria
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 24 1819; d. January 22 1901
Also known as: Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (1819 – 1837) (Reference: https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/life-queen-victoria-her-family)
Spouse: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. August 26 1819; d. December 14 1861)
Children: (1) Victoria, Princess Royal, Empress consort of Germany, Queen consort of Prussia (b. November 21 1840; d. August 5 1901); (2) Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom, Emperor of India (b. November 9 1841; d. May 6 1910); (3) Princess Alice, Grand Duchess consort of Hesse and by Rhine (b. April 25 1843; d. December 14 1878); (4) Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. August 6 1844; d. July 31 1900); (5) Princess Helena, Princess of Schleswig-Holstein (b. May 25 1846; d. June 9 1923); (6) Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll (b. March 18 1848; d. December 3 1939); (7) Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (b. May 1 1850; d. January 16 1942); (8) Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (b. April 7 1853; d. March 28 1884); (9) Princess Beatrice, Princess of Battenberg (b. April 14 1857; d. October 26 1944)
Other thrones held: Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 – 1901)
House of Hanover—Welf
1876 – 1901
Edward VII
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 9 1841; d. May 6 1910.
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
1901 – 1910
George V
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 3 1865; d. January 20 1936.
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1910 – 1917); House of Windsor (1917 – 1936)
1910 – 1936
Edward VIII
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 23 1894; d. May 28 1972.
House of Windsor
1936
George VI
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 14 1895; d. February 6 1952.
House of Windsor
1936 – 1947
Dominion of India
Governor-General of India
Vice-Admiral Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 25 1900; d. August 27 1979.
1947 – 1948
Republic of India
Heads of State of the Republic of India
The office of President of India was created with the adoption of the Constitution of India, which came into force on January 26 1950 and transformed the country from the Dominion of India into a republic. The presidency replaced the British monarch as the formal head of state, while most executive authority remained in practice with the prime minister and the Council of Ministers. The first president, Rajendra Prasad, had previously served as president of the Constituent Assembly and symbolized the continuity between the independence movement and the institutions of the new republic. The constitution established India as a parliamentary system in which the president exercises executive power largely on the advice of the elected government, while also performing important ceremonial, constitutional, and supervisory functions.
The president is elected indirectly for a five-year term by an electoral college composed of the elected members of both houses of the national parliament and the elected members of the state legislative assemblies. Although the office is intended to be politically neutral, most presidents have had prior careers in party politics or public service. Early presidents such as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Zakir Husain helped establish the largely ceremonial and non-partisan character of the presidency. At the same time, the constitution grants the president certain important reserve powers, particularly during periods of political uncertainty, including appointing a prime minister when no party commands a clear parliamentary majority and formally proclaiming states of emergency.
President of India
Rajendra Prasad (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 3 1884; d. February 28 1963.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1950 – 1952
Rajendra Prasad
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 3 1884; d. February 28 1963.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1952 – 1962
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 5 1888; d. April 17 1975.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1962 – 1967
Zakir Husain Khan
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 8 1897; d. May 3 1969.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1967 – 1969
Varahagiri Venkata Giri (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 10 1894; d. June 24 1980.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1969
Mohammad Hidayatullah (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 17 1905; d. September 18 1992.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1969
Varahagiri Venkata Giri
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 10 1894; d. June 24 1980.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1969 – 1974
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 13 1905; d. February 11 1977.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1974 – 1977
Basappa Danappa Jatti (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 10 1912; d. June 7 2002.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1977
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 19 1913; d. June 1 1996.
Non-Partisan (Janata Party)
1977 – 1982
Giani Zail Singh
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 5 1916; d. December 25 1994.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1982 – 1987
Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 4 1910; d. January 27 2009.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1987 – 1992
Shankar Dayal Sharma
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 19 1918; d. December 26 1999.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1992 – 1997
Kocheril Raman Narayanan
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 27 1920; d. November 9 2005.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1997 – 2002
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 15 1931; d. July 27 2015.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
2002 – 2007
Pratibha Devisingh Patil
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 19 1934.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
2007 – 2012
Pranab Kumar Mukherjee
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 11 1935; d. August 31 2020.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
2012 – 2017
Ram Nath Kovind
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 1 1945.
Non-Partisan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
2017 – 2022
Droupadi Murmu
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 20 1958.
Non-Partisan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
2022 – present
Deputy Heads of State of the Republic of India
The office of Vice-President of India was established alongside the presidency by the Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950. Modeled in part on other parliamentary systems but with distinctive features, the vice presidency was designed to provide continuity in the event of a vacancy in the presidency, while also serving an ongoing institutional role within the legislature.
The vice president is elected indirectly for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of the Parliament of India, in contrast to the broader electoral college used for the presidency. Unlike many other vice presidencies, the office is closely tied to the legislative branch: the vice president serves ex officio as Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of parliament), presiding over its proceedings and maintaining order, but does not vote except to break ties. This dual role reflects the hybrid nature of the office, combining a constitutional standby function with an active parliamentary responsibility.
The vice president’s most significant constitutional function is to act as president in the event of a vacancy, absence, or incapacity. Several vice presidents have been called upon to serve in an acting capacity following the death or resignation of a president, ensuring continuity at the head of state. In practice, the vice presidency has evolved as a largely non-executive and politically neutral office, though most officeholders have had significant prior careers in politics, diplomacy, or academia.
Vice President of India
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 5 1888; d. April 17 1975.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1952 – 1962
Zakir Husain Khan
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 8 1897; d. May 3 1969.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1962 – 1967
Varahagiri Venkata Giri
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 10 1894; d. June 24 1980.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1967 – 1969
Gopal Swarup Pathak
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 26 1896; d. August 31 1982.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1969 – 1974
Basappa Danappa Jatti
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 10 1912; d. June 7 2002.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1974 – 1979
Mohammad Hidayatullah
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 17 1905; d. September 18 1992.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
1979 – 1984
Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 4 1910; d. January 27 2009.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1984 – 1987
Shankar Dayal Sharma
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 19 1918; d. December 26 1999.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1987 – 1992
Kocheril Raman Narayanan
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 27 1920; d. November 9 2005.
Non-Partisan (Indian National Congress)
1992 – 1997
Krishan Kant
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 28 1927; d. July 27 2002.
Non-Partisan (Janata Dal)
1997 – 2002
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 23 1923; d. May 15 2010.
Non-Partisan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
2002 – 2007
Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Date of birth/date of death: b. April 1 1937.
Non-Partisan (Independent)
2007 – 2017
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Nadu
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 1 1949.
Non-Partisan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
2017 – 2022
Jagdeep Dhankhar
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 18 1951.
Non-Partisan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
2022 – 2025
Chandrapuram Ponnusami Radharikrishnan
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 4 1957.
Non-Partisan (Bharatiya Janata Party)
2025 – present
Heads of Government of the Republic of India
The office of Prime Minister of India was established in its modern form by the Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950. As in other parliamentary systems, the prime minister is the head of government and the central figure in the exercise of executive power, while the president serves as the formal head of state. The position evolved directly from the office of prime minister under the Dominion of India (1947–1950), ensuring continuity at the moment the republic was proclaimed.
Heads of Government of India
Republic of India
Prime Minister of India
Jawaharlal Nehru
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 14 1889; d. May 27 1964.
Indian National Congress
1947 – 1964
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 19 1917; d. October 31 1984.
Indian National Congress (1966 – 1969); Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) (1969 – 1977)
1966 – 1977
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 19 1917; d. October 31 1984.
Indian National Congress
1980 – 1984
Rajiv Gandhi
Date of birth/date of death: b. August 20 1944; d. May 21 1991.
Indian National Congress
1984 – 1989
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 25 1924; d. August 16 2018.
Bharatiya Janata Party
1996
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 25 1924; d. August 16 2018.
Bharatiya Janata Party
1998 – 2004
Manmohan Singh
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 26 1932; d. December 26 2024.
Indian National Congress
2004 – 2014
Narendra Damodardas Modi
Date of birth/date of death: b. September 17 1950.
Presidents: Pranab Mukherjee (2014 – 2017); Ram Nath Kovind (2017 – 2022); Droupadi Murmu (2022 – present).
Other prominent offices: Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001 – 2014); Member of the Lok Sabha (2014 – present); Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha (2014 – present).
Bharatiya Janata Party
2014 – present
Deputy Prime Minister of India
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 31 1875; d. December 15 1950
Indian National Congress
1947 – 1950
Lal Krishna Advani
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 8 1927.
Bharatiya Janata Party
2002 – 2004