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Rajendra Prasad
Politics & Leadership Historical Figures Indian Politics

Rajendra Prasad

First President of India (1950–1962)

3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963 India Verified by our editors
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Lived
78 yrs
1884 – 1963
Works listed
3
Autobiography, Book
Honours
1
Most recent 1962
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Dr Rajendra Prasad was a lawyer and freedom fighter from Bihar who presided over the Constituent Assembly and became the first President of the Republic of India. He is the only President to have served two full terms.

Biography

Early life

Prasad was born into a Kayastha family in Ziradei and studied Persian, Hindi and arithmetic as a child. He was married at 12 to Rajvanshi Devi. He ranked first in the Calcutta University entrance examination in 1902 and later lectured in English and economics before taking up law.

Scholar and lawyer

Prasad was an outstanding student who topped the entrance examination of the University of Calcutta. He took a master’s degree in law and a doctorate in law, and practised at the Calcutta and later the Patna High Courts.

In the freedom struggle

He joined Gandhi during the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 and gave up a flourishing legal career for the national movement. He led relief work after the 1934 Bihar earthquake and served as president of the Indian National Congress three times, in 1934, 1939 and 1947. He was imprisoned during the Salt Satyagraha and the Quit India movement.

Building the republic

In the interim government of 1946 he served as Minister of Food and Agriculture. As president of the Constituent Assembly from December 1946 he guided the debates that produced the Constitution.

When India became a republic on 26 January 1950 he took office as its first President, and was re-elected in 1957. He retired in 1962 and was awarded the Bharat Ratna that year. He died in Patna in February 1963.

As President

As India’s first President, Prasad set many conventions for the office, including the President acting on the advice of the council of ministers. He differed with Nehru on matters such as the Hindu Code Bill and the President’s role in religious occasions, but generally kept such differences private. After retiring he lived simply at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna.

Timeline

  1. 1884

    Born in Ziradei, Saran district, Bengal Presidency (now Bihar)

  2. 1902

    Tops the Calcutta University entrance examination

  3. 1911

    Joins the Indian National Congress

  4. 1916

    Enrols at the newly established Patna High Court

  5. 1917

    Joins Gandhi in Champaran

    Assists the satyagraha of indigo farmers in Bihar.

  6. 1934

    Congress president

    First of three terms; leads earthquake relief in Bihar.

  7. 1946

    President of the Constituent Assembly

    Also Minister of Food and Agriculture in the interim government.

  8. 1950

    First President of India

    Sworn in as the Republic is proclaimed on 26 January.

  9. 1957

    Re-elected President

    The only President to serve two terms.

  10. 1962

    Retires; awarded the Bharat Ratna

    Returns to Patna.

  11. 1963

    Dies in Patna

    On 28 February.

  12. 1963

    Died, aged 78

Notable works

  • 1946

    Atmakatha Autobiography

    His autobiography, written in Hindi during imprisonment.

  • 1946

    India Divided Book

    Analysis of the case against partition.

  • 1922

    Satyagraha at Champaran Book

Awards and honours

  • Bharat Ratna

    1962 · India’s highest civilian honour.

Did you know?

  1. 1

    He is the only President of India to have been elected twice.

  2. 2

    An examiner is said to have written on his answer sheet that “the examinee is better than the examiner”.

  3. 3

    He was married at 12.

  4. 4

    He served as President for over 12 years — longer than anyone else.

  5. 5

    He spent his final years living simply at Sadaqat Ashram in Patna.

Connections

Related people

Also born on 3 December

Frequently asked

Who is Rajendra Prasad?

Dr Rajendra Prasad was a lawyer and freedom fighter from Bihar who presided over the Constituent Assembly and became the first President of the Republic of India. He is the only President to have served two full terms.

When did Rajendra Prasad die?

Rajendra Prasad died on 28 February 1963 at the age of 78.

Where is Rajendra Prasad from?

Rajendra Prasad was born in Ziradei, Saran district, Bengal Presidency (now Bihar).

What is Rajendra Prasad known for?

Rajendra Prasad is best known for Presiding over the Constituent Assembly; India’s first head of state.

What awards has Rajendra Prasad received?

Notable honours include Bharat Ratna (1962).

Who is Rajendra Prasad married to?

Spouse: Rajvanshi Devi (m. 1896).

References

  1. Rajendra Prasad — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
  2. Rajendra Prasad — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
  3. Rajendra Prasad — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
  4. Rajendra Prasad — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
  5. Rajendra Prasad — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
  6. Rajendra Prasad (Q197736) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.

External links

Wikipedia
Filed under Bharat RatnaBiharFreedom fightersIndian independence movementIndian National CongressPresidents of India Freedom FighterLawyerPoliticianStatesman

About this profile

  • Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
  • First published 26 October 2026
  • Last updated

Cite this page

“Rajendra Prasad.” TrackFame, last updated 27 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/rajendra-prasad

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