13th Governor of Andhra Pradesh
Early Life and Education
Shankar Dayal Sharma About this sound pronunciation (help·info) (19 August 1918
– 26 December 1999) was the ninth President of India, serving from 1992 to 1997.
Prior to his presidency, Dr. Sharma had been the eighth Vice President of India,
serving under President R. Venkataraman.
He was also Chief Minister (1952–1956), and Cabinet Minister (1956–1967), holding
the portfolios of Education, Law, Public Works, Industry and Commerce, National
Resources and Separate Revenue. He was the President of the Indian National Congress
in 1972–1974 and returned to government as Union Minister for Communications from
1974 to 1977.
The International Bar Association presented Dr. Sharma with the 'Living Legends
of Law Award of Recognition' for his outstanding contribution to the legal profession
internationally and for commitment to the rule of law. Dr. Sharma was born in Bhopal,
then the capital of the princely state of Bhopal.
Sharma comes from the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Sharma received his education
at St. John's College, Agra College, Punjab University and Lucknow University. He
obtained his Ph.D. in Law from Fitzwilliam College.
Sharma was awarded the Chakravarti Gold Medal for Social Service by Lucknow University.
Dr. Sharma taught Law at Lucknow University and at Cambridge University. While at
Cambridge, Dr. Sharma was Treasurer of the Tagore Society and the Cambridge Majlis.
He taught law at Cambridge University from 1946 to 1947. He was Honored as “Proud
Past Alumnus" in the list of 42 members, from "Allahabad University Alumni Association",
Ghaziabad. While at Cambridge, Dr. Sharma was Treasurer of the Tagore Society and
the Cambridge Majlis.
Called to the Bar from Lincoln's Inn, he was later a Fellow at Harvard Law School.
He has been elected Honorary Bencher and Master of Lincoln's Inn and Honorary Fellow,
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. The University of Cambridge has honoured him with
degree of Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa).
Political initiation
During the 1940s he was involved in the struggle for Indian independence from the
British, and joined the Indian National Congress, a party which he would remain
loyal to for the rest of his life.
In 1952 he became the chief minister of the Bhopal state and served in that position
until the state reorganization of 1956, when Bhopal state merged with several other
states to form the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Active political life
During the 1960s Sharma supported Indira Gandhi's quest for leadership of the Congress
Party.He was elected as the President, AICC in 1972 and presided over the AICC session
in Calcutta. From 1974,he served in the union cabinet as the minister for Communication
from 1974–77. In 1971 and 1980 he won a Lok Sabha seat from Bhopal.
Later on, he was given a variety of ceremonial posts. In 1984 he began serving as
a governor of Indian states, first in Andhra Pradesh. During this time, his daughter
Geetanjali Maken and son-in-law Lalit Maken, a young member of parliament and a
promising political leader, were killed by Sikh militants. In 1985, he left Andhra
Pradesh and became governor of Punjab during a time of violence between the Indian
government and Sikh militants, many of whom lived in Punjab.
He left Punjab in 1986 and took up his final governorship in Maharashtra. He remained
governor of Maharashtra until 1987 when he was elected for a 5-year term as the
eighth Vice-President of India and chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Sharma was known
to be a stickler for parliamentary norms. He is known to have broken down in the
Rajya Sabha while witnessing the members of the house create a din on a political
issue. His grief brought back some order into the proceedings of the house.
Presidential election
Sharma served as Vice-President until 1992, when he was elected President.He received
66% of the votes in the electoral college, defeating George Gilbert Swell. During
his last year as President, it was his responsibility to swear in three prime ministers.
He did not run for a second term as President.
Death
During the last five years of his life his , Sharma suffered from ill health. On
26 December 1999, he suffered a massive heart attack and was admitted to a hospital
in New Delhi, where he died. He was cremated at Karma Bhumi. Dr. Sharma is survived
by his son Satish Dayal Sharma from his first wife and a son Ashutosh Dayal Sharma,
from his second wife, Smt. Vimala Sharma
Last Updated on : 26-06-2013