Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma
Term of office: July 25, 1992 to July 25, 1997

A teacher who had studied at the universities of Allahabad, Lucknow, Cambridge, Lincoln's Inn and the Harvard Law School, Dr Sharma was governor of three states and vice-president before becoming President.

When his daughter Geetanjali and son-in-law Lalit Maken were killed by Sikh militants in January 1985, Dr Sharma and his wife Vimala took on the responsibility of looking after their grand-daughter Avantika.

As vice-president he once broke down in the Rajya Sabha on seeing the unparliamentary behaviour of some members of the House of Elders. During his last year as President, he swore in three prime ministers -- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral.

After his retirement he moved to his home on Delhi's Safdarjung Road. He did not keep good health and died of a cardiac arrest in 1999.

Photograph: Ashok Vahie

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