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The first President to die in office

July 20, 2007

Dr Zakir Hussain
Term of office: May 13, 1967 to May 3, 1969

An intellectual who translated Plato's Republic into Urdu, Dr Hussain was instrumental in creating the Jamia Milia Islamia University in New Delhi. He did his doctorate in economics from Berlin and was a member of the Rajya Sabha and governor of Bihar before being elected vice-president and then President.

Like Dr Radhakrishnan, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1963, before becoming President.

He began free education for children at Rashtrapati Bhavan and had a passion for roses.

He died after serving just two years in office; his mausoleum is at the Jamia Milia in New Delhi.

Photograph: Press Information Bureau
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