R. Venkataraman is the Eighth President of India. He was born on December 4, 1910 in the village of Rajamadam, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. He educated in Madras and obtained his Master Degree in Economics from Madras University. He later qualified in Law from the Law College, Madras. He was enrolled in the High Court, Madras in 1935 and in the Supreme Court in 1951. He married Smt Janaki Venkataraman in the year 1938.
He was elected in 1950, to free India's Provisional Parliament (1950-1952) and to the First Parliament (1952-1957). During his term of legislative activity, Shri Venkataraman attended the 1952 Session of the Metal Trades Committee of International Labour Organisation as a workers' delegate. He was a member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New Zealand. Shri Venkataraman was also Secretary to the Congress Parliamentary Party in 1953-1954.
Although re-elected to Parliament in 1957, Shri Venkataraman resigned his seat in the Lok Sabha to join the State Government of Madras as a Minister. There Shri Venkataraman held the portfolios of Industries, Labour, Cooperation, Power, Transport and Commercial Taxes from 1957 to 1967. During this time, he was also Leader of the Upper House, namely, the Madras Legislative Council.
Shri Venkataraman elected as presedent on July 25, 1987.
