Ramaswamy Venkataraman (December 4, 1910 – January 27, 2009) was an Indian lawyer, freedom-fighter and politician who served as an Union minister and as the 8th President of India.
R Venkataraman 8th President of India
Venkataraman was born in Tanjore district, Madras Presidency. He native is Pattukottai, near Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. He studied law and practised in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In his young age, he was an activist of the Indian independence movement and participated in the Quit India Movement. He was appointed member of the Constituent Assembly and the provisional cabinet. He was elected to Lok Sabha four times and served as Union Finance Minister and Defence Minister. In 1984, he was elected Vice-President of India and in 1987, he became the 8th President of India and served from 1987 to 1992. He also served as a State minister under K. Kamaraj and M. Bhaktavatsalam.
Works
- Role of Planning in Industrial Development, by Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Govt. of India Press, 1969.
- The Role of a Private Member of Parliament, by Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Harold Laski Institute of Political Science, 1986.
- My Presidential Years – R Venkataraman, by R Venkataraman. 1995. HarperCollins/Indus. ISBN 8172232020.
- R. Venkataraman on Contemporary Issues, by Ramaswami Venkataraman, K. Venkatasubramanian. Published by Variant Communications, 1996.
- Relevance of Gandhi: And Other Essays, by K Swaminathan, Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Gandhigram Trust, 1998.
8th President of India
In office
25 July 1987 – 25 July 1992
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,
V. P. Singh,
Chandrasekhar,
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Vice President Shankar Dayal Sharma
Preceded by Zail Singh
Succeeded by Shankar Dayal Sharma
Vice-President of India
In office
August 31, 1984 – July 27, 1987
President Giani Zail Singh
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,
Rajiv Gandhi
Preceded by Muhammad Hidayat Ullah
Succeeded by Shankar Dayal Sharma
Defence Minister of India
In office
1982 – August 30, 1984
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Finance Minister of India
In office
1980 – 1982
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Minister of Industries, Labour, Cooperation, Power, Transport and Commercial Taxes (Madras state)
In office
1957 – 1967
Premier K. Kamaraj,
M. Bhaktavatsalam
Member of Parliament
for Madras South
In office
1977 – 1984
Prime Minister Morarji Desai,
Charan Singh,
Indira Gandhi
Preceded by Murasoli Maran
Succeeded by Dr. Vyjayantimala Bali
Member of Parliament
for Thanjavur
In office
1951 – 1957
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Preceded by None
Succeeded by Vairavar Thevar
Member of the Constituent Assembly of India
In office
1946 – 1951
Born 4 December 1910(1910-12-04)
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Died 27 January 2009 (aged 98)
New Delhi, India
Political party Indian National Congress
Spouse Janaki Venkataraman
Occupation lawyer
Religion Hindu
Books on R. Venkataraman
- President R. Venkataraman, by Nand Gopal Chaudhry. Published by Manas Publications, 1987. ISBN 8170490189.
- The Great Humanist Ramaswami Venkataraman, by Attar Chand. Published by Gian Pub. House, 1987. ISBN 8121201063.
- So May India be Great: Selected Speeches and Writings of President R. Venkataraman, by Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1990.
- Selected Speeches, 1984-87, 10 September 1984-14 May 1987: 10 September 1984-14 May 1987, by Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1991.
- President R. Venkataraman Selected Speeches: July 1987-December 1989., by Ramaswami Venkataraman. Published by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1991.
