Search Indian Maps, Pincodes, Local Info and more...
Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Ramaswamy Venkataraman hails from Rajamadam in Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu, born on December 4, 1910.
He started his career as a Lawyer and had his practice in Madras High Court and later Supreme Court of India. He contributed significantly for the Trade Union movement in Tamil Nadu (the then Madras State), particularly in missions he took up for the protection of farm labourers.
He participated in India’s Freedom movement actively and he was a popular figure among farm labourers of Tanjore district because of the efforts he took up in earlier days for their upliftment. He had played active part in Quit India movement promoted by Mahatma Gandhiji and was an ardent member of Indian National Congress party.
He served in Madras State Ministry when the then Congress President K Kamaraj was the Chief Minister. Later, he moved to Central Ministry to be the Cabinet Minister, first for Heavy Industries and later for Defence. After serving a term as the Vice President of India from 1984, he became the President of India in 1987 to be the 8th President of the Republic of India.
Mr. Venkataraman passed away on 27th January 2009 at the age of 98 and was cremated with State Honours at Ekta Sthal near Raj Ghat, Delhi.
Early Life
R Venkataraman had his early education in Tanjore district’s Pattukkottai and his high school Education at the National College Higher Secondary School, Trichy. He had his college Education at Loyola College, Madras, later to become a Law Graduate from Madras Law College. He started his Law Practice at Madras, enrolling with Madras High Court in 1935 and Supreme Court of India in 1951. He evinced in India’s Freedom movement and his participation in Quit India movement in 1942 resulted in his detention for 2 years under Defence of India Rules. Later, when India got the Independence in 1947, Government of India enlisted him as a Lawyer to defend Indian Nationals at Malaya and Singapore who were charged with collaboration with Japanese when Japanese had occupied these places.
Political Career
President Venkataraman started his Political Career as a Trade Union enthusiast of Indian National Congress party, later to be elected to the free India’s Provisional Government in 1950. He was elected as MP during 1952-57 for the first time, again he was elected to the Parliament in 1957. However, this time, he resigned his Parliament membership only to take up as a Member of Madras Legislative assembly to function as a State Minister, holding responsibilities for Industries, Labour, Cooperation and Power and also for few other portfolios. He occupied various portfolios in Madras Government till 1967, after which he became a Member of Planning Commission of India. He was in that position till 1971.
R Venkataraman returned to Lok Sabha by winning South Madras Constituency in 1977 and held various positions in Union Ministry and as a Member of Parliament thereafter.
He had held many positions during his political career, and he had had responsibilities
- In the Political Affairs Committee as a member and also the Economic Affairs Committee.
- As the Governor of the IMF.
- As the UN General Assembly delegate from India (for many years between 1953 and 1961).
- As one who led the Indian Delegation in the 42nd Session of the International Labour Conference held at Geneva (1958).
- As in the Inter Parliamentary Conference conducted in Vienna as India’s representative (1978).
- In the United Nations Administrative Tribunal as a member and its President for 11 years.
R Venkataraman took over as the Union Minister of Finance in 1980 and later became the Defence Minister during the same term, when he initiated India’s Missile Programme, which was a prestigious one.
He relinquished his political career in 1984 when he was elected the Vice President of India.
It was in 1980, Ramaswamy Venkataraman got re-elected as MP to Lok Sabha. He was then given the portfolio of Finance in the Union Ministry, when Smt. Indira Gandhi was the PM. Later, he became Union Minister for Defence, when he took initiative for India's missile programme. For this effort, he moved A P J Abdul Kalam from space projects to the missile programme. This way he consolidated the whole missile system, and named it as Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
As Vice President and President of India
Ramaswamy Venkataraman became the Vice-President of India in 1984 and President of India in 1987.
As the President of India, he had the unique position of having four prime ministers of different ideologies, three among them V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar and P V Narasimha Rao took their offices under him. It is to be mentioned that during his five-year term as the President, he admirably handled the coalition politics in India, which was new to the country then.
Before and after his Presidentship, R Venkataraman had written quite a few books which are of great value to learn and understand India’s Political history. Likewise, there are a number of books written on R Venkataraman which contain impressive information on various aspects of Indian Politics.
Photo Gallery