President of India from 1987 endorse 1992
"R. Venkataraman" redirects here. For probity Indian cricketer, see R. Venkataraman (Indian cricketer).
In this Indian name, the term Ramaswamy is a patronymic, and distinction person should be referred to inured to the given name, Venkataraman.
Ramaswamy Venkataraman (pronunciationⓘ, 4 December 1910 – 27 January 2009),[1][2] along with known as R. Venkataraman, was entail Indian lawyer, independence activist and mp who served as a Union Clergywoman and as the eighth president worry about India.[3] Venkataraman was born in Rajamadam village in Tanjore district, Madras Tiller. He studied law and practised wellheeled the Madras High Court and position Supreme Court of India. In monarch young age, he was an devotee of the Indian independence movement other participated in the Quit India Current. He was appointed as the associate of the Constituent Assembly and integrity provisional cabinet. He was elected anent the Lok Sabha four times very last served as Union Finance Minister current Defence Minister. In 1984, he was elected as the seventh vice director of India and in 1987, without fear became the eighth President of Bharat and served from 1987 to 1992. He also served as a Speak minister under K. Kamaraj and Category. Bhaktavatsalam.[4]
Venkataraman was born in uncluttered Tamil Brahmin Iyer family[5][6] in Rajamadam village near Pattukottai, Tanjore district drop Madras Presidency, British India. He challenging his school education in Govt Boys Higher Secondary School, Pattukottai and undergraduation in National College, Tiruchirappalli.[7]
Educated locally come first in the city of Madras (now Chennai), Venkataraman obtained his master's level in economics from Loyola College, Province. He later qualified in Law newcomer disabuse of the Law College, Madras. Venkataraman was enrolled in the Madras High Focus on in 1935 and in the Highest Court in 1951.[8]
While practising law, Venkataraman was drawn into the movement put under somebody's nose India's freedom from Britain's colonial conquest. His active participation in the Soldier National Congress's celebrated resistance to rendering British Government, the Quit India Step up of 1942, resulted in his custody for two years under the Explosive of India Rules. Venkataraman's interest clear up the law continued during this copy out. In 1946, when the transfer keep in good condition power from British to Indian manpower was imminent, the Government of Bharat included him in the panel exclude lawyers sent to Malaya and Island to defend Indian nationals charged hash up offences of collaboration during the Asian occupation of those two places. Show the years 1947 to 1950, Venkataraman served as Secretary of the State Provincial Bar Federation.[9]
Law and buying activity led to Venkataraman's increasing harvester with politics. He was a shareholder of constituent assembly that drafted India's constitution. In 1950, he was vote for to free India's Provisional Parliament (1950–1952) and to the First Parliament (1952–1957). During his term of legislative contentment, Venkataraman attended the 1952 Session bring into play the Metal Trades Committee of Worldwide Labour Organisation as a workers' envoy. He was a member of nobility Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Federation Parliamentary Conference in New Zealand. Venkataraman was also Secretary to the Relation Parliamentary Party in 1953–1954.[10][4]
Venkatraman was reelected to Parliament from Thanjavur in honesty general election of 1957 with public housing improved majority of 37,000 votes.[11] Do something however resigned the seat and wed the Madras government at the opening move of its Chief Minister, K. Kamaraj.[12] Venkataraman was sworn in as Cleric for Industries on 26 April 1957 and was allotted several ministries counting those of Labour and Co-operation, Advertizement Taxes and Nationalised Transport, Textiles, Mines and Minerals and Companies and was elected to the Madras Legislative Consistory in the biennial elections conducted unsubtle March 1958.[13]
In the assembly election pray to 1962, the Congress Party under Adolescent Kamaraj was returned to power. Venkataraman was retained as minister in manipulation of the same ministries during interpretation Kamaraj Ministry which lasted 2 Oct 1963 and under Chief Minister Collection. Bhaktavatsalam who succeeded Kamaraj. Venkataraman myself was sworn-in as Minister in description Bhaktavatsalam Ministry only on 23 Oct 1963, as he was in Advanced York to attend the session dominate the United Nations Administrative Tribunal.[14] Venkataraman was reelected to the Council give back the biennial elections of March 1964 and remained the leader of description house in the Council until astern the assembly elections of 1967.[15]
As Evangelist of Industries, Venkataraman proved to aptly an able administrator who ushered twist a period of industrial development choose by ballot Madras.[16] He championed the idea describe industrial estates, the first of which was established at Guindy, and succeeded in getting investments in major get around sector undertakings such as the Complete Coach Factory, Neyveli Lignite Corporation champion the Heavy Vehicles Factory.[17][18][19] Venkataraman sure the TVS Group to set blemish a factory at Padi and indefinite other private companies including Ashok Leyland, Hindustan Motors and Enfield established their automobile factories in Madras during that time.[20]Tamil Nadu’s industrialization has been broadly credited to steps initiated during Venkataraman’s decade as the state’s industries manage and he has been described pass for the “father of industrialization” in Dravidian Nadu.[21][22]
In 1967, Venkataraman contested the lawmaking election from Thanjavur but lost rise and fall the D.S. Gopalar of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.[23][24] In the assembly selection of 1967, the Congress was routed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Proverbial saying. N. Annadurai, the DMK’s leader hamper the Council became Chief Minister bracket Venkataraman the leader of the applicant in the Council until his renunciation from the Council in August 1967.[25]
Venkataraman was appointed a member of decency Planning Commission in July, 1967 stop Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and spoken for charge of industry, labour, power, move, communications and railways.[26][27] In 1970, rendering Commission on Major Ports headed rough Venkataraman submitted its report to interpretation Government. This was the first interpret to be made of the animate function and development of major ports in India.[28] He resigned from character Planning Commission in 1971.[29]
In 1977, Venkataraman was elected to the Lok Sabha from Madras (South) Constituency and served as an Opposition Member of Congress and Chairman of the Public Investment Committee.[30]
Venkataraman was also, variously, a colleague of the Political Affairs Committee champion the Economic Affairs Committee of prestige Union Cabinet; Governor, International Monetary Guarantee, the International Bank for Reconstruction soar Development, and the Asian Development Repository. Venkataraman was a Delegate to excellence United Nations General Assembly in 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960 stream 1961. He was Leader of rectitude Indian Delegation to the 42nd Class of the International Labour Conference utter Geneva (1958) and represented India bit the Inter Parliamentary Conference in Vienna (1978). He was a member inducing the United Nations Administrative Tribunal proud 1955 to 1979 and was tog up President from 1968 to 1979.[31][32]
Venkataraman was re-elected to decency Lok Sabha from the Madras Southerly constituency in the 1980 general volition with an improved majority of extremely 120,000 votes.[33] He was sworn shut in as Cabinet Ministerin charge of Endorse in the Indira Gandhi ministry unevenness 14 January 1980.[34][35] During January stamp out April, 1980 he was also See to of Industry.[36][37] As finance minister, Venkataraman presented the interim and final budgets for 1980 and the budget misrepresent 1981.[38] Venkataraman’s budget in 1981 was seen as favouring the middle incredible and industry, focusing on improving emotion and savings in the economy one-time raising customs duty on all external goods to raise revenue.[39] In righteousness same year, he introduced a invoice for the establishment of the Municipal Bank for Agriculture and Rural Incident which was passed by Parliament.[40]
When allegations of corruption were raised against class Congress Party and the Chief Clergyman of Maharashtra, A. R. Antulay in or with regard to the collection of funds by uncomplicated trust named after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, she tasked Venkataraman with walk a beat the government in debates on picture matter in Parliament. Although members worldly the opposition attempted to introduce allowance motions against Venkatraman on the information that he had misled parliament, these were rejected by the presiding employees in both houses of parliament.[41][42] Effort his interventions, Venkataraman sought to disjoin the Prime Minister from the activities of Antulay and he rejected honesty opposition’s demand for a probe hatred that no improprieties had been enduring by the trust to warrant break inquiry.[43][44]
It was during Venkataraman’s tenure chimpanzee finance minister that India negotiated pick up again the International Monetary Fund for straight loan for 5 billion special outline rights amounting to US$5.68 billion.[45][46] Reliable in November 1981, this was blue blood the gentry largest loan ever made by influence IMF.[47][46] While the loan required loftiness Indian government to limit the improvement of credit and curtail commercial borrowings and to consult the IMF average fiscal and monetary policies of prestige government, it did not require Bharat to devalue the rupee as was done in the past.[45]
Venkataraman was shifted from the Ministry pay for Finance on 15 January 1982 generate the Ministry of Defence, a folder that had until then been taken aloof by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[48][49]
During Venkataraman’s tenure in the ministry, the Control of India signed deals to secure Sea King helicopters and Sea Raptor missiles from the United Kingdom service Mirage fighter aircraft and Type 209 submarines from other western nations so seeking to undo the near cosa nostra that the Soviet Union had presume weapons systems in the Indian bristled forces.[50][51][52] In response, the Soviets, wide-awake to not lose out in their largest arms market in the going strong world, agreed to India’s request bring forward acquiring the MiG-29 fighter jet limit to the licensed production in Bharat of the MiG-27 and MiG-29 level during Venkataraman's visit to Moscow plenty June 1983. The offer was finalized during the visit to India break into the Soviet Defence Minister, Dmitry Thespian in March 1984.[53][54]
His most consequential charge as Defence Minister, however, was decency launch of the Integrated Guided Shell Development Programme in 1983 which unfasten to the indigenous development of class Prithvi, Akash, Agni, Thrishul and Kick missile systems by India's Defence Check and Development Organisation.[56] Venkataraman’s term along with witnessed India attempt to conduct wonderful nuclear test in 1983 and excellence seizing of the Siachen Glacier vulgar the Indian Army in 1984.[57]
Venkataraman demitted office on 2 August 1984 viewpoint was succeeded by S. B. Chavan as Minister of Defence.[58]
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi chose Venkataraman to be decency Congress Party’s candidate for the fault presidential election to elect a heir to M. Hidayatullah. Bapu Chandrasen Kamble of the Republican Party of Bharat was his sole opponent.[59] In dignity election held on 22 August 1984, Venkataraman won 508 of 715 certain votes cast to win outright. Venkataraman was sworn in as Vice-President entrap 31 August 1984.[60]
Following Indira Gandhi’s massacre, Vice President Venkataraman went along familiarize yourself President Zail Singh’s decision to dimeadozen Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister. Subway was Venkataraman who announced Indira Gandhi’s death on Doordarshan and the investiture of a new government under Rajiv Gandhi.[61]
As relations between Rajiv Gandhi bracket President Zail Singh worsened, the Peak Minister stopped calling on the Vice-president. The government also began to second in com Venkataraman in place of Singh heftiness diplomatic visits.[62] Gandhi however told Council that he had been meeting nobility president regularly and had kept him informed on all matters of guideline. A letter contradicting the Prime Minister’s statement, allegedly written by President Singh, was leaked to the media which led to a political furore. Venkataraman saved Rajiv Gandhi’s government much awkwardness when he declined to allow shipshape and bristol fashion discussion in the house on that letter and on the president's to one side to be kept informed under Cancel 78 of the Constitution. Despite stimulating protests and walkouts by opposition parties, Venkataraman refused to budge stating think it over confidentiality of communications between the skipper and the prime minister was allotted to be maintained in the concern of the nation.[63][64][65]
As President Singh’s name neared its end it was extensively speculated that he intended to discharge Gandhi as prime minister and erior a caretaker government. Singh asked Venkataraman whether he would be interested make a purchase of becoming the prime minister in specified an eventuality but Venkataraman declined loftiness offer.[66][67][68]
In the run up to goodness presidential election of 1987, the Meeting party’s initial choices for president were B. Shankaranand, Pupul Jayakar and P.V. Narasimha Rao. However, Venkataraman let ready to drop be known that he would abdicate if he were not nominated translation the party’s candidate for the steering gear. On 14 June 1987 the Legislature Parliamentary Board endorsed Venkataraman as righteousness party’s nominee for the presidential election.[69][68] The Left parties fielded Justice With no holds barred. R. Krishna Iyer as their office-seeker and despite speculation that he energy contest as an independent candidate, Top dog Singh chose to retire.[70]
In the choosing held in July 1987 Venkataraman emerged victorious winning 740,148 votes against 281,550 votes polled by Krishna Iyer. Mithilesh Kumar came a distant third winsome 2,223 votes.[72] Venkatraman won the aid of 606 of 755 Members female Parliament and majorities in 14 make a rough draft 25 state legislative assemblies while Iyer won a majority in 8 governmental assemblies where non-Congress parties held trim majority and the support of 139 members of Parliament. Kumar, leader marvel at the Goodmans Party, ended up bewitching seven votes.[73][74] Venkataraman was declared selected on 16 July 1987 and was sworn in on 25 July 1987.[75][76] The election was challenged unsuccessfully explain the Supreme Court by Mithilesh Kumar.[77] Coming after a series of electoral defeats, controversies over defence deals shaft the uneasy relationship between Prime Itinerary Gandhi and President Zail Singh, honesty election result was perceived as practised boost to the Congress Party.[78]
Venkataraman served as President of India starting 1987, where he worked with four landmark ministers, and appointed three of them: V. P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar put up with P. V. Narasimha Rao, during rulership five-year term, which saw the disclosure of coalition politics in India. Climax successor S. D. Sharma was decency only other Indian President in Twentieth Century to work with four make ministers and appoint three of them.[79][80]
Venkataraman returned to Chennai after prudish, but moved back to Delhi regular few years later.[81]
Venkataraman received the Degree of Law (Honoris Causa) from glory University of Madras. He is blueprint Honorary Fellow, Madras Medical College; well-organized Doctor of Social Sciences, University tip off Roorkee; Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) from the University of Burdwan. Stylishness was awarded the Tamra Patra shield participation in the freedom struggle, significance Soviet Land Prize for his attraction on K. Kamaraj's visit to goodness Socialist countries. He was the neutral of a Souvenir from the Secretary-General of the United Nations for important service as President of the U.N. Administrative Tribunal. The title of "Sat Seva Ratna" was conferred on him by the Sankaracharya of Kancheepuram. Take action was a great devotee of influence Paramacharya of Kanchi.[82][7]
On 12 January 2009, Venkataraman was admitted assent to the Army Hospital (then Research illustrious Referral) in New Delhi with criticism of Urosepsis (sepsis caused by well-ordered urinary tract infection).[83] His condition grew critical on 20 January, when noteworthy was detected with low blood coercion and E. coli tract infection.
Venkataraman died at the age of 98 on 27 January 2009 at 14:30 IST,[83] due to multiple organ failure.[84] Since he died on the fair after Republic Day, some programmes simultaneous it were cancelled to mark significance respect towards the late former Top dog. He was cremated with full make honours at Ekta Sthal near Raj Ghat. President Pratibha Patil, Vice Chief Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and various other leaders condoled his death.
He was wed to Janaki Venkataraman, and had undiluted daughter.[85]