Who Is the President of India in 2026?
Smt. Droupadi Murmu is the 15th President of India. She took office on 25 July 2022, and her five-year term runs until 24 July 2027, so the next presidential election is due in mid-2027. She is the first person from a Scheduled Tribe and the second woman to hold the office. The Vice-President is C. P. Radhakrishnan, the 15th Vice-President, sworn in on 12 September 2025 after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned in July 2025.
Key takeaway: 15 Presidents from 1950 to 2026 (plus 3 acting Presidents who are not numbered). First = Dr. Rajendra Prasad (only one elected twice, 1950-1962). Shortest = Dr. Zakir Husain (died in office, 1969). First woman = Pratibha Patil (12th). Current = Droupadi Murmu (15th, since 25 July 2022).
The numbering below matches the official "Former Presidents of India" page of the President's Secretariat (presidentofindia.gov.in), checked on 17 October 2026; the Vice-President's details are from the Vice-President's Secretariat press release of 12 September 2025. If you are also revising other office-holder lists, see our RBI Governor list 1935 to 2026.
President of India List 1950 to 2026 (All 15)
| No. | President | From | To | Exam fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | 26 Jan 1950 | 13 May 1962 | Only President elected twice; longest tenure (about 12 years) |
| 2 | Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 13 May 1962 | 13 May 1967 | Philosopher; 5 September (his birthday) is Teachers' Day |
| 3 | Dr. Zakir Husain | 13 May 1967 | 3 May 1969 | First Muslim President; first to die in office; shortest tenure |
| 4 | V. V. Giri | 24 Aug 1969 | 24 Aug 1974 | Only President elected on second-preference votes (1969); earlier acting President |
| 5 | Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 24 Aug 1974 | 11 Feb 1977 | Signed the 1975 Emergency proclamation; second to die in office |
| 6 | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | 25 Jul 1977 | 25 Jul 1982 | Only President elected unopposed; earlier Lok Sabha Speaker |
| 7 | Giani Zail Singh | 25 Jul 1982 | 25 Jul 1987 | First Sikh President; used the "pocket veto" (Indian Post Office Bill, 1986) |
| 8 | R. Venkataraman | 25 Jul 1987 | 25 Jul 1992 | Worked with four Prime Ministers |
| 9 | Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma | 25 Jul 1992 | 25 Jul 1997 | Earlier Vice-President |
| 10 | K. R. Narayanan | 25 Jul 1997 | 25 Jul 2002 | First Dalit President |
| 11 | Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | 25 Jul 2002 | 25 Jul 2007 | "Missile Man"; Bharat Ratna 1997, before becoming President |
| 12 | Pratibha Devisingh Patil | 25 Jul 2007 | 25 Jul 2012 | First woman President |
| 13 | Pranab Mukherjee | 25 Jul 2012 | 25 Jul 2017 | Bharat Ratna 2019 |
| 14 | Ram Nath Kovind | 25 Jul 2017 | 25 Jul 2022 | Chaired the High-Level Committee on "One Nation, One Election" |
| 15 | Droupadi Murmu | 25 Jul 2022 | Incumbent (term to 24 Jul 2027) | First tribal President; second woman; first born after Independence |
Acting Presidents of India
| Acting President | Period | Why |
|---|---|---|
| V. V. Giri (then Vice-President) | 3 May 1969 - 20 Jul 1969 | Dr. Zakir Husain died in office |
| Justice M. Hidayatullah (Chief Justice of India) | 20 Jul 1969 - 24 Aug 1969 | Giri resigned to contest the election; no Vice-President in office |
| B. D. Jatti (then Vice-President) | 11 Feb 1977 - 25 Jul 1977 | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed died in office |
Acting Presidents are not numbered. That is why there are 15 Presidents, not 18.
First, Only and Records: President of India GK
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| First President | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| First woman President | Pratibha Patil (2007) |
| First tribal President | Droupadi Murmu (2022) |
| First Muslim President | Dr. Zakir Husain |
| First Sikh President | Giani Zail Singh |
| First Dalit President | K. R. Narayanan |
| Presidents who died in office | Zakir Husain (1969), Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1977) |
| Elected unopposed | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1977) |
| Elected twice | Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1952 and 1957) |
| Chief Justice who acted as President | M. Hidayatullah (1969) |
| Presidents who were earlier Vice-President | S. Radhakrishnan, Zakir Husain, V. V. Giri, R. Venkataraman, Shanker Dayal Sharma, K. R. Narayanan |
| Presidents with a Bharat Ratna | Rajendra Prasad, S. Radhakrishnan, Zakir Husain, V. V. Giri, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Pranab Mukherjee |
President of India: Constitution Articles 52 to 62 (Exam Table)
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 52 | There shall be a President of India |
| 53 | Executive power of the Union vests in the President |
| 54 | Election by an electoral college: elected MPs of both Houses + elected MLAs of states, Delhi and Puducherry |
| 55 | Manner of election: proportional representation by single transferable vote; secret ballot |
| 56 | Term of 5 years; resignation addressed to the Vice-President |
| 57 | Eligible for re-election |
| 58 | Qualifications: citizen, 35 years of age, qualified to be a Lok Sabha member, no office of profit |
| 59 | Conditions of office |
| 60 | Oath administered by the Chief Justice of India (or the senior-most Supreme Court judge) |
| 61 | Impeachment for "violation of the Constitution"; needs a two-thirds majority of the total membership of each House |
| 62 | Election to fill a vacancy: before the term ends; within 6 months if by death, resignation or removal |
Other favourites: Article 72 (pardoning power), Article 123 (ordinances), Article 352/356/360 (national, state and financial emergency). For the Constitution's structure, revise our 12 schedules of the Indian Constitution trick and fundamental rights Articles 12 to 35.
Trick to Remember the President of India List in Order
Learn them in blocks of three:
- 1-3 (the scholars): Prasad, Radhakrishnan, Zakir Husain → "PRZ".
- 4-6 (the 1970s): Giri, Fakhruddin, Sanjiva Reddy → "GFR".
- 7-9 (the 1980s-90s): Zail Singh, Venkataraman, Shanker Dayal → "ZVS".
- 10-12 (the firsts): Narayanan (first Dalit), Kalam, Pratibha (first woman) → "NKP".
- 13-15 (the latest): Pranab, Kovind, Murmu → "PKM".
Sentence trick: "PRZ GFR ZVS NKP PKM" - five groups of three = 15.
Common Mistakes in President of India Questions
- Counting acting Presidents and writing 18. The official count is 15.
- Calling Droupadi Murmu the 16th. She is the 15th.
- Saying the Vice-President is Jagdeep Dhankhar in 2026. He resigned in July 2025; C. P. Radhakrishnan has been Vice-President since 12 September 2025.
- Writing that the Chief Justice can be elected President. The CJI only acts as President when both offices are vacant (as in 1969).
- Mixing up Article 56 (term) and Article 61 (impeachment).
President of India Questions with Answers (Practice Set)
- Who is the 15th President of India? Answer: Droupadi Murmu (since 25 July 2022).
- Who was the first President of India? Answer: Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
- Who was the only President elected unopposed? Answer: Neelam Sanjiva Reddy.
- Which Chief Justice of India served as acting President? Answer: Justice M. Hidayatullah (1969).
- Who was India's first woman President? Answer: Pratibha Patil.
- Which two Presidents died in office? Answer: Zakir Husain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
- Who administers the oath to the President? Answer: the Chief Justice of India (Article 60).
- What is the minimum age to become President? Answer: 35 years (Article 58).
- To whom does the President address the resignation? Answer: the Vice-President.
- Who is the Vice-President of India in 2026? Answer: C. P. Radhakrishnan (15th, since 12 September 2025).
Practise polity and static GK in the SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 03 and SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 04.
President of India FAQs
Who is the current President of India in 2026?
Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India. She took office on 25 July 2022 and her term ends on 24 July 2027.
How many Presidents has India had from 1950 to 2026?
15 Presidents. Three more people (V. V. Giri, M. Hidayatullah and B. D. Jatti) served as acting President but are not counted in the numbering.
Who was the first President of India?
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, from 26 January 1950 to 13 May 1962. He is the only President elected twice.
Who was the first woman President of India?
Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the 12th President (2007-2012). Droupadi Murmu is the second.
Who elects the President of India?
An electoral college of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the states, Delhi and Puducherry (Article 54).
Practice Next
- Mock tests: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 03, SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 04 and SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 05.
- Related notes: 12 schedules of the Indian Constitution trick, fundamental rights Articles 12 to 35, RBI Governor list 1935 to 2026, musical instruments and their players, Governor General of India list and important constitutional amendments list.
- Exam details: SSC CGL 2026.
- Browse all study notes.