Dr. Zakir Hussain was the third President of India, serving from 1967 until his death in 1969. He was a noted scholar, educationist, and politician. He was also the first Muslim President of India. Prior to his presidency, he served as the Vice President of India from 1962 to 1967. Hussain was a strong advocate for education and was instrumental in establishing several institutions of higher learning, including the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi.
Zakir Husain Khan, born in Hyderabad, was an Indian economist and politician who served as the third President of India, from 13 May, 1967, until his death on 3 May, 1969.
More about his life
- At the age of 23, he founded the National Muslim University, today known as Jamia Millia Islamia (a central university), with a group of students and teachers.
- Under his guidance, Jamia became closely associated with the Indian freedom movement.
- He served as its vice-chancellor from 1926 to 1948.
- From 1956 to 1958, he was also part of the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- In 1957, Dr Husain was appointed as the Governor of Bihar and later elected as vice president in 1962.
- As an official candidate of the Congress party, he was elected as the President of India in 1967.
- While in Germany, Husain was instrumental in bringing out the anthology of arguably the greatest Urdu poet Mirza Assadullah Khan “Ghalib” (1797–1868).
Legacy
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 1963.