Pranab Mukherjee

Pranab Kumar Mukherjee was a highly influential Indian politician. He served as the President of India from 2012 until 2017. This role made him the first person from West Bengal to hold the presidency. His career in politics lasted for five decades. He was a central figure in the Indian National Congress party. Mukherjee was known for his deep knowledge of government systems. He held many of the most important ministerial portfolios in the country.

Mukherjee's political journey began with many different jobs. He was born on 11 December 1935 in Mirati, West Bengal. His father, Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee, was an active participant in the Indian independence movement. Before entering national politics, Mukherjee worked in several roles. He was a teacher at the Mahendra Nath Ray Institute. He also worked as a journalist for the publication Desher Dak. Later, he served as an assistant professor of political science at Vidyanagar College. He also worked as a clerk in a government office.

His rise in politics was closely tied to the leadership of Indira Gandhi. In 1969, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi helped him join the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Mukherjee became one of her most trusted lieutenants. He was appointed as a Union Deputy Minister in 1973. He was also active during the Internal Emergency from 1975 to 1977. During this time, some officials accused him of breaking governance rules. However, he remained a powerful figure in the government for many years.

Mukherjee held several critical roles that shaped India's economy and security. He served as the Finance Minister from 1982 to 1984. During this term, he helped improve government finances significantly. This allowed India to pay back its first IMF loan. He also signed the letter to appoint Manmohan Singh as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Later, in the government of Manmohan Singh, he held even more high-profile roles. He was the Minister of Defence from 2004 to 2006. He then served as the Minister of External Affairs from 2006 to 2009. Finally, he returned to the Finance Ministry from 2009 to 2012.

His political career included moments of great change and challenge. In 1986, he was sidelined by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Mukherjee then formed his own party called the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress. This party did not do well in the 1987 West Bengal elections. He eventually reconciled with the Congress leadership and merged his party in 1989. He later became a mentor to Sonia Gandhi. He helped guide her when she became the President of the Indian National Congress in 1998. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, in 2004.

In 2012, Mukherjee ran for the presidency of India. He won the election with 70 per cent of the electoral-college vote. He defeated his opponent, P. A. Sangma, in this contest. He served his full term until July 2017. He decided not to run for re-election due to health complications from old age. His successor was Ram Nath Kovind. In 2019, he received the Bharat Ratna. This is the highest civilian honour in India. He received this award from the sitting president, Ram Nath Kovind.

Mukherjee was respected for his unique political skills. He had a phenomenal memory and was known as a "number-crunching" politician. This meant he was very good at handling complex data and facts. He was also a skilled negotiator. For example, he helped negotiate the Patents Amendment Bill in 2005. He used his connections with many political leaders to find solutions. His long career connected many different eras of Indian history. He was considered a vital part of the country's political structure for fifty years.