Rajendra

Prasad Biography
Dr Rajendra Prasad served as the first President of Independent
India. This biography offers detailed information about his
childhood, works, activities and timeline.
Quick Facts
Nationality

Indian

Religion

Hinduism

Born on

03 December 1884 AD

Zodiac Sign

Sagittarius

Born in

Ziradei, Siwan, Bihar

Died on

28 February 1963 AD

Place of death

Patna, Bihar

Father

Mahadev Sahai

Mother

Kamleshwari Dev

Spouse:

Rajvanshi Devi

Children

Mrityunjaya Prasad

Awards

Bharat Ratna

Dr Rajendra Prasad was the first president of independent

India. His life has been truly inspiring for all Indians. A lawyer
by training and an active Indian political leader, Prasads
interest in Indian politics began as early as in 1911 when he the
Indian National Congress. Despite having a contention for the
Gandhian principles in the beginning, he later imbibed the true
spirit of Gandhi by adopting him as his mentor, practicing selfdiscipline and working relentlessly in the non-cooperation
movement. He toured many parts of the country, spreading the
ideals and beliefs of Mahatma Gnadhi. Blessed with remarkable
organisational capacity and leadership qualities, he thrice
headed the Indian National Congress. When India finally gained
independence from the British rule, he took over as a cabinet
minister, slowly making his way to the chair of the President of
the Constituent Assembly and later taking up the office of
Indias President for two terms. Other than his political
activities, he made several literary contributions as well. His
most significant works are India Divided, Satyagraha at
Champaran, Atmakatha and Since Independence.
Childhood & Early Life
Rajendra Prasad was born to Mahadev Sahai and
Kamleshwari Devi at Zeradei, in the Siwan district of Bihar
on December 3, 1884. He was the youngest kid of the
family.
While his father, a scholar of Persian and Sanskrit
language, was a dawning influence on young Prasads life
and career, his mother took care of the moral upbringing,

teaching him Indian mythology.

A meritorious student, he received his early education
from Moulavi, an accomplished Muslim scholar, who
taught him Persian, Hindi and arithmetic.
He later studied at the Chapra District School and T.K.
Ghosh's Academy in Patna. For higher education, he
moved to Calcutta where he secured a scholarship at the
Presidency College, for a degree in science.
He later changed his stream of studies from science to
arts, attaining his MA in Economics in 1907.
It was while in college that he first became acquainted
with T he Dawn Society and he became an active member
of the same. In 1906, he played a crucial role in the
formation of the Bihari Students Conference.
Completing his education, he took up the job of a
professor of English at the Langat Singh College in
Muzaffarpur and was soon was promoted as the principal.
In 1908, he left his chair of the principal to pursue a
degree in law at the Calcutta City College, where he
doubled up as a professor of Economics. In 1915, he
graduated with honors with a Masters degree in Law,
winning a gold medal. In 1937, he completed his Doctorate
in Law from Allahabad University
Meanwhile in 1911, joined the Indian National Congress.
Care e r
Upon completing his legal studies, he took to working at
the High Court of Bihar and Odisha in 1916. A year later,
he was appointed as one of the first members of the
Senate and Syndicate of the Patna University.
He, along with his volunteers, rendered support to Gandhi
during his fact-finding mission in Champaran district of
Bihar to address the grievances of the Indian peasants.
As soon as the Non-Cooperation Movement was passed
by the Indian National Congress in 1920, he gave up on
his legal career as well as his university duties to enter

politics and work towards Indias freedom struggle wholeheartedly.

He actively participated in the non-cooperation movement,
touring states, holding public meetings, collecting funds
and inciting people for boycotting everything western from schools, colleges to even government offices. As part
of the movement, he urged people to give up on western
clothes and adopt khadi.
Unlike others in the Indian Congress who misjudged
Gandhijis suspension of the civil disobedience movement
due to the violent route that it had taken, he stood by his
mentor. He even replicated Gandhis Salt Satyagraha in
Bihar for which he was imprisoned.
In 1934, he was elected the President of the Indian
National Congress during the Bombay session. After the
resignation of Subhash Chandra Bose as President of the
INC in 1939, he again took up the responsibility. His main
aim then was to mend the rift created in the Indian
Congress due to the ideological differences between Bose
and Gandhi.
In 1942, upon Congresss authorization of the Quit India
Movement, numerous Indian leaders were imprisoned and
he was one amongst them. He stayed imprisoned at the
Bankipur Central Jail for three years until his release on
June 15, 1945.
After India's independence from the British-Raj, he served
as one of the cabinet ministers of the Interim Government,
taking charge of the Food and Agriculture Department.
In December 1946, he was elected as the President of
Constituent Assembly, which was established to frame the
Constitution of India.
On January 26, 1950, when the Constitution of Indian was
adopted, he was elected as Indias first President. He
served in the position for two terms until 1962, thus
becoming the first and the only President of India to have
been twice in the office.

During his role as the President of India, he adhered to

the Presidential duties and acted independently of politics
as expected by the President of India as per the
Constitution. He played an active role in state affairs.
During his presidency, he toured numerous countries on
mission of goodwill such as Japan, Ceylon, USSR, IndoChina, Malaya and Indonesia. He looked forward to
establishing peaceful relations with other countries.
In 1962, after serving for twelve years as the President of
India, he relinquished his duties as the President and
moved to Patna where he stayed at the campus of Bihar
Vidyapeeth. He spent his last years of retirement at the
Sadaqat Ashram in Patna.
Aw ards & Achie v e m e nts
For his unconditional contribution as a leader of the Indian
National Congress and as the President of India, he was
conferred with Indias highest civilian award - Bharat
Ratna.
Pe rsonal Life & Le gacy
He was married to Rajavanshi Devi at the age of twelve.
T he couple was blessed with a son - Mrityunjaya Prasad.
He breathed his last on February 28, 1963 at the Sadaqat
Ashram in Patna.
Triv ia
A Bharat Ratna recipient, he was the first President of
free India and the only one to serve for two terms in the
office of the President.