When was Shankar Dayal Sharma born?

Shankar Dayal Sharma was born on 19 August 1918 in Bhopal.

What positions has Shankar Dayal Sharma held?

Positions held by Shankar Dayal Sharma include: President of India (1992–1997); Vice President of India (1987–1992); Governor of Maharashtra (1986–1987); Governor of Punjab (1985–1986); governor of Andhra Pradesh (1984–1985).

Where did Shankar Dayal Sharma study?

Shankar Dayal Sharma was educated at University of Allahabad, University of Lucknow, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge.

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Shankar Dayal Sharma

शंकरदयाल शर्मा

President of India from 1992 to 1997

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Shankar Dayal Sharma (Hindi: [ˈɕəŋkəɾ d̪əˈjaːl ˈʃəɾmaː] ; 19 August 1918 – 26 December 1999) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the president of India from 1992 to 1997 and vice president of India from 1987 to 1992.

Quick facts

Born: 19 August 1918 wd
Place of birth: Bhopal wd
Died: 26 December 1999 wd
Place of death: New Delhi wd
Citizenship: British Raj, India wd
Occupation: politician, lawyer wd
Political party: Indian National Congress wd
Education: University of Allahabad, University of Lucknow, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, Harvard Law School, University of Zurich wd
Spouse: Vimala Sharma wd

Positions held wd

President of India (25 July 1992 – 25 July 1997)
Vice President of India (3 September 1987 – 24 July 1992)
Governor of Maharashtra (3 April 1986 – 2 September 1987)
Governor of Punjab (26 November 1985 – 2 April 1986)
governor of Andhra Pradesh (29 August 1984 – 26 November 1985)
Member of the Lok Sabha (15 March 1971 – 18 January 1977)
Member of the 7th Lok Sabha

About

Born in Bhopal, Sharma studied at Agra, Allahabad and Lucknow and received a doctorate in constitutional law from the University of Cambridge and was a bar-at-law from Lincoln's Inn and a Brandeis Fellow at Harvard University. During 1948–49, Sharma was one of the leaders of the movement for the merger of Bhopal State with India, a cause for which he served eight months' imprisonment.

A member of the Indian National Congress party, Sharma was chief minister (1952–56) of Bhopal State and served as a cabinet minister (1956–1971) in the government of Madhya Pradesh holding several portfolios. Sharma was president of the Bhopal State Congress Committee (1950–52), Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (1966–68) and of the All India Congress Committee (1972–74). He served as Union Minister for Communications (1974–77) under prime minister Indira Gandhi. Twice elected to the Lok Sabha, Sharma served as governor of Andhra Pradesh (1984–85), Punjab (1985–86) and Maharashtra (1986–87) before being elected unopposed as the vice president of India in 1987.

Sharma was elected president of India in 1992 and served till 1997 during which period he dealt with four prime ministers, three of whom he appointed in the last year of his presidency. He was assertive with the P. V. Narasimha Rao ministry, forcing his government to sack a governor, instigating a strong response to the demolition of the Babri Masjid and refusing to sign ordinances presented to him on the eve of elections. His appointment of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as prime minister on the grounds of him being the leader of the largest party in the Parliament attracted widespread criticism especially…

Questions

When was Shankar Dayal Sharma born?: Shankar Dayal Sharma was born on 19 August 1918 in Bhopal.
What positions has Shankar Dayal Sharma held?: Positions held by Shankar Dayal Sharma include: President of India (1992–1997); Vice President of India (1987–1992); Governor of Maharashtra (1986–1987); Governor of Punjab (1985–1986); governor of Andhra Pradesh (1984–1985).
Where did Shankar Dayal Sharma study?: Shankar Dayal Sharma was educated at University of Allahabad, University of Lucknow, Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge.

Sources

Last updated 4 November 2026 · facts checked 7 November 2026

Cite this page

"Shankar Dayal Sharma". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/shankar-dayal-sharma. Retrieved 7 November 2026.

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