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Zail Singh

Zail Singh
Giani Zail Singh (cropped).jpg
7th President of India
In office
25 July 1982 – 25 July 1987
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Vice President Mohammad Hidayatullah
R. Venkataraman
Preceded by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Succeeded by R. Venkataraman
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
14 January 1980 – 22 June 1982
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Preceded by Yashwantrao Chavan
Succeeded by R. Venkataraman
Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement
In office
12 March 1983 – 6 September 1986
Preceded by Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
Succeeded by R. Venkataraman
Personal details
Born Gyani Zail Singh
ਗਿਆਨੀ ਜ਼ੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ

(1916-05-05)5 May 1916
Sandhwan, Punjab, British India
Died 25 December 1994(1994-12-25) (aged 78)
Chandigarh, India
Nationality Indian
Political party Indian National Congress
Spouse(s) Pardhan Kaur
Children One son
Three daughters
Alma mater Shaheed Sikh Missionary College
Religion Sikhism

Gyani Zail Singh (Punjabi: ਜ਼ੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ, About this sound pronunciation ; 5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) was the seventh President of India, serving from 1982 to 1987. Prior to his presidency, he was a politician with the Indian National Congress party, and had held several ministerial posts in the Union Cabinet, including that of Home Minister.

His presidency was marked by Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He died of injuries in 1994 after a car accident.

He was born in Sandhwan, Faridkot district on 5 May 1916 to Kishan Singh. He was a Sikh by religion, was given the title of Gyani, as he was educated and learned about Guru Granth Sahib at Shaheed Sikh Missionary College in Amritsar.

In 1947, with the reorganization of India along secular lines, he opposed Harindar Singh, ruler of Faridkot State and was incarcerated and tortured for five years. He was called on to be the Revenue Minister of the recently formed Patiala and East Punjab States Union, under Chief Minister Gian Singh Rarewala in 1949 and later became Minister of Agriculture in 1951. From 1956 to 1962, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha.


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