Dr. Zakir Hussain was the third President of India and the first Indian President to die in office before completing his term. He was elected as the Head of State on May 9, 1967, and formally sworn in on May 13, 1967. A highly respected educationist and statesman, Dr. Hussain's tenure was cut short when he passed away on May 3, 1969. His presidency was marked by his deep commitment to national unity, secularism, and educational reform.

Born on February 8, 1897, in Qaimganj, Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh, into a Pathan family, Dr. Zakir Hussain was instrumental in founding Jamia Millia Islamia in 1920. He later pursued higher education in economics at the University of Berlin, earning a doctorate. A passionate advocate of education, he served as Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia and later of Aligarh Muslim University in 1948. He was Governor of Bihar from 1957 to 1962 and became the second Vice President of India in 1962. For his immense contributions, he was honored with the Padma Vibhushan in 1954 and the Bharat Ratna in 1963, India’s highest civilian award. His legacy endures in the fields of education, governance, and national integration.