Kocheril Raman Narayanan
Term – July 25, 1997 to July 25, 2002
Kocheril Raman Narayanan was an accomplished scholar and an eminent statesman. An IFS (Indian Foreign Service) officer, he had been India’s ambassador to several countries including the USA, Japan, UK, China, and Turkey. He was often referred to as “the best diplomat of the country”. Later as a Lok Sabha member, he served as a Cabinet Minister.
In 1997. K R Narayanan became the first Dalit President of the country. He remained very involved in the government and often called himself a “working President”. He was a trendsetter and set benchmarks and protocols in office.
Surprising fact regarding his appointment as IFS comes from a story where his teacher Harold Laski a prominent political theorist and economist at his London School of Economics recommended him to then Prime Minister Dr. Jawaharlal Nehru.
Political Affiliation – Independent
