First President

NAME: Dr. Rajendra Prasad
BORN: December 3, 1884
DIED: February 28, 1963
PRESIDENCY: January 26, 1950 to May 13, 1962

India’s first President was born in the Saran district of North Bihar. Prasad spent his childhood listening to tales from the Ramayana, and the epic had a profound influence on his life. A brilliant student, he studied in the Presidency College, Calcutta, and topped in Master of Arts and Master of Law at the Calcutta University. He joined the Indian National Congress while practicing Law in Calcutta in 1911. Even though he made his mark as a lawyer, he was deeply influenced by Gandhi, and plunged himself into the freedom struggle. Prasad emerged as the Man Friday of the Indian National Congress during the course of the freedom movement and was called upon to handle important assignments. He twice became the president of the Congress in 1934 and 1939. Prasad emerged as the only choice for presidency after the country became a Republic in 1950. As the President, he influenced and moulded policies to a large extent and set numerous precedents for his successors. When it came to relinquishing office in 1962, after being the First Citizen of India for 12 long years, Prasad did not bat an eyelid, despite persuasions from all quarters. The nation befittingly awarded him with a Bharat Ratna.

Second President

NAME: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
BORN: September 5, 1888
DIED: April 17, 1975
PRESIDENCY: May 13, 1962 to May 13, 1967

Best known as a philosopher, statesman, writer, educationist, humanist and administrator, Radhakrishnan was born in a middle class Hindu family in Tirutani in the then Madras State. Despite being orthodox, his parents had a vision for their son and sent him to Christain missionary schools and colleges, such as Lutheran Mission School, Tirupati; Vellore College, Vellore; and Madras Christian College. He took up Philosophy at the graduation level in Madras University and went on to master the subject. It was because of him that Indian philosophy is today accorded respect in the West. Throughout his glorious career, Radhakrishnan held numerous important academic, cultural and political posts, both in India and abroad, such as Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Spaulding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics, Oxford University, Leader of the Indian Delegation to UNESCO, Ambassador-Extraord inary and Minister-Plenipoten tiary to the U.S.S.R., etc. He was also showered with notable honorary degrees and distinctions that include Knighthood, Fellow of the British Academy, the Order of Merit and the Bharat Ratna. He has written extensively on philosophical, theological, ethical, educational, social and cultural subjects. Twice the Vice-President of India, Radhakrishnan became the President after Dr. Rajendra Prasad. His birthday is celebrated as Teacher's Day throughout India.

Third President

NAME: Dr. Zakir Hussain
BORN: February 8, 1897
DIED: May 3, 1969
PRESIDENCY: May 13, 1967 to May 3, 1969

An educator, Zakir Hussain was born in Hyderabad. He studied at Islam High School, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, and later at the Anglo-Muhammadan Oriental College (now known as Aligarh Muslim University). He also founded the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi. After coming back from Germany, where he had gone for higher studies, Hussain became the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia. He held several posts as Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education, a member of the University Grants Commission and a member of the University Education Commission. Hussain served as the Vice-President from 1962 to 1967 and then went on to grace Rashtrapati Bhavan as the third President. The first President to die while in office, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1954 and the Bharat Ratna in 1963.

Fourth President

NAME: Varahagiri Venkata Giri
BORN: August 10, 1894
DIED: June 23, 1980
PRESIDENCY: May 3, 1969 to July 20, 1969 and August 24, 1969 to August 24, 1974

A prolific writer and a good orator, India's fourth President was born in Berhampur in the Ganjam district of Orissa (then a part of the Madras Presidency). A Telegu by birth, he went to the University of Dublin, Ireland, for higher studies. He soon got absorbed into the freedom struggle in Ireland. Back home, he took active interest in the labour movement and was responsible for forming the All India Trade Union Congress. While taking active participation in the freedom movement, Giri joined the Indian National Congress and mobilised the trade unions in support of the freedom struggle. He was elected to the Parliament in 1952. Thereafter, Giri served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Mysore from 1957 to 1967. He became the Vice-President in 1967. Giri had to officiate as President as the then incumbent Dr. Zakir Hussain passed away while in office. He was finally elected the President in 1969. Giri received the Bharat Ratna in 1975.

Fifth President

NAME: Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
BORN: May 13, 1905
DIED: February 11, 1977
PRESIDENCY: August 24, 1974 to February 11, 1977

A man of many abilities, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was born on May 13, 1905 in the Hauz Qazi area of Old Delhi. He received his primary education from Bonda Government High School, Uttar Pradesh, and did his matriculation from the Delhi Government High School, then under the Punjab University. Later, he joined the Catherine College, Cambridge University, and was called to the Bar from Inner Temple of London. Ahmed joined the Indian National Congress in 1931 and took active part in the freedom struggle. He became part of the Central Cabinet after Independence and held important portfolios. The country's fifth President could not complete his term due to a fatal heart attack.

Sixth President

NAME: Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
BORN: May 18, 1913
DIED: June 1, 1996
PRESIDENCY: July 25, 1977 to July 25, 1982

India’s sixth President was born in the Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh. After completing his primary education at Theosophical High School at Adyar in Madras, Reddy went to Government's Arts College at Anantpur for higher studies. He plunged into the freedom movement in 1931, participating in various nationalist activities. Reddy became the chief minister of the then newly-formed state of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, and later from 1962 to 1964. He served in the cabinet of Prime ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. Twice elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker (1967 and 1977), Reddy became the President in 1977 after winning the elections hands down as an unopposed candidate.

Seventh President

NAME: Giani Zail Singh
BORN: May 5, 1916
DIED: December 25, 1994
PRESIDENCY: July 25, 1982 to July 25, 1987

A man of the masses and the only Sikh President of India till date, Zail Singh was born in an agricultural family in village Sandhwan in the then Faridkot State. Hailing from a humble background, Singh showed remarkable acumen in mastering Sikh history and its scriptures. He acquired the epithet of ‘Giani’ because of his scholarly abilities. After leading the fight against feudalism and participating actively in the freedom movement in Punjab, Singh went on to become the chief minister of the state in 1972. Punjab enjoyed unprecedented peace and prosperity under his leadership. Indira Gandhi inducted him into her cabinet as home minister in 1980. As home minister, Singh utilised his administrative skills to solve many problems that stared in the face of the nation. He was elected to the highest office of India in 1982.

Eighth President

NAME: Ramaswamy Venkataraman
BORN: December 4, 1910
PRESIDENCY: July 25, 1987 to July 25, 1992

The only living former President, Venkataraman was born in village Rajamadam in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. He did his Masters in Economics from Madras University and Law from Law College, Madras. As a practicing lawyer, he became involved with the Quit India Movement in 1942. Venkataraman was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted India`s Constitution. After India became a Republic, he was elected to the Parliament in 1952. Later, he held important portfolios in the Madras Government. Re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980, Venkataraman was part of Indira Gandhi`s Cabinet. He was Governor, International Monetary Fund, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Asian Development Bank. He was elected Vice-President of India in 1984 and became the President in 1987.

Ninth President

NAME: Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma
BORN: August 19, 1918
DIED: December 26, 1999
PRESIDENCY: July 25, 1992 to July 25, 1997

Born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Sharma studied in St. John's College, Agra; Allahabad University; Lucknow University; Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University; Lincoln's Inn, London and Harvard Law School, USA. He taught Law at Cambridge University in 1946-47. While in Britain, Sharma took active interest in India's struggle for Independence, and later joined the Indian National Congress. After India became a Republic, Sharma took over as the Chief Minister of Bhopal in 1952 before the state of Madhya Pradesh was formed. He also occupied the posts of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra. Sharma was elected the Vice-President in 1987 and eventually the country's President in 1992. He is credited to have sworn in three prime ministers.

Tenth President

NAME: Kocheril Raman Narayanan
BORN: October 27, 1920
DIED: November 9, 2005
PRESIDENCY: July 25, 1997 to July 25, 2002

A scholar and a writer, Narayanan was born in village Uzhavoor in Kottayam district of Kerala. He did his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English Literature from Travancore University, and later went on to study at the London School of Economics. After a stint in journalism, Narayanan joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1949 and served in Rangoon, Tokyo, London, Canberra and Hanoi. He was India's Ambassador to Thailand, Turkey, China, and eventually became Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in 1976. After retiring from Foreign Service, Narayanan became the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1979. He was India's Ambassador to the United States from 1980 to 1984. Upon entering active politics, Narayanan became a Member of Parliament from 1985 to 1992. During this period, he served as Union Minister of State in the Central Cabinet holding diverse portfolios. Elected to the post of Vice-President in 1992, Narayanan became the President in 1997. The only Dalit, till date, to occupy the highest office of India, Narayanan presided over the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of India's freedom from British rule. He is also the first President to cast his vote in the 1998 General Elections.

Eleventh President

NAME: Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
BORN: October 15, 1931
PRESIDENCY: July 25, 2002 to July 25, 2007

One of the most distinguished scientists of India, Abdul Kalam is known as the Missile Man of India. He was born at Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu, and studied Aeronautical Engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology. Kalam developed India`s first Satellite Launch Vehicle. He also developed and enabled operationalisation of Agni and Prithvi missiles. It was largely because of his efforts that India became a nuclear weapons` country. Befittingly, he has been bestowed with all the three civilian honours of the Nation. The 11th President is also credited with many firsts to his credit. He is the first President to be awarded the Bharat Ratna before he occupied Rashtrapati Bhavan, the first scientist to become the President and the first bachelor to be elected to the highest office of the land. He created history by flying the Sukhoi 30.

12th president

Pratibha Patil

Pratibha Devisingh Patil (Marathi: प्रतिभा देवीसिंह पाटिल) (born December 19, 1934) is the current President of India, the 12th person and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on July 25, 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Patil, a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), was nominated by the ruling United Progressive Alliance and Indian Left. She won the presidential election held on July 19, 2007 defeating her nearest rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat by over 300,000 votes.^[1][2][3]

Patil represented Edlabad constituency in Jalgaon District, Maharashtra as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1962-1985), and was deputy chairwoman of the Rajya Sabha (1986-1988), Member of Parliament from Amravati in the Lok Sabha (1991-1996), and the 24th, and the first woman Governor of Rajasthan (2004-2007).

On 14th June, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the ruling alliance of political parties in India headed by Congress (I), and the Indian left nominated her as their candidate for the Presidential Election to be held on 19 July 2007.^[18] She emerged as a compromise candidate after the Left parties would not agree to the nomination of present Home Minister Shivraj Patil. At that point, Sonia Gandhi proposed Pratibha Patil's name. Her loyalty to Nehru-Gandhi family was widely perceived to be a major factor in her nomination as UPA-Left Presidential candidate.^[19]

As a result of the potential that she would become the first female President of India, UPA Chairwoman Sonia Gandhi described her nomination as a "historic occasion" in India's 60th year of independence.

Before leaving Jaipur for New Delhi, she thanked Sonia Gandhi for choosing her and said that her first job as president would be to make National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) started by UPA a success.^[20] In Delhi she asserted that she would not be a rubber stamp president.^[19]

Accompanied by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi she filed her nomination on 23 June which was found to be valid after scrutiny. She faced Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, an NDA supported candidate, in a straight contest, and visited state capitals to garner support. Her campaign got a major boost with decision of UNPA to abstain from voting.

The Leader of the Opposition L K Advani sought intervention of Election Commission of India to get Pratibha Patil to declare her assets,^[21] but this was rejected by the Commission.

Shiv Sena, an important ally of NDA, declared its support to Pratibha Patil on the grounds that she will be the first Maharashtrian to hold this prestigious post. This decision of Shiv Sena created trouble in BJP-Sena alliance.^[22]

1. The Statue of Liberty's index finger is eight feet long.
2. Rain has never been recorded in some parts of the Atacama Desert in Chile.
3. A 75 year old person will have slept about 23 years.
4. Boeing 747's wing span is longer than the Wright brother's first flight. The Wright brother's invented the airplane.
5. There are as many chickens on earth as there are humans.
6. One type of hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
7. The word "set" has the most number of definitions in the English language; 192 Slugs have four noses.
8. Sharks can live up to 100 years.
9. Mosquitos are more attracted to the color blue than any other color.
10. Kangaroos can't walk backwards.
11. About 75 acres of pizza are eaten in in the U.S. everyday.
12. The largest recorded snowflake was 15 Inch wide and 8 Inch thick. It fell in Montana in 1887.
13. The tip of a bullwhip moves so fast that the sound it makes is actually a tiny sonic boom.
14. Former president Bill Clinton only sent 2 emails in his entire 8 year presidency.
15. Koalas and humans are the only animals that have finger prints.
16. There are 200,000,000 insects for every one human.
17. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery had in it to begin with.
18. The world's largest Montessori school is in India, with 26,312 students in 2002.
19. Octopus have three hearts.
20. If you ate too many carrots, you would turn orange.
21. The average person spends two weeks waiting for a traffic light to change.
22. 1 in 2,000,000,000 people will live to be 116 or old.
23. The body has 2-3 million sweat glands.
24. Sperm whales have the biggest brains; 20 lbs.
25. Tiger shark embroyos fight each other in their mother's womb. The survivor is born.
26. Most cats are left pawed.
27. 250 people have fallen off the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
28. A Blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant.
29. You use 14 muscles to smile and 43 to frown. Keep Smiling!
30. Bamboo can grow up to 3 ft in 24 hours.
31. An eyeball weighs about 1 ounce.

1. Our Birth is our Opening Balance.
2. Our Death is our Closing Balance.
3. Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities.
4. Our Creative Ideas are our Assets.
5. Heart is our Current Asset.
6. Soul is our Fixed Asset.
7. Brain is our Fixed Deposit.
8. Thinking is our Current Account.
9. Achievements are our Capital.
10. Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade.
11. Friends are our General Reserves.
12. Values & Behavior are our Goodwill.
13. Patience is our Interest Earned.
14. Love is our Dividend.
15. Children are our Bonus Issues.
16. Education is Brands/Patents.
17. Knowledge is our Investment.
18. Experience is our Premium Account.
19. The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.
20. The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award.

India will have uninterrupted supply of Nuclear Fuel for its US-made nuclear reactors. India and the US will agree to transfer nuclear material, non-nuclear material, equipment and components. US will support/help India in developing strategic reserves of nuclear fuel to guard against future disruption of nuclear supply using the its international 'Big Brother' role . In case of disruption, US and India will jointly convene a group of friendly supplier countries (NSG) to include nations like Russia, France and the UK to pursue such measures to restore fuel supply.


Side-effects of Npowerment

Color

DiamondsDiamond color is graded on a scale of the alphabet, using letters D through Z. The letters A, B, and C aren't used. This is because when the Gemological Institute of America invented the scale they wanted to disassociate it from jewelry stores that used their own color grade scales. The colors D, E, and F are considered to be completely colorless. D is of course, the best. Some famous diamonds are actually leaning towards the Z end of the scale but aren't quite "Fancy colored", like the faint yellow 55-carat Sancy Diamond. The largest known D-color diamond in the world is the Centenary, which weighs 273.85 carats. The second largest is probably the Millennium Star, which weighs 203.04 carats. Some diamonds do not fit onto the scale, such as fancy colored diamonds. Diamonds occur in every color of the rainbow. The rarest colors are red and purple, and combinations of those two colors. Yellow and brown are the most common color of diamond, but colorless is the most popular as far as jewelry is concerned. (Colored diamonds are very gradually appearing in more and more jewelry stores as they become more well-known.) Blues and greens are very rare, especially naturally colored stones. Some lightly colored diamonds (light light pink, light light blue, ect.) are irradiated to make their color more intense. This means that low fields of radiation are beamed into the cut and polished stone, darkening the outer part of the stone all the way around. The process is permanent and professionally accepted in the diamond industry. Probably the largest irradiated diamond is the Deepdene, a 104.88-carat golden yellow cushion shaped stone.

The Color Scale Terms for Distinct Colors

Faint *
Very Light *
Light *
Fancy Light
Fancy
Fancy Intense
Fancy Vivid

*May fall into the lower end of the D-Z scale.

The color scale for colorless to near-colorless diamonds.

A natural fancy colored diamond will cost you much much more than an irradiated one. Such well known diamonds as the Hope, the Dresden Green, the Tiffany Yellow, the Conde Pink, and Sultan of Morocco, the Transvaal Blue, the Wittelsbach, the Agra, and the Great Chrysanthemum are all very very unique because they were not irradiated. One remarkable stone, the Dresden Green, stands out amoung the naturals. It is the largest green diamond in the world at 40.70 carats. The fact it is an historic diamond, quite large and a natural green color with a slight blue overtone makes it virtually priceless. The Hope is also very unusual for the same reasons, but much more famous. The stone was originally a rather flat, blocky 110-carat rough. It was cut into a triangular pear of 68 carats, and then again into the 45.52-carat cushion cut it is today. The Conde Pink is a pear shaped 9.01-carat pink stone once owned by Louis XIII, also a naturally colored diamond.

In 1988, Sotheby's Auction House also sold a round, 0.90-carat, VS2 clarity, vivid green of natural color for $663,000 to an American collector. The per-carat price was over $736,000. This per-carat price is second to the 0.95-carat Hancock Red Diamond that sold also at Sotheby's for $880,000 (or $926,315 per-carat) on April 28, 1987. The stone is rumored to have been bought by a man representing the Sultan of Brunei, who is said to have one of the largest colored diamond collections in the world. All in all, a colored diamond is going to cost more than a colorless one, but colorless diamonds will probably always be more popular in the market.

Clarity

Diamond clarity is measured on a scale of I3 to FL. These are short for Imperfect 3 and Flawless. I3 (imperfect, eye visible inclusions), I2 (imperfect, eye visible inclusions), and I1 (imperfect, eye visible inclusions). I3 is the worst one the scale. It's so included that it looks like there is a cottonball trapped inside the diamond. Then higher up on the scale is SI2 (slight inclusions), and SI1 (slight inclusions). Many SI diamonds that are finely cut may look alot better than their clarity calls for. VS2 and VS1 are the next on the scale, standing for very small inclusions. Both the Hope and the Tiffany Yellow Diamond are of VS1 in clarity. VVS1 and VVS2 stand for very very small inclusions. The 137-carat Light of Peace is a VVS1 in clarity and a D in color.

IF stands for internally flawless, and then FL, which stands for flawless. In your everyday jewelry store, an interally flawless diamond is unusual. D, E, and F-color diamonds are fairly common, especially smaller ones. A combination of D-color and Internally Flawless is rare, and therefore more expensive. The two largest faceted D-Internally Flawless diamonds that I know of are the 273.85-carat Centenary Diamond and the 203.04-carat Millenium Star Diamond. The largest Internally Flawless diamond is the Incomparable, which is a 407-carat Fancy Brownish-Yellow "triolette" shape. Flawless diamonds are quite rare. The highest grade one usually sees is Interally Flawless. You could search the world for a Flawless diamond but there wouldn't be much point -- an Internally Flawless would essentially be just as good. The only difference is an Internally Flawless diamond is allowed to have 'naturals', which are unpolished surfaces of the original diamond crystal still remaining on the finished gem. They are usually small and hidden from view on the pavilion side of the stone, up near the girdle. They tend to have a glassy (but not polished) look, sometimes showing 'trigons', which are triangular depressions characteristic of many diamond crystals. As long as that aren't visible in the face-up diamond, they don't affect the clarity grade. However, they can't be present in a diamond for it to receive a Flawless grading.

Cut

There are many many different types of diamond cuts. The most common is the round brilliant, which has 57 facets. There are several very common variations on the round brilliant - the oval, the marquise, some cushion cuts, and the pear. All of which, in standard form, have 57 facets. Other very common diamond cuts are the heart, the step, and the princess. The sky is the limit as far as diamond cuts go. The last I heard, there are 255 registered diamond cuts.

However, the ones I just mentioned are the most common because some exotic cuts can waste rough stone. Heart cuts have become very popular the past few years, partly because of the booming diamond industry, and the film "Titanic", which featured a large heart cut blue sapphire that was thrown into the ocean. The movie prop was fake. However, after the film's release, a jewelry company faceted a heart cut sapphire identical to the stone in the film, then mounted it in a necklace to match. People often confuse the Hope Diamond and the 'Heart of Ocean' - both were blue, and both were surrounded by smaller white stones. However, one is a heart cut and the other a cushion, and the 'Heart of the Ocean' is considerably larger than the Hope Diamond. I am perpetually irritated by people confusing the Hope with the 'Heart of the Ocean.'

Carat-Weight

Carat weight is the most deciding factor as to the value of a diamond. A well cut diamond of SI1 clarity and a weight of 4.00 carats would be worth alot more than one of the same clarity, but weighing 1.60 carats and VS2 clarity.

The largest faceted diamond in the world is the Golden Jubilee, weighing 545.67 carats. It is a Fancy Brownish-Yellow color and "fire rose cushion cut." It is unusual also because it has a certain type of rare color banding. The second largest faceted diamond in the world is the Star of Africa, also known as the Cullinan I. It weighs 530.20 carats and is a pear shape with 74 facets. The third largest diamond in the world is the Incomparable. It is a golden yellow-orange color, pear shaped, and weighs 407 carats. The fourth largest faceted diamond in the world is the Cullinan II. It was cut from the same stone as the Star of Africa - aka Cullinan I. It weighs 317.40 carats and is a cushion cut.

Up until 2001, the most valuable diamond (price-per-carat) was the 0.95-carat fancy red Hancock Red that had been sold at auction at Christies, NYC, for $880,000 ($926,315 per-carat). The stone was apparently purchased by a buyer representing the Sultan of Brunei, who reputedly has one of the largest collections of fancy colored diamonds in the world. I am not exactly sure which diamond holds the world record for the highest price per-carat, but I am almost certain its no longer held by the Hancock Red. Time will tell!