Dr.Rajendra prasad history

orn:
December
3, 1884
Died:
February
28, 1963
Achievements: First President of independent
India; President of the Constituent Assembly;
President of Congress in 1943 and 1939.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of
independent India. He was the President of the
Constituent Assembly that drafted the
Constitution. He had also served as a Cabinet
Minister briefly in the first Government of
independent India. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was one
of the foremost disciples of Gandhiji and he
played a crucial role in Indian freedom struggle.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was born on December 3,
1884 in Ziradei village in Siwan district of Bihar.
His father's name was Mahadev Sahay and his
mother's name was Kamleshwari Devi. Rajendra
Prasad was youngest among his siblings.
Mahadev Sahay was a Persian and Sanskrit
language scholar. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was
greatly attached to his mother and elder brother
Mahendra.
At the age of five Rajendra Prasad was, according
to the practice in the community to which he
belonged, put under a Maulavi who taught him
Persian. Later, he was taught Hindi and
arithmetic. At the age of 12, Rajendra Prasad was
married to Rajvanshi Devi.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was a brilliant student. He
stood first in the entrance examination to the
University of Calcutta, and was awarded a
monthly scholarship of Rs.30. He joined the
famous Calcutta Presidency College in 1902. Here
his teachers included the great scientist Jagdish
Chandra Ray and the highly respected Prafulla
Chandra Roy. Later on he switched from Science
to Arts and completed his M.A. and Masters in
Law. Meanwhile, in 1905, Doctor, Rajendra Prasad
was initiated into the Swadeshi Movement by his
elder brother Mahendra. He also joined the Dawn
Society run by Satish Chandra Mukherjee, and
Sister Nivedita.
The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian
national scene greatly influenced Dr. Rajendra
Prasad. While Gandhiji was on a fact-finding
mission in Champaran district of Bihar, he called
on Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with
volunteers. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was greatly
impressed by the dedication, conviction and
courage that Gandhiji displayed. Gandhiji's
influence greatly altered Dr. Rajendra Prasad's
outlook. He sought ways to simplify his life and
reduced the number of servants he had to one.
He started doing his daily chores such as
sweeping the floor, washing the utensils-the
tasks he had all along assumed others would do
for him.
After coming into contact with Gandhiji, Dr.
Rajendra Prasad, immersed himself fully into the
freedom struggle. He played a active role during
Non-Cooperation Movement. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
was arrested in 1930 while participating in Salt
Satyagraha. He was in jail when on 15 January
1934 a devastating earthquake struck Bihar.
Rajendra Prasad was released from the jail two
days later and he immediately set himself for the
task of raising funds and organizing relief. The
Viceroy also raised a fund for the purpose.
However, while Rajendra Prasad's fund collected
over Rs.3.8million, the Viceroy could only
manage one-third of that amount. The way the
relief was organized, it amply demonstrated the
administrative acumen of Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
Soon after this Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as
the President of the Bombay session of the
Indian National Congress. He was elected as
Congress President again in 1939 in the
following the resignation of Netaji Subash
Chandra Bose.
In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was
established to frame the Constitution of India, Dr.
Rajendra Prasad was elected its President. Two
and a half years after independence, on January
26, 1950, the Constitution of independent India
was ratified and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected
as India's first President. As a President, he used
his moderating influence silently and
unobtrusively and set a healthy precedent for
others to follow. During his tenure as President
he visited many countries on missions of
goodwill and sought to establish and nourish
new relationships.
In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Rajendra
Prasad retired, and was subsequently awarded
the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian
award. He spent the last few months of his life in
retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. Dr.
Rajendra Prasad died on February 28, 1963.