Narayanan, Kocheril Raman

Narayanan, Kocheril Raman

(born Oct. 27, 1920, Uzhavoor, India—died Nov. 9, 2005, New Delhi) President of India (1997–2002). He was the first member of the country's lowest social caste—the group traditionally considered to be untouchable—to occupy the office. Raised in poverty, he attended the University of Travancore on a scholarship and graduated from the London School of Economics with top academic honours. In 1949 he became a diplomat, despite opposition from upper-caste officials, and was ambassador to several countries, including China and the U.S. After serving as a cabinet minister in parliament, he was named vice president in 1992 and president in 1997.