Mukherjee tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 10 and had been in hospital since. In 2012, Mukherjee resigned from parliament to take the largely figurehead role of head of state. He was sworn in as India's 13th president, with cross-party support that underlined his wide acceptability, an attribute rare in Indian politics. Born on Dec. 11, 1935 in the village of Mirati, in the eastern state of West Bengal, Mukherjee studied history, political science and law. "My passion has been the service of the people of India," Mukherjee said in a speech summing up 50 years in public life when he left the office of president in 2017.

Source: The Star August 31, 2020 13:52 UTC