Mukherjee, Pranab Kumar, 1935–2020, Indian political leader. He was a lawyer, college teacher, and journalist before entering politics, and from 1972 (except for 1986–88) was a member of the Congress party. A protegé of Indira Gandhi, he was elected to the upper house of India's parliament in 1969, becoming leader of the house in 1980 and serving there until 2002. Elected to the lower house in 2004, he became leader of the house the same year and served there until 2012. Known as a consensus builder, he served in many government cabinets in a number of ministerial posts, including those of commerce, finance, foreign affairs, and defense, before becoming president of India (2012–17). Among his books are Beyond Survival (1984) and Challenges before the Nation (1993).
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