VENKATARAMAN, RAMASWAMY

born Dec. 4, 1910, Rajamadam, Madras [now Tamil Nadu], India Indian politician, government official, and lawyer who became president of India in 1987. Venkataraman studied law at the University of Madras and began his legal practice in 1935. He became involved in India's independence struggle and was consequently jailed by the British in 194244. After his release he continued to practice law, and in 1950 he was elected to independent India's Provisional Parliament as a member of the Congress Party. He subsequently was a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) from 1952 to 1957 and from 1977 onward. He served as minister of industry and labour for the state of Madras from 1957 to 1967. He eventually joined the central government, serving as minister of finance and industry (198082) and minister of defence (198284). After serving as vice president of India in 198487, he was elected to the largely ceremonial post of president in July 1987.