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{{Short description|12th Vice President of India (2007–2017)}}
{{Short description|Vice President of India from 2007 to 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Mohammad Hamid Ansari
| name                = Mohammad Hamid Ansari
| honorific_suffix    =  
| honorific_suffix    =  
| office              = 12th [[Vice President of India]]
| office              = 12th [[Vice President of India]]
| image              = Official portrait of Shri Mohammed Hamid Ansari, The Vice President of India, 2014.jpg
| image              = The Vice President Shri M. Hamid Ansari in July 2016.jpg
| caption            = Official Portrait, 2014
| caption            = Ansari in 2016
| predecessor        = [[Bhairon Singh Shekhawat]]
| predecessor        = [[Bhairon Singh Shekhawat]]
| primeminister      = [[Manmohan Singh]]<br>[[Narendra Modi]]
| primeminister      = [[Manmohan Singh]]<br>[[Narendra Modi]]
Line 27: Line 28:
| birth_place        = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| birth_place        = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| spouse              = Salma Ansari
| spouse              = Salma Ansari
| children            = 1 daughter<br />2 sons
| children            = 3 (1 daughter and 2 sons)
| alma_mater          = [[University of Calcutta]]<br />[[Aligarh Muslim University]]
| relations          = [[Afzal Ansari]] (cousin) <br> [[Sibgatullah Ansari]] (cousin) <br> [[Mukhtar Ansari]] (cousin)
| alma_mater          = [[Aligarh Muslim University]]
| party              = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| party              = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| term_start          = 11 August 2007
| term_start          = 11 August 2007
| term_end            = 10 August 2017
| term_end            = 11 August 2017
| nationality        = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| nationality        = [[Indian people|Indian]]
}}
}}
'''Mohammad Hamid Ansari''' ({{audio|Hamid Ansari Pronunciation.ogg|pronunciation}}; born 1 April 1937) is an Indian politician and retired [[Indian Foreign Service|diplomat]] who was the 12th [[vice president of India]] from 2007 to 2017.  
 
'''Mohammad Hamid Ansari''' ({{audio|Hamid Ansari Pronunciation.ogg|pronunciation}}; born 1 April 1937) is an Indian politician and retired [[Indian Foreign Service]] (IFS) officer who was the 12th [[vice president of India]] from 2007 to 2017.


Ansari joined the [[Indian Foreign Service|IFS]] in 1961. In a diplomatic career spanning 38 years, he served as the Indian ambassador to Australia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. He also served as the [[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations]] between 1993 and 1995. He was appointed the [[List of Vice-Chancellors of Aligarh Muslim University|Vice-Chancellor]] of the [[Aligarh Muslim University]] from 2000 to 2002.<ref name="Ansari miss VC">{{cite web|title=Ansari almost missed V-C post in AMU|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Ansari-almost-missed-V-C-post-in-AMU/Article1-852273.aspx|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=8 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512215803/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Ansari-almost-missed-V-C-post-in-AMU/Article1-852273.aspx|archive-date=12 May 2012}}</ref> Later, he was Chairman of the [[National Commission for Minorities]]<ref name="Ansari miss VC"/> from 2006 to 2007.
Ansari joined the [[Indian Foreign Service|IFS]] in 1961. In a diplomatic career spanning 38 years, he served as the Indian ambassador to Australia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. He also served as the [[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations]] between 1993 and 1995. He was appointed the [[List of Vice-Chancellors of Aligarh Muslim University|Vice-Chancellor]] of the [[Aligarh Muslim University]] from 2000 to 2002.<ref name="Ansari miss VC">{{cite web|title=Ansari almost missed V-C post in AMU|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Ansari-almost-missed-V-C-post-in-AMU/Article1-852273.aspx|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=8 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512215803/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Ansari-almost-missed-V-C-post-in-AMU/Article1-852273.aspx|archive-date=12 May 2012}}</ref> Later, he was Chairman of the [[National Commission for Minorities]]<ref name="Ansari miss VC"/> from 2006 to 2007.


He was [[2007 Indian vice-presidential election|elected]] as the Vice-President of India on 10 August 2007 and took office on 11 August 2007. He was [[2012 Indian vice-presidential election|reelected]] on 7 August 2012 and was sworn-in by [[Pranab Mukherjee]], the [[President of India]]. The oath taking ceremony was conducted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 11 August 2012.<ref>{{cite web|author=Business Standard |url=http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/hamid-ansari-sworn-in-as-vice-president-for-second-term/42903/ |title=Hamid Ansari sworn-in as Vice President for second term.  |work=Business Standard|date=11 August 2012 |access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref> His second term ended in August 2017 since he was not offered another term, he decided not to run for a third term in the [[2017 Indian vice-presidential election|2017 vice-presidential election]].
He was [[2007 Indian vice-presidential election|elected]] as the Vice-President of India on 10 August 2007 and took office on 11 August 2007. He was [[2012 Indian vice-presidential election|reelected]] on 7 August 2012 and was sworn-in by [[Pranab Mukherjee]], the [[President of India]]. The oath taking ceremony was conducted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 11 August 2012.<ref>{{cite news|author=Business Standard |url=http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/hamid-ansari-sworn-in-as-vice-president-for-second-term/42903/ |title=Hamid Ansari sworn-in as Vice President for second term.  |work=Business Standard|date=11 August 2012 |access-date=20 August 2012}}</ref> His second term ended in August 2017 since he was not offered another term, he decided not to run for a third term in the [[2017 Indian vice-presidential election|2017 vice-presidential election]]. His tenure is tied with S. Radhakrishnan, for the longest Vice Presidential tenure in Indian history.


==Personal life ==
==Personal life ==
Line 44: Line 47:
Ansari was born on 1 April 1937 at [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] (present-day [[Kolkata]], in the state of [[West Bengal]], [[India]]) to Mohammad Abdul Aziz Ansari and Aasiya Begum. Though his ancestral home is in the city of [[Ghazipur]] of the [[Uttar Pradesh]] state, he spent his formative years in Kolkata. He is the grand-nephew of former [[Indian National Congress]] president and freedom fighter [[Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari]].<ref name="MHA">{{cite web|title=Who is Mohammed Hamid Ansari?|url=https://www.ndtv.com/people/who-is-mohammed-hamid-ansari-495977|publisher=NDTV|access-date=4 January 2018|date=7 August 2012}}</ref> He is also the second cousin to 3 Uttar Pradesh politicians, namely [[Afzal Ansari]], [[Sibakatullah Ansari|Sibaghatullah Ansari]] and the mafia-turned politician [[Mukhtar Ansari]].<ref>{{cite web|title=3 brothers, 5 seats, jail: no getting away from the Ansaris of Poorvanchal|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/3-brothers-5-seats-jail-no-getting-away-from-the-ansaris-of-poorvanchal/|work=The Indian Express|access-date=4 January 2018|date=12 May 2014}}</ref>
Ansari was born on 1 April 1937 at [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] (present-day [[Kolkata]], in the state of [[West Bengal]], [[India]]) to Mohammad Abdul Aziz Ansari and Aasiya Begum. Though his ancestral home is in the city of [[Ghazipur]] of the [[Uttar Pradesh]] state, he spent his formative years in Kolkata. He is the grand-nephew of former [[Indian National Congress]] president and freedom fighter [[Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari]].<ref name="MHA">{{cite web|title=Who is Mohammed Hamid Ansari?|url=https://www.ndtv.com/people/who-is-mohammed-hamid-ansari-495977|publisher=NDTV|access-date=4 January 2018|date=7 August 2012}}</ref> He is also the second cousin to 3 Uttar Pradesh politicians, namely [[Afzal Ansari]], [[Sibakatullah Ansari|Sibaghatullah Ansari]] and the mafia-turned politician [[Mukhtar Ansari]].<ref>{{cite web|title=3 brothers, 5 seats, jail: no getting away from the Ansaris of Poorvanchal|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/3-brothers-5-seats-jail-no-getting-away-from-the-ansaris-of-poorvanchal/|work=The Indian Express|access-date=4 January 2018|date=12 May 2014}}</ref>


Ansari did his schooling from [[St. Edward's School, Shimla]].  
Ansari did his early education from [[St. Edward's School, Shimla]]. He completed B.A. and M.A. degrees in [[political science]] from [[Aligarh Muslim University]] in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mohammad-Hamid-Ansari | title=Mohammad Hamid Ansari &#124; Biography & Facts &#124; Britannica }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Profile {{!}} Former Vice President of India {{!}} Government of India |url=https://mhamidansari.nic.in/profile |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=mhamidansari.nic.in}}</ref> He is married to Salma Ansari, fathering two sons and one daughter.<ref name="VP">{{cite web|title=Sh. M. Hamid Ansari|url=http://vicepresidentofindia.nic.in/former-vice-president/Sh-M-Hamid-Ansari|publisher=Vice President of India|access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref>
After graduating from [[St. Xavier's College, Calcutta]], affiliated to the [[University of Calcutta]], he pursued his [[Master of Arts]] and [[Doctor of Philosophy]] degree from the [[Aligarh Muslim University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hamid Ansari sworn in as vice-president|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-hamid-ansari-sworn-in-as-vice-president-1726692|publisher=DNA India|access-date=4 January 2018|date=11 August 2012}}</ref> He is married to Salma Ansari, fathering two sons and one daughter.<ref name="VP">{{cite web|title=Sh. M. Hamid Ansari|url=http://vicepresidentofindia.nic.in/former-vice-president/Sh-M-Hamid-Ansari|publisher=Vice President of India|access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref>


==Early career==
==Early career==
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=== Chairman of NCM ===
=== Chairman of NCM ===
Ansari became the chairman of India's [[National Commission for Minorities]] (NCM) on 6 March 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ncm.nic.in/current_commision.html|title=NCM website – current commission|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628141937/http://ncm.nic.in/current_commision.html|archive-date=28 June 2007}}</ref> In June 2007, Ansari, in his capacity as NCM chairman, upheld the decision of St. Stephen's Delhi to earmark a small percentage of seats for Dalit Christians.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newspostindia.com/report-5541|publisher=newspostindia.com|title=St Stephens reservation row}}</ref> He resigned as NCM chairman soon after his nomination for the post of India's vice-president.
Ansari became the chairman of India's [[National Commission for Minorities]] (NCM) on 6 March 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ncm.nic.in/current_commision.html|title=NCM website – current commission|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628141937/http://ncm.nic.in/current_commision.html|archive-date=28 June 2007}}</ref> In June 2007, Ansari, in his capacity as NCM chairman, upheld the decision of St. Stephen's Delhi to earmark a small percentage of seats for Dalit Christians.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newspostindia.com/report-5541|publisher=newspostindia.com|title=St Stephens reservation row|access-date=21 July 2007|archive-date=1 July 2007|archive-url=https://archive.is/20070701151226/http://newspostindia.com/report-5541|url-status=dead}}</ref> He resigned as NCM chairman soon after his nomination for the post of India's vice-president.


==Vice Presidency (2007–2017)==
==Vice Presidency (2007–2017)==
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=== Second Term ===
=== Second Term ===
[[File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee administering the oath of Office of the Vice President to Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari at a Swearing-in-Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 11, 2012.jpg|thumb|The President, Shri [[Pranab Mukherjee]] administering the oath of Office of the Vice President to Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari at a Swearing-in-Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 11, 2012.]]
In [[2012 Indian vice-presidential election|2012 Vice presidential election]], the Congress-led UPA re-appointed Ansari as their candidate for the post of VP. The NDA nominated [[Jaswant Singh]], former [[Finance Minister of India|Finance]], [[Minister for External Affairs|External Affairs]] and [[Minister of Defence (India)|Defence]] minister as well as former [[Leader of the Opposition (India)|Leader of Opposition]].<ref name="VP Poll: Jaswant Singh Vs Hamid Ansari">{{cite news|title=VP Poll: Jaswant Singh Vs Hamid Ansari|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=768969|access-date=7 August 2012|newspaper=Outlook India|date=16 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717022425/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=768969|archive-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> The NDA cited Ansari's conduct in the [[Rajya Sabha]] during [[The Lokpal Bill, 2011]] debate when he had abruptly adjourned the House [[Adjournment sine die|sine die]].<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-29/uproar-over-india-graft-laws-sinks-singh-vote.html|publisher=Bloomberg|access-date=3 June 2012|title=Singh Caps 'Annus Horribilis' With Anti-Graft Law Stymied by Upper House|author=Andrew MacAskill and Bibhudatta Pradhan|date=30 December 2011}}</ref> Hamid Ansari was re-elected for the second term on 7 August 2012, defeating the NDA's nominee Jaswant Singh by a margin of 252 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Hamid-Ansari-retained-seat-as-Vice-President/Article1-909519.aspx|title=  Hamid Ansari retained seat as Vice President|date=  7 August 2012|url-status=  dead|archive-url=  https://web.archive.org/web/20130512072336/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Hamid-Ansari-retained-seat-as-Vice-President/Article1-909519.aspx|archive-date=  12 May 2013}}</ref> Ansari was the first person to be re-elected as Indian Vice President after [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]] in [[1957 Indian vice-presidential election|1957]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Mohammad-Hamid-Ansari/|title=Mohammad Hamid Ansari Biography - Vice President of India|website=[[Britannica.com]]|access-date=21 September 2015}}</ref>
In [[2012 Indian vice-presidential election|2012 Vice presidential election]], the Congress-led UPA re-appointed Ansari as their candidate for the post of VP. The NDA nominated [[Jaswant Singh]], former [[Finance Minister of India|Finance]], [[Minister for External Affairs|External Affairs]] and [[Minister of Defence (India)|Defence]] minister as well as former [[Leader of the Opposition (India)|Leader of Opposition]].<ref name="VP Poll: Jaswant Singh Vs Hamid Ansari">{{cite news|title=VP Poll: Jaswant Singh Vs Hamid Ansari|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=768969|access-date=7 August 2012|newspaper=Outlook India|date=16 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717022425/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=768969|archive-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> The NDA cited Ansari's conduct in the [[Rajya Sabha]] during [[The Lokpal Bill, 2011]] debate when he had abruptly adjourned the House [[Adjournment sine die|sine die]].<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-29/uproar-over-india-graft-laws-sinks-singh-vote.html|publisher=Bloomberg|access-date=3 June 2012|title=Singh Caps 'Annus Horribilis' With Anti-Graft Law Stymied by Upper House|author=Andrew MacAskill and Bibhudatta Pradhan|date=30 December 2011}}</ref> Hamid Ansari was re-elected for the second term on 7 August 2012, defeating the NDA's nominee Jaswant Singh by a margin of 252 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Hamid-Ansari-retained-seat-as-Vice-President/Article1-909519.aspx|title=  Hamid Ansari retained seat as Vice President|date=  7 August 2012|url-status=  dead|archive-url=  https://web.archive.org/web/20130512072336/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Hamid-Ansari-retained-seat-as-Vice-President/Article1-909519.aspx|archive-date=  12 May 2013}}</ref> Ansari was the first person to be re-elected as Indian Vice President after [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]] in [[1957 Indian vice-presidential election|1957]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Mohammad-Hamid-Ansari/|title=Mohammad Hamid Ansari Biography - Vice President of India|website=[[Britannica.com]]|access-date=21 September 2015}}</ref>


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He was the chairman of a working group on "Confidence building measures across segments of society in the State," established by the Second Round Table Conference of the Prime Minister on [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in 2006. The report of the working group was adopted by the Third Round Table in April 2007. Among other things, the report advocates recognizing the right of [[Kashmiri Pandits]] to return to "places of their original residence". This right, it argued, should be recognized without any ambiguity and made a part of state policy.<ref name="hindu.com" />
He was the chairman of a working group on "Confidence building measures across segments of society in the State," established by the Second Round Table Conference of the Prime Minister on [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in 2006. The report of the working group was adopted by the Third Round Table in April 2007. Among other things, the report advocates recognizing the right of [[Kashmiri Pandits]] to return to "places of their original residence". This right, it argued, should be recognized without any ambiguity and made a part of state policy.<ref name="hindu.com" />
In 2022, the [[BJP]] accused former vice president Hamid Ansari of inviting a Pakistani journalist who claimed to be spying for the [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] to travel to India, but Ansari dismissed the accusation as "litany of falsehood", and said he had never met or invited him.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-14 |title='Litany of falsehood': Ex-VP Hamid Ansari on BJP's charge of inviting 'Pakistan spy'-Politics News , Firstpost |url=https://www.firstpost.com/politics/litany-of-falsehood-ex-vp-hamid-ansari-on-bjps-charge-of-inviting-pakistan-spy-10908421.html |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
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* [[Syed Akbaruddin]]
* [[Syed Akbaruddin]]


== Notes ==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==


{{commons category}}
 
*[http://india.gov.in/govt/whoswho.php?id=3 Profile at Indian Government website]
*[http://india.gov.in/govt/whoswho.php?id=3 Profile at Indian Government website]
* ''Iran Today: Twenty – five Years after the Islamic Revolution'' (Rupa, New Delhi,2005) ({{ISBN|81-291-0774-0}})
* ''Iran Today: Twenty – five Years after the Islamic Revolution'' (Rupa, New Delhi,2005) ({{ISBN|81-291-0774-0}})
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[[Category:High Commissioners of India to Australia]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of India to Australia]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Indian diplomats]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Kolkata]]
[[Category:People from Kolkata]]
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[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in civil service]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in civil service]]
[[Category:Scholars from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Scholars from Kolkata]]
[[Category:St. Xavier's College, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Vice-Chancellors of the Aligarh Muslim University]]
[[Category:Vice-Chancellors of the Aligarh Muslim University]]
[[Category:Vice presidents of India]]
[[Category:Vice presidents of India]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:People from Ghazipur]]
[[Category:People from Ghazipur]]

Revision as of 13:23, 22 July 2023


Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Ansari in 2016
12th Vice President of India
In office
11 August 2007 – 11 August 2017
PresidentPratibha Patil
Pranab Mukherjee
Ram Nath Kovind
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Narendra Modi
Preceded byBhairon Singh Shekhawat
Succeeded byM. Venkaiah Naidu
Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
In office
January 1993 – January 1995
PresidentShankar Dayal Sharma
Preceded byC.R. Gharekhan
Succeeded byPrakash Shah
Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates
In office
6 June 1976 – 24 January 1980
PresidentFakhruddin Ali Ahmed
B. D. Jatti
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Preceded byS. E. H. Rizvi
Succeeded byLalit Mansingh
Personal details
Born (1937-04-01) 1 April 1937 (age 89)
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
NationalityIndian
Political partyIndependent
Spouse(s)Salma Ansari
RelationsAfzal Ansari (cousin)
Sibgatullah Ansari (cousin)
Mukhtar Ansari (cousin)
Children3 (1 daughter and 2 sons)
Alma materAligarh Muslim University

Mohammad Hamid Ansari (About this soundpronunciation (help·info); born 1 April 1937) is an Indian politician and retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who was the 12th vice president of India from 2007 to 2017.

Ansari joined the IFS in 1961. In a diplomatic career spanning 38 years, he served as the Indian ambassador to Australia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. He also served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations between 1993 and 1995. He was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University from 2000 to 2002.[1] Later, he was Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities[1] from 2006 to 2007.

He was elected as the Vice-President of India on 10 August 2007 and took office on 11 August 2007. He was reelected on 7 August 2012 and was sworn-in by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India. The oath taking ceremony was conducted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 11 August 2012.[2] His second term ended in August 2017 since he was not offered another term, he decided not to run for a third term in the 2017 vice-presidential election. His tenure is tied with S. Radhakrishnan, for the longest Vice Presidential tenure in Indian history.

Personal life

The Vice President, M. Hamid Ansari calling on the President of Nepal, Bidya Devi Bhandari, in New Delhi, 18 April 2017.

Ansari was born on 1 April 1937 at Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, in the state of West Bengal, India) to Mohammad Abdul Aziz Ansari and Aasiya Begum. Though his ancestral home is in the city of Ghazipur of the Uttar Pradesh state, he spent his formative years in Kolkata. He is the grand-nephew of former Indian National Congress president and freedom fighter Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari.[3] He is also the second cousin to 3 Uttar Pradesh politicians, namely Afzal Ansari, Sibaghatullah Ansari and the mafia-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari.[4]

Ansari did his early education from St. Edward's School, Shimla. He completed B.A. and M.A. degrees in political science from Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.[5][6] He is married to Salma Ansari, fathering two sons and one daughter.[7]

Early career

Diplomatic career

Vice President, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari with the former Prime Minister of Nepal, Madhav Kumar Nepal

Joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1961, Ansari subsequently served Indian missions in Baghdad, Rabat, Brussels and Jeddah.[8] From 1976 to 1980, he served as the Indian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Mohan Jashanmal, the Chairman of Indian Business and Professionals Group said that "Ansari was instrumental to get land for the Indian School from His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan".[9] He has also served as the Indian ambassador to Australia (1985–1989), Afghanistan (1989–1990), Iran (1990–1992), Saudi Arabia (1995–1999).[10]

He also served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 1993 to 1995.[7] His deputy T. P. Sreenivasan wrote that while Ansari's stint as the Permanent Representative, he refuted Pakistan's allegations of human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir by "the horns and subdued it whenever necessary". He also wrote that appointing Ansari for this post at a time when "Pakistan went all out to bring Kashmir to the centre of international attention after the end of the Cold War" showed India's secular credentials.[11]

Academic stints

After serving as a visiting professor of the West Asian and African Studies Department of Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1999 to 2000,[7] Ansari was appointed as the vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University on 23 May 2000.[12] After leaving the post in 2002, he served as a visiting professor of the Academy for Third World Studies Department of the Jamia Milia Islamia from 2003 to 2005.[7]

Chairman of NCM

Ansari became the chairman of India's National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on 6 March 2006.[13] In June 2007, Ansari, in his capacity as NCM chairman, upheld the decision of St. Stephen's Delhi to earmark a small percentage of seats for Dalit Christians.[14] He resigned as NCM chairman soon after his nomination for the post of India's vice-president.

Vice Presidency (2007–2017)

First term

Vice President Ansari with the PM, the Governor of Gujarat and some Supreme court judges at the Gujarat National Law University
Vice President Ansari with former Odisha governor M.C. Bhandare and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik
Vice President Ansari inspecting the guard of honor at Biju Patnaik International Airport

On 20 July 2007, Ansari was named by the UPA-Left, the ruling coalition in India, as its candidate for the post of Vice-President for the upcoming election. When asked, Ansari said he felt "humbled" over the UPA-Left decision naming him as their candidate. "I am humbled by the confidence reposed in me". Ansari refused to say more when asked about his prospects in the August 2007 Vice-Presidential election.[15] Ansari secured 455 votes, and won the election by a margin of 233 votes against his nearest rival Najma Heptullah.

Second Term

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee administering the oath of Office of the Vice President to Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari at a Swearing-in-Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 11, 2012.

In 2012 Vice presidential election, the Congress-led UPA re-appointed Ansari as their candidate for the post of VP. The NDA nominated Jaswant Singh, former Finance, External Affairs and Defence minister as well as former Leader of Opposition.[16] The NDA cited Ansari's conduct in the Rajya Sabha during The Lokpal Bill, 2011 debate when he had abruptly adjourned the House sine die.[17] Hamid Ansari was re-elected for the second term on 7 August 2012, defeating the NDA's nominee Jaswant Singh by a margin of 252 votes.[18] Ansari was the first person to be re-elected as Indian Vice President after Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1957.[19]

Upon the inauguration of Ram Nath Kovind as President of India in 2017, Ansari became the first Indian Vice-President to serve during the terms of three presidents. He is the longest serving vice president of India.

Views

Ansari is a West Asia scholar and has written on the Palestinian issue and taken positions inconvenient to the Indian official line on Iraq and Iran. He questioned India's vote in the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran's nuclear programme where India voted against Iran. He said that though the Indian Government claimed to have acted on "its own judgement," this was not borne out by facts.[20]

He was the chairman of a working group on "Confidence building measures across segments of society in the State," established by the Second Round Table Conference of the Prime Minister on Jammu and Kashmir in 2006. The report of the working group was adopted by the Third Round Table in April 2007. Among other things, the report advocates recognizing the right of Kashmiri Pandits to return to "places of their original residence". This right, it argued, should be recognized without any ambiguity and made a part of state policy.[20]

In 2022, the BJP accused former vice president Hamid Ansari of inviting a Pakistani journalist who claimed to be spying for the ISI to travel to India, but Ansari dismissed the accusation as "litany of falsehood", and said he had never met or invited him.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Ansari almost missed V-C post in AMU". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Business Standard (11 August 2012). "Hamid Ansari sworn-in as Vice President for second term". Business Standard. Retrieved 20 August 2012. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. ↑ "Who is Mohammed Hamid Ansari?". NDTV. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "3 brothers, 5 seats, jail: no getting away from the Ansaris of Poorvanchal". The Indian Express. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "Mohammad Hamid Ansari | Biography & Facts | Britannica".
  6. ↑ "Profile | Former Vice President of India | Government of India". mhamidansari.nic.in. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Sh. M. Hamid Ansari". Vice President of India. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "Hamid Ansari: Seasoned diplomat and scholar, respected leader". Two Circles. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Ansari cherishes UAE experience". Gulf News. 23 July 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "India's vice president to visit Uganda". New Vision. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  11. ↑ T. P. Sreenivasan (16 August 2017). "Hamid Ansari: an intellectual liberated". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  12. ↑ "Former diplomat named new AMU Vice-Chancellor". The Hindu. 23 May 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2018.[dead link]
  13. ↑ "NCM website – current commission". Archived from the original on 28 June 2007.
  14. ↑ "St Stephens reservation row". newspostindia.com. Retrieved 21 July 2007.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ↑ "Ansari named UPA-Left candidate for Vice President Poll". ibnlive.com.
  16. ↑ "VP Poll: Jaswant Singh Vs Hamid Ansari". Outlook India. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  17. ↑ Andrew MacAskill and Bibhudatta Pradhan (30 December 2011). "Singh Caps 'Annus Horribilis' With Anti-Graft Law Stymied by Upper House". Bloomberg. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  18. ↑ "Hamid Ansari retained seat as Vice President". 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "Mohammad Hamid Ansari Biography - Vice President of India". Britannica.com. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Hamid Ansari: versatile scholar, statesman". The Hindu. 21 July 2007. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007.
  21. ↑ "'Litany of falsehood': Ex-VP Hamid Ansari on BJP's charge of inviting 'Pakistan spy'-Politics News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

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Academic offices
Preceded by
Mahmoodur Rahman 		Vice-Chancellor of AMU
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Naseem Ahmad
Political offices
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Bhairon Singh Shekhawat 		Vice President of India
2007–2017 		Succeeded by
Venkaiah Naidu

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