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{{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
| honorific-prefix    =
| name                = Mohammad Hamid Ansari
| name                = Mohammad Hamid Ansari
| honorific_suffix   =  
| honorific-suffix   =  
| office              = 12th [[Vice President of India]]
| native_name        =  
| native_name_lang    = ur
| image              = The Vice President Shri M. Hamid Ansari in July 2016.jpg
| image              = The Vice President Shri M. Hamid Ansari in July 2016.jpg
| caption            = Ansari in 2016
| caption            = Ansari in July 2016
| office              = <!-- Do NOT add counts or ordinals, as per [[WP:CONSENSUS]] -->  [[Vice President of India]]
| term_start          = 11 August 2007
| term_end            = 11 August 2017
| predecessor        = [[Bhairon Singh Shekhawat]]
| predecessor        = [[Bhairon Singh Shekhawat]]
| primeminister      = [[Manmohan Singh]]<br>[[Narendra Modi]]
| primeminister      = [[Manmohan Singh]]<br>[[Narendra Modi]]
| president          = [[Pratibha Patil]]<br>[[Pranab Mukherjee]]<br>[[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| president          = [[Pratibha Patil]]<br>[[Pranab Mukherjee]]<br>[[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| successor          = [[M. Venkaiah Naidu]]
| successor          = [[Venkaiah Naidu]]
| office1            = [[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations]]
| office1            = <!-- Do NOT add counts or ordinals, as per [[WP:CONSENSUS]] -->[[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations]]
| term_start1        = January 1993
| term_start1        = January 1993
| term_end1          = January 1995
| term_end1          = January 1995
| president1          = [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
| president1          = [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
| predecessor1        = C.R. Gharekhan
| predecessor1        = [[Chinmaya Gharekhan]]
| successor1          = [[Prakash Shah]]
| successor1          = [[Prakash Shah]]
| office3             = [[Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates]]
| office2             = <!-- Do NOT add counts or ordinals, as per [[WP:CONSENSUS]] -->[[Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates]]
| term_start3         = 6 June 1976
| term_start2         = 6 June 1976
| term_end3           = 24 January 1980
| term_end2           = 24 January 1980
| president3         = [[Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed]]<br>[[B. D. Jatti]]<br>[[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]
| president2         = [[Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed]]<br>[[B. D. Jatti]] (interim)<br>[[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]
| predecessor3       = S. E. H. Rizvi
| predecessor2       = S. E. H. Rizvi
| successor3         = [[Lalit Mansingh]]
| successor2         = [[Lalit Mansingh]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1937|4|1|df=y}}
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1937|04|01|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| birth_place        = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br>(present-day [[Kolkata, West Bengal]], India)
| spouse              = Salma Ansari
| spouse              = Salma Ansari
| children            = 3 (1 daughter and 2 sons)
| children            = 3
| relations           = [[Afzal Ansari]] (cousin) <br> [[Sibgatullah Ansari]] (cousin) <br> [[Mukhtar Ansari]] (cousin)
| relatives           = [[Afzal Ansari]] (nephew) <br> [[Sibgatullah Ansari]] (nephew) <br> [[Mukhtar Ansari]] (nephew)
| awards              = [[Padma Shri]]
| alma_mater          = [[Aligarh Muslim University]]
| alma_mater          = [[Aligarh Muslim University]]
| party              = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| party              = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| term_start          = 11 August 2007
| nationality        = [[Indian nationality law|Indian]]
| term_end            = 11 August 2017
| website            = {{URL|https://hamidansari.org}}
| nationality        = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| order2              = <!-- Do NOT add counts or ordinals, as per [[WP:CONSENSUS]] -->
| order              = <!-- Do NOT add counts or ordinals, as per [[WP:CONSENSUS]] -->
| order1              = <!-- Do NOT add counts or ordinals, as per [[WP:CONSENSUS]] -->
}}
}}


'''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.
'''Mohammad Hamid Ansari''' ({{audio|Hamid Ansari Pronunciation.ogg|pronunciation}}; born 1 April 1937) is an Indian bureaucrat and retired diplomat of the [[Indian Foreign Service]] who served as the <!-- Do NOT add counts or ordinals, as per [[WP:CONSENSUS]] --> [[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 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 chancellors and 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 the 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 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.
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|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> 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 [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]], for the longest vice presidential tenure in Indian history.


==Personal life ==
==Personal life ==
[[File:The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari calling on the President of Nepal, Ms. Bidya Devi Bhandari, in New Delhi on April 18, 2017.jpg|thumb|right|The Vice President, M. Hamid Ansari calling on the President of Nepal, [[Bidya Devi Bhandari]], in New Delhi, 18 April 2017.]]
[[File:The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari calling on the President of Nepal, Ms. Bidya Devi Bhandari, in New Delhi on April 18, 2017.jpg|thumb|right|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]].<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 in [[Kolkata]], to Mohammad Abdul Aziz Ansari and Aasiya Begum. Though his ancestral home is in the city of [[Yusufpur, Ghazipur]], of the [[Uttar Pradesh]] state, he spent his formative years in Kolkata. He comes from a family of Ansari sheikhs descended from the Sufi saint of Herat [[Abdullah Ansari]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/ANSARISOFYUSUFPUR | title=Ansaris of Yusufpur | date=November 2013 }}</ref> His ancestors came to India in the year 1526 with the [[Mughal emperor]] [[Babur]] and founded [[Yusufpur]]. 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 three 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 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>
Ansari received 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 | date=23 December 2023 }}</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 |archive-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025135622/https://mhamidansari.nic.in/profile |url-status=dead }}</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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=== Diplomatic career ===
=== Diplomatic career ===
[[File:The Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri Madhav Kumar Nepal calls on the Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari, in New Delhi on August 19, 2009.jpg|thumb|right|Vice President, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari with the former Prime Minister of Nepal, [[Madhav Kumar Nepal]]]]
[[File:The Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri Madhav Kumar Nepal calls on the Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari, in New Delhi on August 19, 2009.jpg|thumb|right|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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hamid Ansari: Seasoned diplomat and scholar, respected leader|url=http://twocircles.net/2012jul14/hamid_ansari_seasoned_diplomat_and_scholar_respected_leader.html|publisher=Two Circles|access-date=4 January 2018|date=14 July 2012}}</ref> From 1976 to 1980, he served as the [[Indian Ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates|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 [[Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Ansari cherishes UAE experience|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/india/ansari-cherishes-uae-experience-1.190800|publisher=Gulf News|access-date=4 January 2018|date=23 July 2007}}</ref> He has also served as the Indian ambassador to Australia (1985–1989), Afghanistan (1989–1990), Iran (1990–1992), Saudi Arabia (1995–1999).<ref>{{cite web|title=India's vice president to visit Uganda|url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1446444/india-vice-president-visit-uganda|publisher=New Vision|access-date=4 January 2018|date=16 February 2017}}</ref>
Joining the [[Indian Foreign Service]] in 1961, Ansari subsequently served Indian missions in [[Baghdad]], [[Rabat]], [[Brussels]] and [[Jeddah]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hamid Ansari: Seasoned diplomat and scholar, respected leader|url=http://twocircles.net/2012jul14/hamid_ansari_seasoned_diplomat_and_scholar_respected_leader.html|publisher=Two Circles|access-date=4 January 2018|date=14 July 2012}}</ref> From 1976 to 1980, he served as the [[List of ambassadors of India to the United Arab Emirates|Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates]]. Mohan Jashanmal, the chairman of the Indian Business and Professionals Group, said that "Ansari was instrumental to get land for the Indian School from His Highness [[Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Ansari cherishes UAE experience|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/india/ansari-cherishes-uae-experience-1.190800|publisher=Gulf News|access-date=4 January 2018|date=23 July 2007}}</ref> He has also served as the Indian ambassador to Australia (1985–1989), Afghanistan (1989–1990), Iran (1990–1992), Saudi Arabia (1995–1999).<ref>{{cite web|title=India's vice president to visit Uganda|url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1446444/india-vice-president-visit-uganda|publisher=New Vision|access-date=4 January 2018|date=16 February 2017}}</ref>


He also served as the [[Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations]] from 1993 to 1995.<ref name="VP" /> 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.<ref>{{cite web|author1=T. P. Sreenivasan|author-link=T. P. Sreenivasan|title=Hamid Ansari: an intellectual liberated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/an-intellectual-liberated/article19502761.ece|work=The Hindu|access-date=4 January 2018|date=16 August 2017}}</ref>
He also served as the [[permanent representative of India to the United Nations]] from 1993 to 1995.<ref name="VP" /> 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.<ref>{{cite web|author1=T. P. Sreenivasan|author-link=T. P. Sreenivasan|title=Hamid Ansari: an intellectual liberated|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/an-intellectual-liberated/article19502761.ece|work=The Hindu|access-date=4 January 2018|date=16 August 2017}}</ref>


=== Academic stints ===
=== Academic stints ===
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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|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.
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.today/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 president of India ===


=== First term ===
=== First term ===
[[File:GNLU Vice President of India.jpg|thumb|right|Vice President Ansari with the [[Prime Minister of India|PM]], the [[Governor of Gujarat]] and some [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme court]] judges at the [[Gujarat National Law University]]]]
[[File:GNLU Vice President of India.jpg|thumb|right|Vice President Ansari with then [[Chief Minister of Gujarat|CM of Gujarat]], the [[Governor of Gujarat]] and some [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme court]] judges at the [[Gujarat National Law University]]]]
[[File:Mohd. Hamid Ansari being received by the Governor of Orissa, Shri M.C. Bhandare and the Chief Minister of Orissa, Shri Naveen Patnaik, on his arrival at Biju Patnaik Airport, Bhubaneswar in Orissa on March 01, 2012.jpg|thumb|right|Vice President Ansari with former Odisha governor [[Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare|M.C. Bhandare]] and Odisha chief minister [[Naveen Patnaik]]]]
[[File:Mohd. Hamid Ansari being received by the Governor of Orissa, Shri M.C. Bhandare and the Chief Minister of Orissa, Shri Naveen Patnaik, on his arrival at Biju Patnaik Airport, Bhubaneswar in Orissa on March 01, 2012.jpg|thumb|right|Vice President Ansari with former Odisha governor [[Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare|M.C. Bhandare]] and Odisha chief minister [[Naveen Patnaik]]]]
[[File:The Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari inspecting the guard of honor, on his arrival at the Bhubaneswar Airport in Orissa on October 20, 2010.jpg|thumb|right|Vice President Ansari inspecting the guard of honor at [[Biju Patnaik International Airport]]]]
[[File:The Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari inspecting the guard of honor, on his arrival at the Bhubaneswar Airport in Orissa on October 20, 2010.jpg|thumb|right|Vice President Ansari inspecting the guard of honor at [[Biju Patnaik International Airport]]]]


On 20 July 2007, Ansari was named by the [[United Progressive Alliance|UPA]]-[[Indian left|Left]], the ruling coalition in India, as its candidate for the post of [[Vice-President of India|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 [[2007 Indian vice-presidential election|August 2007 Vice-Presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/ansari-named-upaleft--candidate-for-vicepresident-poll/45324-3.html|publisher=ibnlive.com|title=Ansari named UPA-Left candidate for Vice President Poll}}</ref> Ansari secured 455 votes, and won the election by a margin of 233 votes against his nearest rival [[Najma Heptullah]].
On 20 July 2007, Ansari was named by the [[United Progressive Alliance|UPA]]-[[Indian left|Left]], the ruling coalition in India, as its candidate for the post of [[Vice-President of India|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 [[2007 Indian vice-presidential election|August 2007 vice-presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/ansari-named-upaleft--candidate-for-vicepresident-poll/45324-3.html|publisher=ibnlive.com|title=Ansari named UPA-Left candidate for Vice President Poll}}</ref> Ansari secured 455 votes, and won the election by a margin of 233 votes against his nearest rival [[Najma Heptullah]].


=== 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.]]
[[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 11 August 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 the [[2012 Indian vice-presidential election|2012 vice presidential election]], the Congress-led UPA re-appointed Ansari as their candidate for the post of VP. Earlier,  in May 2012, [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] envisaged  Ansari as a presidential candidate.<ref>'' Tewary Amarnath''.[https://dailypioneer.com/nation/62017-lalu-pitches-for-hamid-ansari-as-next-prez.html Lalu pitches for Hamid Ansari as next Prez] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084328/http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/62017-lalu-pitches-for-hamid-ansari-as-next-prez.html |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> 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>


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.
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==
==Views==
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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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== 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}})
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070911195321/http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/21/stories/2007072161771600.htm Hamid Ansari: versatile scholar, statesman]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070911195321/http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/21/stories/2007072161771600.htm Hamid Ansari: versatile scholar, statesman]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130913022525/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Thiruvananthapuram/Vice-president-Hamid-Ansari-forced-to-suffer-a-fool/Article1-1121206.aspx Goof up leaves Ansari fuming]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130913022525/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Thiruvananthapuram/Vice-president-Hamid-Ansari-forced-to-suffer-a-fool/Article1-1121206.aspx Goof up leaves Ansari fuming]
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[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of India to Australia]]
[[Category:High commissioners of India to Australia]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Permanent representatives of India to the United Nations]]
[[Category:Permanent Representatives of India to the United Nations]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kolkata]]
[[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:Vice-Chancellors of the Aligarh Muslim University]]
[[Category:Vice-chancellors of 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]]

Latest revision as of 03:50, 1 March 2026


Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Ansari in July 2016
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 byVenkaiah Naidu
Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
In office
January 1993 – January 1995
PresidentShankar Dayal Sharma
Preceded byChinmaya 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 (interim)
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Preceded byS. E. H. Rizvi
Succeeded byLalit Mansingh
Personal details
Born (1937-04-01) 1 April 1937 (age 89)
Calcutta, Bengal, British India
(present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
NationalityIndian
Political partyIndependent
Spouse(s)Salma Ansari
Children3
RelativesAfzal Ansari (nephew)
Sibgatullah Ansari (nephew)
Mukhtar Ansari (nephew)
Alma materAligarh Muslim University
AwardsPadma Shri
Websitehamidansari.org

Mohammad Hamid Ansari (About this soundpronunciation (help·info); born 1 April 1937) is an Indian bureaucrat and retired diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service who served as the 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 the 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] He decided not to run for a third term in the 2017 vice presidential election. His tenure is tied with Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, for the longest vice presidential tenure in Indian history.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

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 in Kolkata, to Mohammad Abdul Aziz Ansari and Aasiya Begum. Though his ancestral home is in the city of Yusufpur, Ghazipur, of the Uttar Pradesh state, he spent his formative years in Kolkata. He comes from a family of Ansari sheikhs descended from the Sufi saint of Herat Abdullah Ansari.[3] His ancestors came to India in the year 1526 with the Mughal emperor Babur and founded Yusufpur. He is the grand-nephew of former Indian National Congress president and freedom fighter Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari.[4] He is also the second cousin to three Uttar Pradesh politicians, namely Afzal Ansari, Sibaghatullah Ansari and the mafia-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari.[5]

Ansari received 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.[6][7] He is married to Salma Ansari, fathering two sons and one daughter.[8]

Early career[edit | edit source]

Diplomatic career[edit | edit source]

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.[9] From 1976 to 1980, he served as the Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Mohan Jashanmal, the chairman of the 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".[10] He has also served as the Indian ambassador to Australia (1985–1989), Afghanistan (1989–1990), Iran (1990–1992), Saudi Arabia (1995–1999).[11]

He also served as the permanent representative of India to the United Nations from 1993 to 1995.[8] 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.[12]

Academic stints[edit | edit source]

After serving as a visiting professor of the West Asian and African Studies Department of Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1999 to 2000,[8] Ansari was appointed as the vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University on 23 May 2000.[13] 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.[8]

Chairman of NCM[edit | edit source]

Ansari became the chairman of India's National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on 6 March 2006.[14] 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.[15] He resigned as NCM chairman soon after his nomination for the post of India's vice-president.

Vice president of India[edit | edit source]

First term[edit | edit source]

Vice President Ansari with then CM of Gujarat, 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.[16] Ansari secured 455 votes, and won the election by a margin of 233 votes against his nearest rival Najma Heptullah.

Second term[edit | edit source]

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 11 August 2012.

In the 2012 vice presidential election, the Congress-led UPA re-appointed Ansari as their candidate for the post of VP. Earlier, in May 2012, Lalu Prasad Yadav envisaged Ansari as a presidential candidate.[17] The NDA nominated Jaswant Singh, former Finance, External Affairs and Defence minister as well as former Leader of Opposition.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20] Ansari was the first person to be re-elected as Indian vice president after Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1957.[21]

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[edit | edit source]

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.[22]

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.[22]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  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. ↑ "Hamid Ansari sworn-in as Vice President for second term". Business Standard. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "Ansaris of Yusufpur". November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Who is Mohammed Hamid Ansari?". NDTV. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "3 brothers, 5 seats, jail: no getting away from the Ansaris of Poorvanchal". The Indian Express. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Mohammad Hamid Ansari | Biography & Facts | Britannica". 23 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Profile | Former Vice President of India | Government of India". mhamidansari.nic.in. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Sh. M. Hamid Ansari". Vice President of India. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Hamid Ansari: Seasoned diplomat and scholar, respected leader". Two Circles. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "Ansari cherishes UAE experience". Gulf News. 23 July 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "India's vice president to visit Uganda". New Vision. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  12. ↑ T. P. Sreenivasan (16 August 2017). "Hamid Ansari: an intellectual liberated". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  13. ↑ "Former diplomat named new AMU Vice-Chancellor". The Hindu. 23 May 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2018.[dead link]
  14. ↑ "NCM website – current commission". Archived from the original on 28 June 2007.
  15. ↑ "St Stephens reservation row". newspostindia.com. Retrieved 21 July 2007.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ↑ "Ansari named UPA-Left candidate for Vice President Poll". ibnlive.com.
  17. ↑ Tewary Amarnath.Lalu pitches for Hamid Ansari as next Prez Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ "VP Poll: Jaswant Singh Vs Hamid Ansari". Outlook India. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ "Hamid Ansari retained seat as Vice President". 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013.
  21. ↑ "Mohammad Hamid Ansari Biography - Vice President of India". Britannica.com. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Hamid Ansari: versatile scholar, statesman". The Hindu. 21 July 2007. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007.

External links[edit | edit source]

Academic offices
Preceded by
Mahmoodur Rahman 		Vice-Chancellor of AMU
2000–2002 		Succeeded by
Naseem Ahmad
Political offices
Preceded by
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat 		Vice President of India
2007–2017 		Succeeded by
Venkaiah Naidu

Template:Indian civil servants

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