Giri, Varahagiri Venkata

Giri, Varahagiri Venkata (vurähä'gurē ven'kutä gē'rē) [key], 1894–1980, president of India (1969–74). He earned a law degree in Ireland, where he practiced law. After participating in the Easter Rebellion (1916), he was deported to India, where he became active in the nationalist movement. After independence he served as high commissioner in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka; 1947–51) and as governor successively of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Mysore until 1967, when he was elected vice president. In 1969 he became acting president and later in the year, as a supporter of Indira Gandhi, was elected to a five-year term. He was succeeded by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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