Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee died at Delhi’s Army hospital on Monday. Pranab Mukherjee had been admitted to the Army(Research and Referral) Hospital earlier in August and had undergone a surgery for the removal of a clot in his brain. Mukherjee’s condition had deteriorated since last week.  

Also Read | Pranabda: chats, reprimands and riveting storytelling

Mukherjee served as a politician for over four decades before being elected as the President of the country in 2012. 

Mukherjee completed his Master’s degrees in Political Science and History from the University of Calcutta and started his career as an upper-division clerk in the city.

Mukherjee also had an LLB degree from Calcutta University. Mukherjee started his political career in 1969 as a campaign manager for the then independent candidate VK Krishna Menon. He was then inducted into the Congress fold as Indira Gandhi helped him get elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Also Read: Pranab Mukherjee brought the President closer to the masses during his stint

Under Gandhi, Mukherjee rose to prominence quickly becoming one of her trusted lieutenants.

During his stint with the Indian National Congress, Mukherjee held key cabinet portfolios like Defence Ministry, Finance Ministry, and External Affairs. 

Here are some little known facts about Mukherjee’s life:

*Mukherjee was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Vidyanagar College, Kolkata, and also worked as a journalist with Bengali newspaper Desher Dak (Call of the Motherland) according to an Indian Express Report.

Also Read: Pranab Mukherjee, former President, statesman, politician for 5 decades, dies at 84

*A Bengali and his love for fish is a tale of every Indian folklore, and Mukherjee was no exception. He savoured his fish curry and enjoyed having a fish a day, said an NDTV report. Mukherjee was also exceptionally fond of posto or poppy seeds.

*The 82-year old maintained a diary throughout his life and managed to make an entry every day even when he held top ministerial posts like External Affairs, Defence, and Finance.

*Mukherjee was the only Finance Minister to have presented budgets both in the pre and post-liberalization era.

Also Read: Pranab Mukherjee, Indira Gandhi loyalist and Congress’s man for all seasons

*Also, a deeply religious man who was adept in reciting Sanskrit Slokas, Mukherjee could recite the ‘ChandiPath’ from memory. He always made it a point to be at his ancestral home in Mirati, West Bengal during the yearly Durga Puja according to an NDTV report.

*Mukherjee was awarded the Best Administrator in India Award 2011 by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Finance Minister of the year for Asia in 2010 by the daily newspaper ‘Emerging Markets’ and also awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019.

The late Pranab Mukherjee is now survived by his elder son Abhijit Mukherjee and daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee.