K. R. Narayanan

Trivia

• He was the tenth President of the Republic of India.
• He is the only Dalit and the only Malayali to have held the Presidency.
• He has served as ambassador to Japan, United Kingdom, Thailand, Turkey, People`s Republic of China and United States of America and was referred by Nehru as "the best diplomat of the country". In India, where the office of the President is largely ceremonial without executive powers, Narayanan was regarded as an independent and aggressive President who set several guidelines and enlarged the scope of the highest constitutional office.
• K. R. Narayanan was born in his tharavaadu ancestral home, a small thatched hut at Perumthanam, Uzhavoor, as the fourth of seven children of Kocheril Raman Vaidyar.
• His father was a physician practicing the traditional Indian medical systems of Siddha and Ayurveda. His family belonged to the Paravan caste, whose members are assigned the job of plucking coconuts.
• His family was very poor, but his father was respected for his medical ability.
• Narayanan had his early schooling in Uzhavoor at the Government Lower Primary School, Kurichithanam. From 1931-1935 he gained education from Our Lady of Lourdes Upper Primary School, Uzhavoor.
• He walked to school for about 15 kilometres daily through rice fields, and was often unable to pay the fees.
• He often listened to school lessons while standing outside the classroom, as he was not allowed to attend class because of the tuition fees he could not pay.
• His family lacked money to buy books so his elder brother K. R. Neelakantan, who was confined to home used to borrow books from other students, copy them down, and give them to Narayanan.