| | |
| Presidency of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 25 July 2002 –25 July 2007 | |
| Party | Independent |
|---|---|
| Election | 2002 Indian presidential election |
| Seat | Rashtrapati Bhawan |
Presidency of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was started from 25 July 2002 when Abdul Kalam took oath as the eleventh President of India. [1]
In 2002,soon after assuming office,the President announced his decision to visit the state of Gujarat,which had been struck by an earthquake as well as deadly riots. [2] In his book Turning Points,Kalam wrote that he undertook the visit despite Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's objections.[ citation needed ]
In 2006,Kalam became the first President to return a bill,when he returned the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill,2006 bill to parliament for reconsideration. [3] [4]
Kalam opposed capital punishment,and sent back nearly 50 cases of capital punishment for reconsideration,listing out reasons why clemency should be considered in each case. [5]
He commuted one death sentence,and rejected only one mercy petition (that of Dhananjoy Chatterjee,who was executed in 2004). [6]
| Year | Country | Date | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | United Arab Emirates | [7] | ||
| Sudan | [7] | |||
| Bulgaria | [7] | |||
| 2005 | Switzerland | [8] | ||
| Iceland | ||||
| 2006 | Philippines | February | ||
| South Korea | ||||
| Myanmar | [9] | |||
| Mauritius | [9] | |||
| 2007 | France | [10] | ||
| Greece | [10] |