Ram Nath Kovind turns 76 today, here are some lesser-known facts about the 14th President of India

President Kovind was born in village Paraunkh in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur dehat district. President’s father was a farmer and a owner of a small grocery store, while his mother died when he was a child. Kovind has donated his ancestral house in his native village of Paraunkh to make it a marriage hall.

President Kovind studied at Kanpur University and completed his degrees in commerce and law from there. Following this, he moved to Delhi for preparing for the civil services examination, which he cleared later on, but still choose to practice law. Kovind was admitted to the Bar Council of India in 1971.

Ram Nath Kovind practiced in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court for about 16 years until 1993, and also served as Counsel of the Union Government in the Delhi High Court from 1977 to 1979. Following this, he became an Advocate-on-Record with the Supreme Court of India. Kovind was the Standing Counsel for the Union Government in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993. 

Kovind joined BJP in 1977. Before that he worked as the private secretary of then Prime Minister Morarji Desai. Additionally, Kovind represented India at the United Nations as well in the United Nations General Assembly in October 2002.

As the President celebrates his 76th birthday today, many political leaders of the nation, including Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have wished him good health and many more years in the service of the nation. 

"My Heartiest greetings to Hon'ble President of India, Ram Nath Kovind Ji on his birthday today. He is known for his simplicity, high ethics and remarkable vision. May he be blessed with good health, happiness and many more years in the service of the nation," Naidu tweeted.

"Birthday greetings to Rashtrapati Ji. Due to his humble personality, he has endeared himself to the entire nation. His focus on empowering the poor and marginalised sections of society is exemplary. May he lead a long and healthy life,” PM Narendra Modi tweeted.