Mohammad Hamid Ansari

Vice President, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari with the former Prime Minister of Nepal Madhav Nepal

Joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1961, Ansari subsequently served Indian missions in Baghdad, Rabat, Brussels and Jeddah.[7] From 1976 to 1980, he served as the Indian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Mohan Jashanmal, the Chairman of Indian Business and Professionals Group said that "Ansari was instrumental to get land for the Indian School from His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan".[8] He has also served as the Indian ambassador to Australia (1985–1989), Afghanistan (1989–1990), Iran (1990–1992), Saudi Arabia (1995–1999).[9]

He also served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 1993 to 1995.[6] His deputy T. P. Sreenivasan wrote that while Ansari's stint as the Permanent Representative, he refuted Pakistan's allegations of human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir by "the horns and subdued it whenever necessary". He also wrote that appointing Ansari for this post at a time when "Pakistan went all out to bring Kashmir to the centre of international attention after the end of the Cold War" showed India's secular credentials.[10]

After serving as a visiting professor of the West Asian and African Studies Department of Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1999 to 2000,[6] Ansari was appointed as the vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University on 23 May 2000.[11] After leaving the post in 2002, he served as a visiting professor of the Academy for Third World Studies Department of the Jamia Milia Islamia from 2003 to 2005.[6]

Ansari became the chairman of India's National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on 6 March 2006.[12] In June 2007, Ansari, in his capacity as NCM chairman, upheld the decision of St. Stephen's College, Delhi to earmark a small percentage of seats for Dalit Christians.[13] He resigned as NCM chairman soon after his nomination for the post of India's vice-president.

Ansari with the PM, the Governor of Gujarat and some Supreme court judges at the Gujarat National Law University

Ansari with former Odisha governor M.C. Bhandare and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik

Vice-President Ansari inspecting the guard of honor at Biju Patnaik International Airport

On 20 July 2007, Ansari was named by the UPA-Left, the ruling coalition in India, as its candidate for the post of Vice-President for the upcoming election. When asked, Ansari said he felt "humbled" over the UPA-Left decision naming him as their candidate. "I am humbled by the confidence reposed in me". Ansari refused to say more when asked about his prospects in the August 2007 Vice-Presidential election.[14] Ansari secured 455 votes, and won the election by a margin of 233 votes against his nearest rival Najma Heptullah.

In 2012 Vice presidential election, the Congress-led UPA re-appointed Ansari as their candidate for the post of VP. The NDA nominated Jaswant Singh, former Finance, External Affairs and Defence minister as well as former Leader of Opposition.[15] The NDA cited Ansari's conduct in the Rajya Sabha during The Lokpal Bill, 2011 debate when he had abruptly adjourned the House sine die.[16] Hamid Ansari was re-elected for the second term on 7 August 2012, defeating the NDA's nominee Jaswant Singh by a margin of 252 votes.[17] Ansari was the first person to be re-elected as Indian Vice President after Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1957.[18]

Upon the inauguration of Ram Nath Kovind as President of India in 2017, Ansari became the first Indian Vice-President to serve during the terms of three presidents. He is the longest serving chairman of Rajya Sabha.