New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS): President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday paid homage to former President K.R. Narayanan on his 99th birth anniversary.

The President, officers and staff of Rashtrapati Bhavan as well as the former President's family members paid floral tributes before a portrait of Narayanan, a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said.

Narayanan (1920-2005) joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1949, and had various postings around the world, including being Ambassador to Turkey and China. After retirement, he served as Vice Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (1979-80), before being recalled to public life and made the Indian Ambassador to US (1980-84).

He joined politics in 1984 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kerala's Ottapalam. Narayanan served a Minister of State in the Rajiv Gandhi government (1984-89) and was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989 and 1992.

He became Vice President in 1992 under President Shankar Dayal Sharma, and became the first Dalit President of India in 1997.