text: I. K. Gujral government On 21 April 1997, Inder Kumar Gujral, who had been the foreign minister under Deve Gowda, was sworn in as prime minister and was given two days time win a vote of confidence in Parliament. He was the third prime minister to be sworn in by Sharma and his government would last 322 days when the Congress party again withdrew support to the United Front ministry.
  State visits
  As president, Sharma led state visits to Bulgaria, Chile, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Namibia, Oman, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. At the end of his tenure, he chose not to seek a second term in office and was succeeded to the presidency by Vice President K. R. Narayanan.
  Death
  Sharma died due to heart attack at the Escorts Heart Institute, Delhi on 26 December 1999. He was married to Vimala and had two sons and a daughter. The Government of India declared seven days of national mourning in his honour. A state funeral was accorded to him and he was cremated on 27 December 1999. His samadhi lies at Karma Bhumi, Delhi.
  Honours
  Sharma was made an honorary bencher and Master of Lincoln's Inn in 1993. He was conferred an honorary degree of doctor of law by the University of Cambridge. He was also conferred with honorary doctorates from the Sofia University, University of Bucharest, the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and several Indian universities.