Who was Dr. Rajendra Prasad and what was his role as India’s first President?

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was a pre-eminent Indian freedom fighter, a lawyer, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, and the first President of the Republic of India.28 Born in Bihar, he is revered as one of the chief architects of modern India and is fondly known as "Desh Ratna" (Jewel of the Nation).

Role in the Freedom Struggle:

• He first joined Gandhi during the Champaran Satyagraha (1917), where he became a devoted follower.
• He was a key organizer of the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Quit India Movement in Bihar, facing imprisonment multiple times for his activities.
• He served as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1934, 1939, and 1947.

Role as Architect of the Nation:

His most crucial role, aside from the presidency, was as the President of the Constituent Assembly.31 From 1946 to 1949, he guided the 300-member body responsible for drafting the Constitution of India. His calm, impartial, and dignified leadership was essential in steering the complex debates and forging a consensus.

Role as India's First President (1950-1962):

• Dr. Prasad was elected as the first President of India, holding the office for two consecutive terms (the only president to do so).
• He established the traditions and protocols of the new office, maintaining its dignity and independence.
• While a constitutional head, he sometimes engaged in careful deliberation with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, notably on the Hindu Code Bill, ensuring that the President's office was not just a rubber stamp.
• He was a symbol of humility and integrity, linking the new-age government back to the moral values of the freedom struggle.