Introduction
- Eminent freedom fighter, constitutional statesman, scholar, and lawyer
- Played a quiet but decisive role in India’s national movement and constitution-making
- Served as the first President of India and remains the longest-serving President in Indian history
- Remembered for simplicity, moral integrity, Gandhian values, and institutional dignity
Early Life and Education
- Born on 3 December 1884 in Ziradei, Bihar, in a well-educated Kayastha family
- Displayed exceptional academic brilliance from an early age
- Proficient in Persian, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Arithmetic during childhood
- Graduated from Presidency College, Calcutta, on scholarship, securing top ranks
- Completed MA in Economics and later pursued Law in Kolkata
- Briefly served as Principal of Langat Singh College, Bihar, reflecting commitment to education
Shift from Legal Career to Public Life
- Initially a successful lawyer with a growing practice
- Deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, especially during the Champaran movement
- Voluntarily gave up his legal career to dedicate himself to national service
- Chose a life of austerity and public engagement over professional comfort
Role in the Indian Freedom Struggle
- Became a prominent Gandhian leader in Bihar and eastern India
Champaran Satyagraha
- Actively supported Gandhi’s first major civil disobedience movement
- Assisted in documentation, mobilisation, and organisation of peasants
- Helped expose the exploitative indigo plantation system
Non-Cooperation and Mass Mobilisation
- Led Non-Cooperation Movement in Bihar
- Organised extensive tours, public meetings, and awareness campaigns
- Established National College near Patna to promote indigenous education
- Withdrew his son from colonial institutions and admitted him to Bihar Vidyapeeth
Imprisonment and Sacrifice
- Arrested multiple times for nationalist activities
- Imprisoned during
- Salt Satyagraha (1931)
- Quit India Movement (1942)
- Used prison time for writing, reflection, and intellectual work
Leadership within the Congress
- Elected President of the Indian National Congress (1934) at the Bombay session
- Known as a conciliator and consensus-builder within the party
- Represented the moderate, ethical, and institution-focused strand of nationalism
Role in Constitution-Making
- Elected President of the Constituent Assembly (1946)
- Presided over debates with impartiality, patience, and procedural discipline
- Ensured smooth functioning despite ideological diversity and political pressures
Key Committees under his Chairmanship
- Ad Hoc Committee on the National Flag
- Committee on Rules of Procedure
- Finance and Staff Committee
- Steering Committee
- Helped maintain constitutional decorum and institutional legitimacy during transition
Presidency of India
- Became first President of India in 1950
- Re-elected unanimously in 1952 and 1957, a unique distinction
- Served for nearly 12 years, the longest tenure in Indian history
Presidential Conduct
- Upheld constitutional morality and democratic restraint
- Maintained a delicate balance between ceremonial role and moral authority
- Set enduring conventions of presidential neutrality and dignity
Literary Contributions
- Satyagraha at Champaran
- India Divided
- Atmakatha (Autobiography)
- Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar
- Bapu Ke Qadmon Mein
- Since Independence
- Bharatiya Shiksha
Legacy and Recognition
- Awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1962
- Retired completely from public life after presidency
- Remembered as a symbol of
- Constitutional propriety
- Moral authority
- Quiet but firm leadership
His life represents the ethical conscience of the Indian Republic
