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Rajendra Prasad, (born December 3, 1884, Zeradei, India—died February 28, 1963, Patna), Indian politician, lawyer, and journalist who was the first president of the Republic of India (1950–62). He also was a comrade of Mahatma Gandhi early in the noncooperation movement for independence and was president of the Indian National Congress (1934, 1939, and 1947). Dr. Prasad toured the state, holding public meeting fter another, collecting funds and galvanizing the nation for a complete boycott of all schools, colleges and Government offices. He urged the people to take to spinning and wear only khadi. Bihar and the entire nation was taken by storm, the people responded to the leaders’ call. The machinery of the mighty British Raj was coming to a grinding halt. In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Prasad retired, and was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian award. With the many tumults of his vigorous and accomplished life, Dr. Prasad recorded his life and the decades before independence in many books, among the more noted of which are “Satyagraha at Champaran” (1922), “India Divided” (1946), his autobiography “Atmakatha” (1946), “Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminisences” (1949), and “Bapu ke Kadmon Mein” (1954). Dr. Prasad spent the last few months of his life in retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. The books contain the life and works of Rajendra Prasad, a prominent leader of freedom struggle and politician of repute. Thoughts of Prasad on various subjects are also included.