PRANAB MUKHERJEE entered Parliament at the age of thirty-four and rose to become the 13th President of India. A man of unparalleled experience in governance, he has the rare distinction of having held various portfolios—sometimes concurrently—as Minister of Defence, External Affairs, Commerce and Finance. A seasoned parliamentarian, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha five times and to the Lok Sabha twice. He was a member of the Congress Working Committee, the highest policymaking body of the party for a period of 23 years, till he became the president. A soft-spoken man of steely determination, Pranab has been the go-to person in times of crises, both for the Congress and others. His role as a consensus-builder and his ability to forge unity amongst diverse political parties has earned him the respect of one and all. Pranab Mukherjee’s grasp of international relations, financial affairs and parliamentary processes combined with his phenomenal memory make him one of the most important and admired politicians of contemporary India.