This book, which examines the Indian presidency's institution, is based on the author's time serving as Giani Zail Singh's seventh president's deputy secretary. It specifically looks at the President's function in cases where authoritarian governments are elected to power. For a president who has a strong majority and a popular prime minister, as was the case with Zail Singh and Rajiv Gandhi, things are even more difficult. The book describes how Zail Singh helped to partially revive the guardrails that the first two presidents, Rajendra Prasad and S. Radhakrishnan, had meticulously built. With a wealth of anecdotes and sharp observations, The Indian President makes a strong case for why the Zail Singh years are essential to comprehending both the potential and limits of the country's highest office.