During the Internal Emergency declared in India in 1975, who was holding office as the President of India?

Introduction / Context:
The Internal Emergency of 1975 to 1977 is one of the most discussed periods in modern Indian political history. It involved suspension of many civil liberties, curtailment of political opposition and significant constitutional changes. Understanding which leaders held key offices during this time, such as President and Prime Minister, is important for exams on Indian polity and history. This question specifically asks about the President of India at the time the Emergency was proclaimed in June 1975.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The Emergency in question is the Internal Emergency proclaimed in 1975 under Article 352.- The options for President are Morarji Desai, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, V P Singh and Indira Gandhi.- We need to identify who was the President, not the Prime Minister.

Concept / Approach:
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed served as the President of India from 1974 until his death in 1977. It was during his term that the Emergency was proclaimed in June 1975 on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Morarji Desai and V P Singh served as Prime Ministers at different times later or earlier, not as Presidents during the Emergency. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, not the President, at that time. Therefore, the correct answer is Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Emergency of 1975 is widely associated with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.Step 2: Identify Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed as the President of India from 1974 to 1977, covering the Emergency period.Step 3: Note that Morarji Desai became Prime Minister only in 1977 after the Emergency ended and was never President of India.Step 4: Remember that V P Singh served as Prime Minister later, in 1989 to 1990, and was never President.Step 5: Indira Gandhi, although central to the Emergency as Prime Minister, did not hold the office of President.Step 6: Therefore, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A good way to verify is to recall that after President V V Giri and President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, B D Jatti served as Acting President and then Neelam Sanjiva Reddy became President. The Emergency falls squarely within Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed's term, and many political histories mention his role in signing the proclamation of Emergency.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Morarji Desai) is wrong because he was Prime Minister after the Emergency and never served as President.Option C (V P Singh) is wrong as he was Prime Minister in a later period and did not hold the office of President.Option D (Indira Gandhi) is wrong because she was the Prime Minister during the Emergency, not the President; the question specifically asks about the President.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the roles of President and Prime Minister when dealing with historical events, especially when a particular leader such as Indira Gandhi is strongly associated with that period. Another error is to misremember the sequence of Presidents. To avoid this, it is helpful to study a timeline of Presidents and Prime Ministers, marking key events like wars and emergencies against those timelines.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed