<P> In India, "the Emergency" refers to a 21 - month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country . Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 (1) of the Constitution because of the prevailing "internal disturbance", the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977 . The order bestowed upon the Prime Minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be suspended and civil liberties to be curbed . For much of the Emergency, most of Gandhi's political opponents were imprisoned and the press was censored . Several other human rights violations were reported from the time, including a forced mass - sterilization campaign spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, the Prime Minister's son . The Emergency is one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history . Documents that have surfaced over the past few years indicate that Indira Gandhi had planned to impose the emergency only temporarily for some time till the violence that was erupting in the country had subsided . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (March 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table>

President of india at the time of emergency