"Nehru was prodigiously productive in terms of writing and thinking during his different periods in jail," Mukherjee said, and also referred to his book "Glimpses of World History".
He said Nehru did not use the excuse of the partition of India and the consequent communal violence or influx of refugees to postpone elections and treated parliament with great respect.
He said it was because of Nehru's consistent efforts that India established itself as a secular state.
Nehru's policy of non-alignment did not mean equidistant or isolationism but independence of judgment and action.
Mukherjee said democracy has struck deep roots in India thanks to Nehru's stewardship of the nation in its early years.
"Every one of our institutions from the independent judiciary and free press to the legislatures and the Election Commission bear the hallmark of Nehru."
"Looking ahead, we must renew afresh the imperative of protecting and strengthening our democratic institutions and practices. Imperfect they may be, but they represent the best way forward for our nation as we forge ahead into the 21st century," he said.
