'He has written a hundred short films, each complete in itself, together forming a portrait of India that no single narrative could capture.’ – Javed Akhtar
'An urgent, vital book...spurs us to recommit ourselves to building the India our founding fathers dreamt of.’ – Shashi Tharoor
One hundred moments. Each exactly two pages. Together, a portrait of India that no single history could tell.
Public life is often catalogued through grand events and sweeping histories. But the real story of a nation is also hidden in small moments – it could be a decision that is taken in seconds, a meeting that changes a career, or a conversation that reveals the true character of power.
In this book, S.Y. Quraishi has chosen a hundred such moments. Insightful, candid, and often surprising, this is his most personal book yet. Each memory is rendered in exactly two pages – self-contained and conveyed with rare deftness. Together they map a life lived at the intersection of the personal and the public, the intimate and the institutional.
The episodes in the book range from his childhood in Old Delhi and years in the Indian Administrative Service to his travels across the world. They move from encounters with Nobel laureates to conversations with a humble gardener; from observer missions in war-torn Sri Lanka and Myanmar to political intrigue in the highest corridors of power in Delhi. Interwoven through them are insider accounts of landmark electoral reforms and administrative decisions, which together create a granular portrait of a life well-lived.
For readers who care about India, democracy, and what public service looks like when done with integrity.
S.Y. Quraishi joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1971. He served as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India, when he introduced major electoral reforms, including the Voter Education Division, the Expenditure Monitoring Division, and founded the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) which has trained officials from over 143 countries. He also launched National Voters' Day to boost voter participation.
Dr Quraishi was appointed as the Global Ambassador of Democracy, alongside Kofi Annan, by International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in October 2018. He has represented India in election observation missions worldwide. Featured in the Indian Express's list of 100 Most Powerful Indians (2011 and 2012), he has delivered major lectures at Oxford, Harvard, and Columbia amongst many others. He is currently Chancellor Emeritus of IILM University, Gurugram. You can reach him at @DrSYQuraishi on X, @quraishisy on Instagram, and at www.drsyquraishi.in.
Dr. Quraishi has also authored several books, including An Undocumented Wonder (2014), The Great March of Democracy (2019), The Population Myth (2021), India's Experiment with Democracy (2023), and Democracy's Heartland (2025).
