Aim: Consistent and reliable protection against rise of heart rate and blood pressure during extubation has been aimed at by using propofol in this study. Materials and Methods: It was studied in 50 patients of ASA Grade I & II between age groups 20 - 46 years. 25 patients of comparable age, weight and ASA status were taken as control. Premedication was by glycopyrrolate 0.2 mg 30 minutes prior to induction of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia induced with thiopentone sodium 5 mg/ kg intubation was performed with suxamethonium and maintained with 0 2 and N 2 O with vecuronium as a muscle relaxant, pethidine 1 mg/kg. Patients belonging to the study groups received bolus doses of either 1 mg/kg of lignocaine or 0.5 mg/kg of propofol two minutes prior to extubation. Results: Haemodynamic parameters like Systolic blood pressure, Diastolic blood pressure, Mean arterial pressure, Heart rate were recorded at the following intervals. At induction, at the end of surgery, injection of study drug, 2 minutes after injection of study drug, at extubation, 1 minute after extubation, 2 minutes after extubation and 5 minutes after extubation. Patients who did not receive either of the study drugs showed a significant rise in all the haemodynamic parameters at extubation. In patients who received either of the study drugs the increase in haemodynamic variables were significantly less, thus attenuating the haemodynmic response. No side effects were noted with propofol. Conclusions: It establishes the usefulness of an intravenous bolus dose of propofol 0.5 mg/kg to attenuate the haemodynamic response to extubation. Propofol 0.5 mg/kg is superior to lignocaine 1 mg/kg in prophylaxis of extubation response.