Dr Manmohan Singh: Visionary Statesman, Leader Of Integrity, And Economist Of Unparalleled Stature
Former Indian prime minister, economist, and academic Dr Manmohan Singh died on Thursday, December 26. He was admitted to AIIMS Delhi today evening.
As the news about his demise broke, tributes have started to flood in. In one of such tributes, a senior politician wrote: “With the passing of the Former Prime Minister, India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature.” Yes, Dr Singh was all these as he led the journey of a nation to newer paths.
Dr Singh, who was born in Gah, West Punjab, in what is today Pakistan, in 1932, served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Dr Singh was the first Sikh and non-Hindu prime minister of India. He was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.
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Dr Singh, whose family migrated to India during the partition in 1947, received his education at Punjab University, Cambridge University, and Nuffield College, Oxford. After teaching economics at Delhi School of Economics and Punjab University, he joined the Indian government as an economic advisor in 1972.
Dr Singh’s introduction to politics was when he was appointed Finance Minister of India by Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in 1991, at a time when the Indian economy was in a crisis – facing high inflation, a large budget deficit, and a shortage of foreign exchange reserves.
Dr Singh introduced a series of bold economic reforms, including liberalizing trade and investment, privatizing state-owned enterprises, and reducing government spending. These reforms, according some economists, helped to revive the Indian economy and led to a period of rapid economic growth.
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Some argued that the reforms were too harsh and that they benefited the wealthy at the expense of the poor. Others argued that the reforms undermined India’s sovereignty and cultural identity. However, Singh”s reforms are widely credited with transforming the Indian economy and making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
In 2004, Singh was chosen as the Prime Minister of India after the Congress party-led alliance secured a comfortable majority in the general election, defeating the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party. In his term as the Prime Minister, Dr Singh continued to implement economic reforms and also focused on social development programs such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Dr Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by a number of challenges, including the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2012 Delhi gang rape. However, he is generally credited with leading India through a period of economic growth and social development. Dr Singh retired from politics in 2014 after the Congress party was defeated in the general election.
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Dr. Manmohan Singh is widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reforms. Dr Singh’s legacy is one of economic growth, social development, and political stability.
10 Major Contributions of Manmohan Singh’s UPA Government
1. Right to Information (RTI) Act (2005): Empowered citizens with the right to access information, enhancing transparency and accountability in governance.
2. Right to Education (RTE) Act (2009): Made free and compulsory education a fundamental right for children aged 6-14, improving literacy and school enrolment.
3. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA, 2005): Provided rural households with 100 days of guaranteed employment, uplifting millions from poverty.
4. Right to Food (National Food Security Act, 2013): Ensured food security for nearly two-thirds of India’s population through subsidised food grains.
5. Aadhaar Initiative (2009): Launched the biometric identification programme to streamline welfare delivery and eliminate middlemen in subsidy distribution.
6. Rural Health Mission (2005): Improved rural healthcare infrastructure, maternal health, and child healthcare through the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
7. Expansion of Education Infrastructure: Established new IITs, IIMs, and central universities, enhancing access to quality higher education across the country.
8. Civil Nuclear Deal with the US (2008): Ended India’s nuclear isolation, opening avenues for clean energy and strengthening international partnerships.
9. Increased FDI Reforms: Opened up key sectors like retail, insurance, and aviation for foreign direct investment, boosting economic growth.
10. Golden Quadrilateral and Infrastructure Development: Strengthened national highways and rural connectivity, significantly improving transportation and boosting trade.
