Born on 26 September 1932, in the village of Gah, in the Punjab region of Pakistan, Singh completed his postgraduate studies in Economics at Panjab University, Chandigarh, and subsequently obtained a doctorate from Oxford University.
From Civil Service to Politics
Singh had a long and distinguished career in government service. He began his journey in 1971 during Indira Gandhi’s tenure as an economic advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Trade. In 1972, he became the Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, a position he held until 1976. In 1991, amidst India’s economic crisis, he was appointed as the Finance Minister. Singh devalued the rupee, reduced taxes, privatised state-owned industries, and encouraged foreign investment, leading to positive changes in the country’s economy. A member of the Indian National Congress, he joined the Rajya Sabha in 1991. He served as Finance Minister until 1996 but lost the 1999 Lok Sabha elections.
2004 Victory, Manmohan Singh Becomes Prime Minister
The Congress party defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2004 parliamentary elections. Congress President Sonia Gandhi declined the Prime Ministership, and Singh was chosen for the post. He formed the government and assumed office. His key objectives included improving the condition of India’s poor, establishing peace with Pakistan, and improving relations between various religious communities. Singh worked towards a rapidly growing economy, but rising fuel prices led to increased inflation, creating difficulties in providing subsidies to the poor. To meet India’s growing energy needs, he signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with US President George W. Bush in 2005. This agreement allowed India to obtain fuel and technology for nuclear power plants but faced international opposition. Following further progress on the agreement in 2008, Singh’s government faced a confidence vote in Parliament, a process affected by allegations of corruption and vote-buying.
