Former PM Manmohan Singh, architect of modern India's economy, passes away

Dr Singh, 92, was admitted to Aiims Delhi's emergency ward late Thursday and had been battling health issues for a while

Dr Manmohan Singh, former two-term Prime Minister of India, passed away on Thursday, December 26 at the age of 92. He had been admitted earlier in the evening to the emergency ward of Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Aiims) around 8 pm.

 

Singh’s passing marks the end of an era for a leader who was instrumental in shaping modern India’s economic landscape, and presided over the world's largest democracy for two consecutive terms at the head of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. He is widely credited with the wide-ranging reforms in 1991 that opened up India's economy, ended the so-called License-Permit Raj, and put India firmly on the path to becoming an economic powerhouse to be reckoned with on the global stage. He was the first prime minister from a minority religion.

 

 

Life and legacy

 

Manmohan Singh was a highly-respected economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. His tenure as both a policymaker and leader was marked by transformative contributions to the nation’s economic reforms and development. Born on September 26, 1932, in Punjab, Singh pursued an exemplary academic career.

 

He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from Panjab University before moving to the United Kingdom for further studies. At the University of Cambridge, he graduated with First Class Honours in Economics in 1957. Later, in 1962, he earned a D.Phil in Economics from Oxford University, cementing his reputation as a scholar of remarkable intellectual capability.

 

On the personal front, Singh was married to Gursharan Kaur, and the couple has three daughters. Throughout his career, he received numerous accolades for his contributions to public service and economics, including the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award. In recent years, Singh had been facing health challenges.

 

From economist to PM, a long journey

 

Singh began his professional journey in the Indian government in 1971 as an economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. Over the years, he held a number of key roles, including Chief Economic Advisor, Secretary of the Finance Ministry, and Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. However, it was his tenure as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 that left an indelible mark on the nation’s economic trajectory.

 

At a time when India was grappling with a critical balance-of-payments crisis, Singh presented a groundbreaking Budget in 1991 that opened up the country’s economy to global markets. This marked a significant departure from India’s previously insular economic policies and laid the foundation for rapid economic growth in subsequent decades.

 

Prime Ministerial tenure of Dr Singh

 

Singh became the Prime Minister on May 22, 2004, following the Indian National Congress-led victory in the general elections. He served two consecutive terms, with his second beginning on May 22, 2009.

 

Under his leadership, India experienced an average economic growth rate of 7.7 per cent, a period that saw millions lifted out of poverty. Singh’s government introduced a range of social welfare measures aimed at inclusive development, including rights-based initiatives for food security, education, and employment. His focus on equitable growth earned him widespread admiration as a leader. The biggest social welfare programme under his watch was the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, widely recognised as the world's largest jobs guarantee scheme. 

His crowning glory, however, is likely to be the signing of the India-US civil nuclear power deal, a decision that nearly toppled the government after the Left parties pulled their support over the issue. However, it opened the doors for India to be accepted, however reluctantly, as a de-facto member of the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) despite not being a signatory to it. It also showed the way for deeper strategic ties between the two nations.

 

2-G scam, corruption allegations

 

Despite these successes, Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister was not without challenges. His government faced significant criticism over corruption scandals, including the high-profile 2G spectrum allocation case, the Commonwealth Games scandal, and the Coalgate controversy. These tarnished his administration’s image and largely contributed to the Congress party's electoral defeat in 2014. Singh's say in, and sway over, the government was seen as being diminished when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, at a public event in 2013, tore up an ordinance to shield Parliamentarians from disqualification despite conviction, effectively establishing his primacy over the prime minister.

 

Nonetheless, Singh’s legacy remains one of integrity and thoughtful governance, with his contributions to India’s economic and social development continuing to be celebrated. His passing leaves behind a legacy of visionary leadership and a life dedicated to the service of his nation.