Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has passed away on 26th December, 2024. PM Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, while acknowledging Singh’s rise from humble beginnings to a respected economist and PM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss of his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh, saying that he rose from humble origins to become a respected economist. “He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on India’s economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives.”
PM Modi also shared in a post on X. “Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji and I interacted regularly when he was PM and I was the CM of Gujarat. We would have extensive deliberations on various subjects relating to governance. His wisdom and humility were always visible. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the family of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, his friends and countless admirers. Om Shanti”.
Manmohan Singh will always be remembered as “Quiet Statesman Who Orchestrated Dynamic Changes”.
A scholar, a bureaucrat and a two-time Prime Minister-Manmohan Singh’s administrative and political career spanned decades and left behind a legacy of transformative economic reforms. Economists attribute today’s thriving industries, the IT revolution and the rise of a burgeoning middle class to the landmark reforms Manmohan Singh introduced in 1991.
As per a saying that “actions speak louder than words” was very much embedded in the life and legacy of India’s 13th Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. He passed away on Thursday, December 26, at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. He was 92.
Dr Manmohan Singh’s Rise
Known for his humility, intellect and quiet resolve, he leaves behind a formidable legacy having the story of India’s economic rebirth. Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah village in West Punjab (now in Pakistan), Manmohan Singh fled to Amritsar at the age of 15 with his family during Partition. After obtaining degrees in economics from Panjab University, he studied at Cambridge University and then went to Oxford, where he specialized in India’s trade policies for his DPhil. The groundwork for an illustrious career in policymaking was laid.
He started his career at the United Nations (UN) before serving as the chief economic advisor and secretary in the finance ministry and subsequently as the 15th governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
In 1991, India was on the brink of financial collapse. Then, he was the finance minister in PV Narasimha Rao’s government, facing one of India’s gravest economic crises. The country’s foreign reserves were barely enough to last a couple of weeks of imports and the fiscal deficit was soaring. It was under these circumstances that Singh introduced what would come to be regarded as the most transformative economic reforms independent India had seen. Through ‘liberalization, privatization and globalization’, or LPG reforms, the trade economist dismantled the ‘license Raj’ and opened up the economy to global trade and investment.
Presenting the Budget in Parliament in 1991, he famously quoted from Victor Hugo’s The Future of Man, “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come,” signaling the start of a new era for India. Singh’s vision proved prophetic. The reforms, initially met with skepticism and criticism, propelled India onto a trajectory of sustained economic growth.
Economists attribute today’s thriving industries, the information technology (IT) revolution and the rise of a burgeoning middle class to the landmark reforms of 1991. Millions were lifted out of poverty, they say, and India’s integration into the global economy became a blueprint for emerging nations.
Between 1998 and 2004, Singh served as the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In 2004, country entrusted the economist to govern the growth he had orchestrated over a decade ago.
Singh’s tenure, spanning two terms until 2014, was marked by a mix of economic growth and political challenges. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth reached record-high levels on the back of booming exports and the country’s global influence grew significantly. India, under his leadership, also weathered the 2008 global financial crisis relatively unscathed. The reformist who opened India to the world over a decade ago tried to develop the country into a global power.
As the nation moves forward, both his supporters and critics are increasingly acknowledging the impact of his contributions, remembering him as India’s silent architect.
In a post on X, the current Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman remembers Singh as “soft-spoken and gentle”. It is true that Singh’s style of leadership was a stark contrast to the bluster of contemporary politics. This is why even as political controversies raged around him, his personal integrity remained unquestioned even by those who opposed him.
Singh’s academic background and humility may have made him seem an unlikely fit for the hubbub of Indian politics. But his ability to navigate complex challenges with grace and dignity spoke of the capabilities of the man who had held several distinguished policy offices of the country.
Former PM, Manmohan Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur, their three daughters and a nation that owes much of its second life to his policies.
Educationist/Administrator/Editor/Author/Speaker
Commencing teaching in his early twenties, Prof Aggarwal has diverse experience of great tenure in the top institutions not only as an educationist, administrator, editor, author but also promoting youth and its achievements through the nicest possible content framing. A revolutionary to the core, he is also keen to address the society around him for its betterment and growth on positive notes while imbibing the true team spirit the work force along with.
Comments