MANMOHAN SINGH

Manmohan Singh, born 26 September 1932 is an Indian retired politician, economist, academician, and bureaucrat who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is noted as the first Sikh prime minister of India and the first since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.

Born in Gah, West Punjab (now in Pakistan), Singh's family migrated to India during the partition in 1947. He excelled academically, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in Economics with top honors from Panjab University. Singh continued his studies at the University of Cambridge, completing his Economics Tripos in 1957, and later earned a DPhil from the University of Oxford.

Singh began his career in academia at Panjab University and later served at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1966 to 1969. His entry into Indian bureaucracy followed, with pivotal roles including Chief Economic Advisor (1972–1976), Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (1982–1985), and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission (1985–1987).

In 1991, Singh was appointed as India's Finance Minister under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. His tenure marked a significant turning point for India's economy, characterized by liberalization reforms that dismantled the License Raj and spurred economic growth. Following this, Singh served as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004.

Assuming office as Prime Minister in 2004, Singh's leadership under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) saw the enactment of pivotal legislations such as the National Rural Health Mission, Unique Identification Authority, Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, and Right to Information Act. His tenure was also marked by robust economic growth, despite challenges like the global financial crisis.

Post his second term ending in 2014, Singh retired from active politics but continued to be influential in policy discussions. He remains recognized globally for his contributions to economic policy and governance, receiving accolades such as the World Statesman Award and high rankings on Forbes' influential people list. However, Singh's career also faced domestic criticism over issues like economic reforms and corruption scandals.

Personally, Singh is married to Gursharan Kaur and has three daughters.

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