Jump to content

Manmohan Singh: Difference between revisions

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Undid revision 431778593 by Kkm010 (talk)
Reformatted article (moved personal life and marriage and caste section to personal life and family) and Doctorates awarded in 2008 and 2010.
Line 72: Line 72:
After the [[Partition of India]], his family migrated to [[Amritsar]], India, where he studied at Hindu College. He attended [[Panjab University, Chandigarh]], studying Economics and got his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1952 and 1954, respectively, standing first throughout his academic career. He went on to read for the Economics Tripos at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] as a member of [[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]]. He won the Wright's Prize for distinguished performance in 1955 and 1957. He was also one of the few recipients of the Wrenbury scholarship. In 1962, Singh completed his studies from the [[University of Oxford]] where he was a member of [[Nuffield College, Oxford|Nuffield College]]. The title of his doctoral thesis was "India’s export performance, 1951–1960, export prospects and policy implications" and his thesis supervisor was Dr. I.M.D. Little. This thesis later grew into the book "India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://pmindia.nic.in/cv.pdf |title= Curriculum Vitae |accessdate=11 December 2008 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |format= PDF |work= |publisher= [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister's Office]]}}</ref>
After the [[Partition of India]], his family migrated to [[Amritsar]], India, where he studied at Hindu College. He attended [[Panjab University, Chandigarh]], studying Economics and got his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1952 and 1954, respectively, standing first throughout his academic career. He went on to read for the Economics Tripos at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] as a member of [[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]]. He won the Wright's Prize for distinguished performance in 1955 and 1957. He was also one of the few recipients of the Wrenbury scholarship. In 1962, Singh completed his studies from the [[University of Oxford]] where he was a member of [[Nuffield College, Oxford|Nuffield College]]. The title of his doctoral thesis was "India’s export performance, 1951–1960, export prospects and policy implications" and his thesis supervisor was Dr. I.M.D. Little. This thesis later grew into the book "India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://pmindia.nic.in/cv.pdf |title= Curriculum Vitae |accessdate=11 December 2008 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |format= PDF |work= |publisher= [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister's Office]]}}</ref>


In 1997, the [[University of Alberta]] awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Law degree. The University of Oxford awarded him an honorary [[Doctor of Civil Law]] degree in June 2006, and in October 2006, the University of Cambridge followed with the same honour. [[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's College]] further honoured him by naming a Ph.D [[Scholarship]] after him, the [[Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship|Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarship]].
In 1997, the [[University of Alberta]] awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Law degree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ualberta.ca/~publicas/folio/34/15/03.html|title=University of Alberta confers honorary doctorate on Manmohan Singh}}</ref> The University of Oxford awarded him an honorary [[Doctor of Civil Law]] degree in July 2005,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2005/050214.html|title=Oxford University confers doctorate degree on Manmohan Singh}}</ref> and in October 2006, the University of Cambridge followed with the same honour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061015/asp/look/story_6862282.asp|title=Cambridge University confers doctorate degree on Manmohan Singh}}</ref> [[St. John's College, Cambridge|St. John's College]] further honoured him by naming a Ph.D [[Scholarship]] after him, the [[Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship|Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarship]]. In 2008, he was awarded honorary [[Doctor of Letters]] degree by [[Benaras Hindu University]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-03-15/india/27741134_1_d-litt-honorary-doctorate-satish-gujral-and-historian|title=Manmohan Singh awarded honorary doctorate degree by BHU}}</ref> and later that year he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by [[University of Madras]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.oneindia.in/2008/09/05/manmohan-conferred-honorary-doctorate-degree-madras-university-1220621460.html|title=Manmohan Singh conferred honorary doctorate degree by Madras University}}</ref> In 2010, he was awarded honorary doctorate degree by [[King Saud University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article124297.ece|title=Manmohan conferred honorary doctorate by King Saud University}}</ref>


After completing his [[Ph.D.]], Singh worked for the [[United Nations Conference on Trade and Development]] (UNCTAD) from 1966–1969. During the 1970s, he taught at the [[University of Delhi]] and worked for the Ministry of Foreign Trade with the former Cabinet Minister for Foreign Trade, [[Lalit Narayan Mishra]]. As the Minister of Foreign Trade, Lalit Narayan Mishra was one of the first to recognize Singh's talent as an economist and appointed him his advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Singh and Mishra first met, coincidentally, on a flight from India to Chile. Mishra was on his way to Santiago, Chile to attend an UNCTAD meeting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lalit-narayan-mishra.co.tv/|title=Lalit Narayan Mishra}}</ref>
After completing his [[Ph.D.]], Singh worked for the [[United Nations Conference on Trade and Development]] (UNCTAD) from 1966–1969. During the 1970s, he taught at the [[University of Delhi]] and worked for the Ministry of Foreign Trade with the former Cabinet Minister for Foreign Trade, [[Lalit Narayan Mishra]]. As the Minister of Foreign Trade, Lalit Narayan Mishra was one of the first to recognize Singh's talent as an economist and appointed him his advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Singh and Mishra first met, coincidentally, on a flight from India to Chile. Mishra was on his way to Santiago, Chile to attend an UNCTAD meeting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lalit-narayan-mishra.co.tv/|title=Lalit Narayan Mishra}}</ref>


In 1982, he was appointed the Governor of the [[Reserve Bank of India]] and held the post until 1985. He went on to become the deputy chairman of the [[Planning Commission of India]] from 1985 to 1987. Following his tenure at the Planning Commission, he was Secretary General of the [[South Centre (organization)|South Commission]], an independent economic policy think tank headquartered in [[Geneva]], Switzerland from 1987 to 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/172024/head_of_government|title=India - Head of Government}}</ref>
In 1982, he was appointed the Governor of the [[Reserve Bank of India]] and held the post until 1985. He went on to become the deputy chairman of the [[Planning Commission of India]] from 1985 to 1987. Following his tenure at the Planning Commission, he was Secretary General of the [[South Centre (organization)|South Commission]], an independent economic policy think tank headquartered in [[Geneva]], Switzerland from 1987 to 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/172024/head_of_government|title=India - Head of Government}}</ref>

⚫
Singh married [[Gursharan Kaur]] in 1958. Their three daughters, Upinder Singh, Daman Singh and Amrit Singh, have successful, private-sector, careers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmindia.nic.in/meet.htm|title=Dr. Manmohan Singh: Personal Profile|publisher=Prime Minister's Office, Government of India|accessdate=4 April 2009}}</ref>

⚫
[[Upinder Singh]] is a professor of history at [[Delhi University]]. She has written six books, including ''Ancient Delhi'' (1999) and ''A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India'' (2008).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=330920&chkFlg= |title= This Singh is King of History |accessdate=4 April 2009|last= Raote |first= Rrishi |coauthors= |date= 10 October 2008 |work= |publisher= [[Business Standard]]}}</ref> Daman Singh is a graduate of [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]] and [[Institute of Rural Management, Anand|Institute of Rural Management]], Anand, Gujarat, and author of ''The Last Frontier: People and Forests in Mizoram'' and a novel ''Nine by Nine''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://specials.rediff.com/news/2009/jan/28slid1-dr-manmohan-singhs-daughter-daman-singh-turns-author.htm|title=Meet Dr. Singh's daughter|date=28 January 2009|publisher=Rediff.com|accessdate=4 April 2009}}</ref> [[Amrit Singh]] is a staff attorney at the [[American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2639327,prtpage-1.cms |title= PM's daughter puts White House in the dock|accessdate=13 October 2008 |last= Rajghatta|first= Chidanand|coauthors= |date= 21 December 2007 |work=[[Times of India]]}}</ref>

⚫
Singh has undergone multiple [[cardiac bypass surgery|cardiac bypass surgeries]], the most recent of which took place in January 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200901241640.htm|title=One graft successfully performed on Manmohan Singh|date=24 January 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=24 January 2009|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

⚫
Singh and his wife both belong to the [[Kohli]] clan,<ref>{{cite web|author=Puneet Singh Lamba |url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_111405a.html |title=Biographies – Manmohan Singh: Architect of the New India |publisher=The Sikh Times |date=14 November 2005 |accessdate=15 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.katagogi.com/Profile/Profile.aspx?l=EN&fid=13495&No=2e8d9c84-1000-48e4-8c20-0da2e2c3b58e&PreveVal=7827|iv2MOracD1s5HrBItssktfCbXMAq7RGYVMiHn8T1g0U=|ysUL6TqqAQsA4XL56DuJ1w==1 |title=Gursharan Kaur Kohli 's Profile |publisher=Katagogi |date= |accessdate=15 February 2011}}</ref> though neither uses the name as their surname.


==Early political career==
==Early political career==
Line 117: Line 109:


====Security and Home Affairs====
====Security and Home Affairs====

His government has been instrumental in strengthening anti-terror laws with amendments to[[Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act| UAPA]] ,
His government has been instrumental in strengthening anti-terror laws with amendments to[[Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act| UAPA]] ,
where most of provisions of POTA were reincorporated,critics however cite that the amendments make the act equally draconian.
where most of provisions of POTA were reincorporated,critics however cite that the amendments make the act equally draconian.
Line 156: Line 147:
==Public image==
==Public image==
Singh has always been perceived as a man of clean background with high intellect. He is seen as a man of few words. [[The Independent]] described him as "one of the world's most revered leaders" and "a man of uncommon decency and grace," noting that he drives a [[Maruti 800]], one of the humblest cars in the Indian market. Eminent [[Khushwant Singh]] lauded Dr. Singh as the best prime minister India has had, even rating him higher than [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]. He mentions an incident in his book ''Absolute Khushwant: The Low-Down on Life, Death and Most things In-between'' where after losing the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Singh immediately returned the {{INRConvert|2|l}} he had borrowed from the writer for hiring taxis. Terming him as the best example of integrity, Mr. Khushwant Singh stated, "When people talk of integrity, I say the best example is the man who occupies the country's highest office." <ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PM-Manmohan-Singh-is-the-best-example-of-integrity-Khushwant-Singh/articleshow/6325672.cms PM Manmohan Singh is the best example of integrity: Khushwant Singh date= 17 August 2010 publisher Times Of India ]</ref>
Singh has always been perceived as a man of clean background with high intellect. He is seen as a man of few words. [[The Independent]] described him as "one of the world's most revered leaders" and "a man of uncommon decency and grace," noting that he drives a [[Maruti 800]], one of the humblest cars in the Indian market. Eminent [[Khushwant Singh]] lauded Dr. Singh as the best prime minister India has had, even rating him higher than [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]. He mentions an incident in his book ''Absolute Khushwant: The Low-Down on Life, Death and Most things In-between'' where after losing the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Singh immediately returned the {{INRConvert|2|l}} he had borrowed from the writer for hiring taxis. Terming him as the best example of integrity, Mr. Khushwant Singh stated, "When people talk of integrity, I say the best example is the man who occupies the country's highest office." <ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PM-Manmohan-Singh-is-the-best-example-of-integrity-Khushwant-Singh/articleshow/6325672.cms PM Manmohan Singh is the best example of integrity: Khushwant Singh date= 17 August 2010 publisher Times Of India ]</ref>

==Family and Personal Life==
⚫
Singh married [[Gursharan Kaur]] in 1958. Their three daughters, Upinder Singh, Daman Singh and Amrit Singh, have successful, private-sector, careers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmindia.nic.in/meet.htm|title=Dr. Manmohan Singh: Personal Profile|publisher=Prime Minister's Office, Government of India|accessdate=4 April 2009}}</ref>

⚫
[[Upinder Singh]] is a professor of history at [[Delhi University]]. She has written six books, including ''Ancient Delhi'' (1999) and ''A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India'' (2008).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=330920&chkFlg= |title= This Singh is King of History |accessdate=4 April 2009|last= Raote |first= Rrishi |coauthors= |date= 10 October 2008 |work= |publisher= [[Business Standard]]}}</ref> Daman Singh is a graduate of [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]] and [[Institute of Rural Management, Anand|Institute of Rural Management]], Anand, Gujarat, and author of ''The Last Frontier: People and Forests in Mizoram'' and a novel ''Nine by Nine''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://specials.rediff.com/news/2009/jan/28slid1-dr-manmohan-singhs-daughter-daman-singh-turns-author.htm|title=Meet Dr. Singh's daughter|date=28 January 2009|publisher=Rediff.com|accessdate=4 April 2009}}</ref> [[Amrit Singh]] is a staff attorney at the [[American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2639327,prtpage-1.cms |title= PM's daughter puts White House in the dock|accessdate=13 October 2008 |last= Rajghatta|first= Chidanand|coauthors= |date= 21 December 2007 |work=[[Times of India]]}}</ref>

⚫
Singh has undergone multiple [[cardiac bypass surgery|cardiac bypass surgeries]], the most recent of which took place in January 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200901241640.htm|title=One graft successfully performed on Manmohan Singh|date=24 January 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=24 January 2009|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

⚫
Singh and his wife both belong to the [[Kohli]] clan,<ref>{{cite web|author=Puneet Singh Lamba |url=http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_111405a.html |title=Biographies – Manmohan Singh: Architect of the New India |publisher=The Sikh Times |date=14 November 2005 |accessdate=15 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.katagogi.com/Profile/Profile.aspx?l=EN&fid=13495&No=2e8d9c84-1000-48e4-8c20-0da2e2c3b58e&PreveVal=7827|iv2MOracD1s5HrBItssktfCbXMAq7RGYVMiHn8T1g0U=|ysUL6TqqAQsA4XL56DuJ1w==1 |title=Gursharan Kaur Kohli 's Profile |publisher=Katagogi |date= |accessdate=15 February 2011}}</ref> though neither uses the name as their surname.


==Degrees and posts held==
==Degrees and posts held==

* BA (Hons) in Economics 1952; MA First Class in Economics, 1954 [[Panjab University, Chandigarh]], India<!-- not pUnjab, see discussion -->
* BA (Hons) in Economics 1952; MA First Class in Economics, 1954 [[Panjab University, Chandigarh]], India<!-- not pUnjab, see discussion -->
*Honours degree in Economics, [[University of Cambridge]] – ([[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]]; 1957)
*Honours degree in Economics, [[University of Cambridge]] – ([[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]]; 1957)
Line 185: Line 184:


==Awards and honours==
==Awards and honours==

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
|-
|-

Revision as of 09:40, 9 June 2011

For the film director, see Manmohan Singh (director).
Manmohan Singh
ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ
The Right Honourable Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 May 2004
PresidentAbdul Kalam
Pratibha Patil
Preceded byAtal Bihari Vajpayee
Minister of Railways
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 May 2011
PresidentPratibha Patil
Preceded byMamata Banerjee
Minister of Finance
In office
30 November 2008 – 24 January 2009
Preceded byP. Chidambaram
Succeeded byPranab Mukherjee
In office
21 June 1991 – 16 May 1996
Prime MinisterNarasimha Rao
Preceded byYashwant Sinha
Succeeded byJaswant Singh
Minister of External Affairs
In office
6 November 2005 – 24 October 2006
Preceded byKunwar Natwar Singh
Succeeded byPranab Mukherjee
Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission
In office
15 January 1985 – 31 August 1987
Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi
Preceded byNarasimha Rao
Succeeded byPunjala Shiv Shankar
Governor of the Reserve Bank
In office
15 September 1982 – 15 January 1985
Preceded byIndraprasad Gordhanbhai Patel
Succeeded byAmitav Ghosh
Personal details
Born (1932-09-26) 26 September 1932 (age 92)
Gah, British Raj (now Pakistan)[1]
Political partyIndian National Congress
SpouseGursharan Kaur (1958–present)
ChildrenUpinder
Daman Singh
Amrit
Residence(s)Panchavati (Official)
Guwahati (Private)
Alma materPanjab University, Chandigarh
St John's College, Cambridge
Nuffield College, Oxford
ProfessionEconomist
Civil servant
Social worker
Professor
SignatureManmohan Singh
WebsiteOfficial website

Manmohan Singh (Punjabi: ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ; Hindi: मनमोहन सिंह, pronounced [mənˈmoːhən ˈsɪ́ŋɡ]pronunciationⓘ; born 26 September 1932) is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he was the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian National Congress party.

Singh previously carried out economic reforms in India in 1991, during his tenure as the Finance Minister, under the leadership of P. V. Narasimha Rao, from 1991 to 1996. These reforms resulted in the end of the Licence Raj system, helping to open the Indian economy to greater international trade and investment.[2]

In 2010, Newsweek magazine recognized him as a world leader who is respected by other heads of state, describing him as "the leader other leaders love." The article quoted Mohamed ElBaradei, who remarked that Dr. Singh is "the model of what a political leader should be."[3] Singh is number 18 on the 2010 Forbes list of the world's most powerful people.[4] Forbes magazine described Singh as being "universally praised as India's best prime minister since Nehru".[5]

Early life and education

Manmohan Singh was born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on 26 September 1932, in Gah, Punjab, (now in Chakwal District, Pakistan), British India, into a Sikh Khatri family. He lost his mother when he was very young and was raised by his paternal grandmother, to whom he was very close.

After the Partition of India, his family migrated to Amritsar, India, where he studied at Hindu College. He attended Panjab University, Chandigarh, studying Economics and got his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1952 and 1954, respectively, standing first throughout his academic career. He went on to read for the Economics Tripos at Cambridge as a member of St John's College. He won the Wright's Prize for distinguished performance in 1955 and 1957. He was also one of the few recipients of the Wrenbury scholarship. In 1962, Singh completed his studies from the University of Oxford where he was a member of Nuffield College. The title of his doctoral thesis was "India’s export performance, 1951–1960, export prospects and policy implications" and his thesis supervisor was Dr. I.M.D. Little. This thesis later grew into the book "India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth".[6]

In 1997, the University of Alberta awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Law degree.[7] The University of Oxford awarded him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in July 2005,[8] and in October 2006, the University of Cambridge followed with the same honour.[9] St. John's College further honoured him by naming a Ph.D Scholarship after him, the Dr. Manmohan Singh Scholarship. In 2008, he was awarded honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Benaras Hindu University[10] and later that year he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by University of Madras.[11] In 2010, he was awarded honorary doctorate degree by King Saud University.[12]

After completing his Ph.D., Singh worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1966–1969. During the 1970s, he taught at the University of Delhi and worked for the Ministry of Foreign Trade with the former Cabinet Minister for Foreign Trade, Lalit Narayan Mishra. As the Minister of Foreign Trade, Lalit Narayan Mishra was one of the first to recognize Singh's talent as an economist and appointed him his advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Singh and Mishra first met, coincidentally, on a flight from India to Chile. Mishra was on his way to Santiago, Chile to attend an UNCTAD meeting.[13]

In 1982, he was appointed the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and held the post until 1985. He went on to become the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of India from 1985 to 1987. Following his tenure at the Planning Commission, he was Secretary General of the South Commission, an independent economic policy think tank headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland from 1987 to 1990.[14]

Early political career

Finance Minister of India

In 1991, India's Prime Minister at the time, P.V. Narasimha Rao, chose Singh to be his Finance Minister. At this time, India's fiscal deficit was close to 8.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, the balance of payments deficit was huge and the current account deficit was close to 3.5 percent of India's GDP.[15] India's foreign reserves barely amounted to USD$1 billion, enough to pay for a few weeks of imports, in comparison to USD$283 billion today.[16]

Evidently, India was facing an economic crisis. At this point, the government of India sought relief from the supranational International Monetary Fund, which, while assisting India financially, imposed several conditions regarding India's economic policy. In effect, IMF-dictated policy meant that the ubiquitous Licence Raj had to be dismantled, and India's attempt at a state-controlled economy had to end. Accordingly, Singh, who had thus far been one of the most influential architects of India's socialist economy, slowly opened the Indian economy to foreign investment and business competition.[15][17]

Rao and Singh thus implemented policies to open up the economy and change India's socialist economy to a more capitalistic one, in the process dismantling the Licence Raj, a system that inhibited the prosperity of private businesses. They removed many obstacles standing in the way of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and initiated the process of the privatization of public sector companies. However, in spite of these reforms, Rao's government was voted out in 1996 due to non-performance of government in other areas. In praise of Singh's work that pushed India towards a market economy, long-time Cabinet minister P. Chidambaram has referred to Singh as the Deng Xiaoping of India.[18]

In 1993, Singh offered his resignation from the post of Finance Minister after a parliamentary investigation report criticised his ministry for not being able to anticipate a USD$1.8 billion securities scandal. Prime Minister Rao refused Singh's resignation, instead promising to punish the individuals directly accused in the report.[19]

Career in the Rajya Sabha

Singh was first elected to the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, in 1991[20] and was re-elected in 2001 and 2007. From 1998 to 2004, while the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power, Singh was the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In 1999, he contested for the Lok Sabha from South Delhi but was unable to win the seat.[21]

Prime ministership

14th Lok Sabha

A renowned economist,[22] Singh is also regarded as one of the "greatest statesmen in Asian history".[23] Shown here with Indian delegation at the 33rd G8 summit in Heiligendamm.

After the 2004 general elections, the Indian National Congress stunned the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by becoming the political party with the single largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha. In a surprise move, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi declared Manmohan Singh, a technocrat, as the UPA candidate for the Prime Ministership. Despite the fact that Singh had never won a Lok Sabha seat, he "has enjoyed massive popular support, not least because he was seen by many as a clean politician untouched by the taint of corruption that has run through many Indian administrations."[24] He took the oath as the Prime Minister of India on 22 May 2004.[25][26]

Economic policy

Following the advice of IMF, in 1991, Singh as Finance Minister, officially freed India from the Licence Raj, source of slow economic growth and corruption in the Indian economy for decades. He liberalized the Indian economy, allowing it to speed up development dramatically. During his term as Prime Minister, Singh continued to encourage growth in the Indian market, enjoying widespread success in these matters. Singh, along with the former Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, have presided over a period where the Indian economy has grown with an 8–9% economic growth rate. In 2007, India achieved its highest GDP growth rate of 9% and became the second fastest growing major economy in the world.[27][28]

Singh is now a strong supporter of globalization, seeing India's immense labor capacity as a path to delivering Indian goods in a worldwide market and eventually relieving large-scale poverty.[29]

Singh's government has continued the Golden Quadrilateral and the highway modernisation program that was initiated by Vajpayee's government. Singh has also been working on reforming the banking and financial sectors, as well as public sector companies. The Finance ministry has been working towards relieving farmers of their debt and has been working towards pro-industry policies. In 2005, Singh's government introduced the Value added tax, replacing sales tax. In 2007 and early 2008, the global problem of inflation impacted India.[30]

Healthcare and education

In 2005, Prime Minister Singh and his government's health ministry started the National Rural Health Mission, which has mobilised half a million community health workers. This rural health initiative was praised by the American economist Jeffrey Sachs.[31] In 2006, his Government implemented the proposal to reserve 27% of seats in All India Institute of Medical Studies (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other central institutions of higher education for Other Backward Classes which led to 2006 Indian anti-reservation protests.

Singh has announced that eight more Indian Institutes of Technology will be opened in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The Singh government has also continued the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme, begun by his predecessor, Mr. Vajpayee. The programme has included the introduction and improvement of mid-day meals and the opening of schools all over India, especially in rural areas, to fight illiteracy.

Security and Home Affairs

His government has been instrumental in strengthening anti-terror laws with amendments to UAPA , where most of provisions of POTA were reincorporated,critics however cite that the amendments make the act equally draconian. NIA was also created soon after the Nov 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as need for a central agency to combat terrorism was realised. Also Unique Identification Authority of India was established in February 2009, an agency responsible for implementing the envisioned Multipurpose National Identity Card with the objective of increasing national security and facilitating e-governance. His government has been criticized by some human rights organizations ,that these measures could help establish a police state.

His government has also been criticized for not being able to reduce the Naxal terrorism that is menacing rural areas in Eastern and Central India. Singh's government has, however, extended the ban on the radical Islamic terror group Student's Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Singh's administration initiated a massive reconstruction effort in Kashmir to stabilise the region but after some period of success, insurgent infiltration and terrorism in Kashmir has increased since 2009.[32] However, the Singh administration has been successful in reducing terrorism in Northeast India.[32]

Legislation

The important National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information Act were passed by the Parliament in 2005 during his tenure. While the effectiveness of the NREGA has been successful at various degrees, in various regions, the RTI act has proved crucial in India's fight against corruption.[33]

Foreign policy

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney after delivering a speech to the Joint session of the United States Congress.

Manmohan Singh has continued the pragmatic foreign policy that was started by P.V. Narasimha Rao and continued by Bharatiya Janata Party's Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Singh has continued the peace process with Pakistan initiated by his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Exchange of high-level visits by top leaders from both countries have highlighted his tenure, as has reduced terrorism and increased prosperity in the state of Kashmir. Efforts have been made during Singh's tenure to end the border dispute with People's Republic of China. In November 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited India which was followed by Singh's visit to Beijing in January 2008. A major development in Sino-Indian relations was the reopening of the Nathula Pass in 2006 after being closed for more than four decades. As of 2010, the People's Republic of China is the second biggest trade partner of India.[34]

Relations with Afghanistan have also improved considerably, with India now becoming the largest regional donor to Afghanistan.[35] During Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to New Delhi in August 2008, Manmohan Singh increased the aid package to Afghanistan for the development of more schools, health clinics, infrastructure, and defence.[36] Under the leadership of Singh, India has emerged as one of the single largest aid donors to Afghanistan.[36]

Manmohan Singh with American President Barack Obama at the White House. Singh is known to be a pro US leader and has contributed a lot in cementing the ties between the two countries.

Singh's government has worked towards stronger ties with the United States. He visited the United States in July 2005 initiating negotiations over the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. This was followed by George W. Bush's successful visit to India in March 2006, during which the declaration over the nuclear agreement was made, giving India access to American nuclear fuel and technology while India will have to allow IAEA inspection of its civil nuclear reactors. After more than two years for more negotiations, followed by approval from the IAEA, Nuclear Suppliers Group and the US Congress, India and the U.S. signed the agreement on 10 October 2008 with Pranab Mukherjee representing India.[37]

Singh had the first official state visit to the White House during the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama. The visit took place in November 2009, and several discussions took place, including on trade and nuclear power.

Relations have improved with Japan and European Union countries, like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Relations with Iran have continued and negotiations over the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline have taken place. New Delhi hosted an India–Africa Summit in April 2006 which was attended by the leaders of 15 African states.[38] Relations have improved with other developing countries, particularly Brazil and South Africa. Singh carried forward the momentum which was established after the "Brasilia Declaration" in 2003 and the IBSA Dialogue Forum was formed.[39]

Manmohan Singh's government has also been especially keen on expanding ties with Israel. Since 2003, the two countries have made significant investments in each other[40] and Israel now rivals Russia to become India's defence partner.[41] Though there have been a few diplomatic glitches between India and Russia, especially over the delay and price hike of several Russian weapons to be delivered to India,[42] relations between the two remain strong with India and Russia signing various agreements to increase defence, nuclear energy and space cooperation.[43]

15th Lok Sabha

India held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. The results of the election were announced on 16 May 2009.[44] Strong showing in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh helped the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) form the new government under the incumbent Singh, who became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 to win re-election after completing a full five-year term.[45] The Congress and its allies were able to put together a comfortable majority with support from 322 members out of 543 members of the House. These included those of the UPA and the external support from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other minor parties.[46]

On 22 May 2009, Manmohan Singh was sworn in as the Prime Minister during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.[47][48] The 2009 Indian general election was the largest democratic election in the world held to date, with an eligible electorate of 714 million.[49]

Public image

Singh has always been perceived as a man of clean background with high intellect. He is seen as a man of few words. The Independent described him as "one of the world's most revered leaders" and "a man of uncommon decency and grace," noting that he drives a Maruti 800, one of the humblest cars in the Indian market. Eminent Khushwant Singh lauded Dr. Singh as the best prime minister India has had, even rating him higher than Jawaharlal Nehru. He mentions an incident in his book Absolute Khushwant: The Low-Down on Life, Death and Most things In-between where after losing the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Singh immediately returned the ₹2 lakh (US$2,400) he had borrowed from the writer for hiring taxis. Terming him as the best example of integrity, Mr. Khushwant Singh stated, "When people talk of integrity, I say the best example is the man who occupies the country's highest office." [50]

Family and Personal Life

Singh married Gursharan Kaur in 1958. Their three daughters, Upinder Singh, Daman Singh and Amrit Singh, have successful, private-sector, careers.[51]

Upinder Singh is a professor of history at Delhi University. She has written six books, including Ancient Delhi (1999) and A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India (2008).[52] Daman Singh is a graduate of St. Stephen's College, Delhi and Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat, and author of The Last Frontier: People and Forests in Mizoram and a novel Nine by Nine.[53] Amrit Singh is a staff attorney at the ACLU.[54]

Singh has undergone multiple cardiac bypass surgeries, the most recent of which took place in January 2009.[55]

Singh and his wife both belong to the Kohli clan,[56][57] though neither uses the name as their surname.

Degrees and posts held

Awards and honours

Year of Award or Honor Name of Award or Honor Awarding Organisation
2010 World Statesman Award Appeal of Conscience Foundation
2005 Top 100 Influential People in the World Time
2002 Outstanding Parliamentarian Award Indian Parliamentary Group
2000 Annasaheb Chirmule Award Annasaheb Chirmule Trust
1999 H.H. Kanchi Sri Paramacharya Award for Excellence Shri R. Venkataraman, The Centenarian Trust
1999 Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi National Academy of Agricultural Sciences
1997 Lokmanya Tilak Award Tilak Smarak Trust, Pune
1997 Justice K.S. Hegde Foundation Award Justice K.S. Hegde Foundation
1997 Nikkei Asia prize for Regional Growth Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc.
1996 Honorary Professorship Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi
1995 Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award (1994–95) Indian Science Congress Association
1994 Finance Minister of the Year Asiamoney
1994 Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award (1994–95) Indian Science Congress Association
1994 Elected Distinguished Fellow of the London School of Economics London School of Economics, Centre for Asia Economy, Politics and Society
1994 Elected Honorary Fellow, Nuffield College Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
1994 Elected Distinguished Fellow of the London School of Economics London School of Economics, Centre for Asia Economy, Politics and Society
1994 Elected Honorary Fellow of the All India Management Association All India Management Association
1993 Finance Minister of the Year Euromoney
1993 Finance Minister of the Year Asiamoney
1987 Padma Vibhushan President of India
1986 Elected National Fellow, National Institute of Education National Institute of Education
1985 Elected President of the Indian Economic Association Indian Economic Association
1982 Elected Honorary Fellow, St. John’s College St. John’s College, Cambridge
1982 Elected Honorary Fellow, Indian Institute of Bankers Indian Institute of Bankers
1976 Honorary Professorship Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
1957 Elected Wrenbury Scholar University of Cambridge, U.K.
1956 Adam Smith Prize University of Cambridge, U.K.
1955 Wright Prize for Distinguished Performance St. John’s College, Cambridge, U.K.
1954 Uttar Chand Kapur Medal, for standing first in M.A. (Economics) Panjab University, Chandigarh
1952 University Medal for standing first in B.A. (Honors Economics) Panjab University, Chandigarh

See also

References

  1. ^ Hindus Contribution Towards Making Of Pakistan 22 May 2010 Retrieved 28 January 2011
  2. ^ Biswas, Soutik (14 October 2005). "India's architect of reforms". BBC News. Retrieved 11 December 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ by Christopher DickeyAugust 16, 2010 (16 August 2010). "Go to the Head of the Class". Newsweek. Retrieved 15 February 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "The World's Most Powerful People: Manmohan Singh". Forbes. 3 November 2010.
  5. ^ "The World's Most Powerful People: Sonia Gandhi". Forbes. 3 November 2010.
  6. ^ "Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 11 December 2008. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ "University of Alberta confers honorary doctorate on Manmohan Singh".
  8. ^ "Oxford University confers doctorate degree on Manmohan Singh".
  9. ^ "Cambridge University confers doctorate degree on Manmohan Singh".
  10. ^ "Manmohan Singh awarded honorary doctorate degree by BHU".
  11. ^ "Manmohan Singh conferred honorary doctorate degree by Madras University".
  12. ^ "Manmohan conferred honorary doctorate by King Saud University".
  13. ^ "Lalit Narayan Mishra".
  14. ^ "India - Head of Government".
  15. ^ a b rediff Business Desk (26 September 2005). "Manmohan Singh: Father of Indian Reform". Rediff.com. Retrieved 3 January 2010. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  16. ^ Mahalakshmi Hariharan (Saturday 2 January 2010). "Forex reserves swell 11% in 2009". Yahoo Finance India. Retrieved 3 January 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ L. Friedman, Thomas (2008). The World is Flat – A brief history of the twenty-first century. Picador. p. 488. ISBN 0-374-29288-4. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  18. ^ "Manmohan is Deng Xiaoping of India: P Chidambaram – Oneindia News". News.oneindia.in. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  19. ^ "Indian Leader Bars Key Aide From Quitting in Stock Scam". The New York Times. 1 January 1994. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  20. ^ "Profile: Prime Minister India". Indian gov. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  21. ^ "Candidate Statistics Manmohan Singh". IBN Live. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  22. ^ Watson, Paul (24 May 2004). "Economist chosen to become next prime minister of India". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  23. ^ Strengthen Team India – The Australian
  24. ^ "Profile: Manmohan Singh". BBC News. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  25. ^ "Manmohan to Advani: Change your astrologers, stop abuse against me". Thaindian News. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  26. ^ "Manmohan takes on Advani: Babri destruction his only contribution". Southasia Times. 25 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009. [dead link]
  27. ^ "CIA – The World Factbook". Cia.gov. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  28. ^ "The India Report" (PDF). Astaire Research.
  29. ^ "Manmohan Singh: Father of Indian Reform". Rediff.com. 26 September 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  30. ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/12/business/inflate.php
  31. ^ Sachs, Jeffrey D. (6 March 2005). "The End of Poverty". Time.
  32. ^ a b Infiltration has not reduced in Kashmir, insurgency down in North East: Chidambaram
  33. ^ RTI Act: A strong tool to cleanse corruption in India
  34. ^ China becomes India's 2nd largest trade partner
  35. ^ Bajoria, Jayshree (23 October 2008). "India-Afghanistan Relations". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  36. ^ a b India announces more Afghan aid
  37. ^ "U.S., India ink historic civilian nuclear deal". People's Daily. 11 October 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  38. ^ "Several African leaders to attend Africa-India summit, AU says". African Press International. 28 March 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  39. ^ Beri, Ruchita (10 December 2008). "IBSA Dialogue Forum: A Strategic Partnership". The African Executive. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  40. ^ Halarnkar, Samar (23 October 2007). "India and Israel: The great seduction". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  41. ^ Waldman, Amy (7 September 2003). "The Bond Between India and Israel Grows". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  42. ^ Dikshit, Sandeep (17 April 2008). "Centre admits to problems in naval deals". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  43. ^ Roychowdhury, Amitabh (6 December 2006). "India, Russia sign agreements to further strengthen ties". Outlook. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  44. ^ "India's ruling party wins resounding victory". Associated Press. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  45. ^ "Second UPA win, a crowning glory for Sonia's ascendancy". Business Standard. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  46. ^ "Smooth sailing for UPA, parties scramble to support". CNN-IBN. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  47. ^ "Team Manmohan set to form govt today". Times Now. 22 May 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  48. ^ "India PM Singh takes oath for second term". Reuters. 22 May 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  49. ^ Template:Singh-the-best-man-for-an-impossible-job-2089136.html
  50. ^ PM Manmohan Singh is the best example of integrity: Khushwant Singh date= 17 August 2010 publisher Times Of India
  51. ^ "Dr. Manmohan Singh: Personal Profile". Prime Minister's Office, Government of India. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  52. ^ Raote, Rrishi (10 October 2008). "This Singh is King of History". Business Standard. Retrieved 4 April 2009. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  53. ^ "Meet Dr. Singh's daughter". Rediff.com. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  54. ^ Rajghatta, Chidanand (21 December 2007). "PM's daughter puts White House in the dock". Times of India. Retrieved 13 October 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  55. ^ "One graft successfully performed on Manmohan Singh". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 24 January 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  56. ^ Puneet Singh Lamba (14 November 2005). "Biographies – Manmohan Singh: Architect of the New India". The Sikh Times. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  57. ^ "Gursharan Kaur Kohli 's Profile". Katagogi. Retrieved 15 February 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |iv2MOracD1s5HrBItssktfCbXMAq7RGYVMiHn8T1g0U= (help); Unknown parameter |ysUL6TqqAQsA4XL56DuJ1w= ignored (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manmohan Singh.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Manmohan Singh.

Government of India

Other


Political offices
Preceded by Governor of the Reserve Bank
1982–1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission
1985–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Finance
1991–1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of India
2004–present 		Incumbent
Chairperson of the Planning Commission
2004–present
Preceded by Minister of External Affairs
2005–2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Finance
2008–2009

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manmohan_Singh&oldid=433360358"