Manmohan Singh No More: A Look Back At The Reluctant Prime Minister Who Served For 10 Years
Even though the Congress won the elections under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi in 2004, Manmohan Singh was catapulted to the prime ministerial post.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away on Thursday at the age of 92. His demise was confirmed shortly after he was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, following the deterioration of his health.
"With profound grief, we inform the demise of the former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, aged 92," AIIMS Delhi said in a statement.
Singh, a career economist, emerged as an unexpected choice for the prime minister in May 2004, after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance defied exit polls and won against the incumbent Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance.
Even though the Congress fought the elections under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, Singh was catapulted to the top office. This was followed by the UPA returning to power in 2009 with a larger majority, and Singh retaining the prime ministerial chair.
After the Congress-led UPA was voted out in 2014, Singh continued to serve as a member in the Rajya Sabha. He had led the party's attack in the Parliament's Upper House against the demonetisation drive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In recent years, Singh had taken a backseat from political life due to health issues.
Singh left behind a long political career that shaped India's economy. As the finance minister in the early 1990s, he had resurrected the country's economy by embracing liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation reforms that began in 1991.
Singh first joined the Government of India as an economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry in the year 1971. Subsequently, he was appointed as Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972.
These tenures coincided with Indira Gandhi's regime when she sought to follow socialist policies like bank nationalisation and stringent import controls.
Singh held numerous key governmental roles, including secretary in the Ministry of Finance, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, advisor to the prime minister, and chairman of the University Grants Commission.
From a bureaucrat, Singh emerged as a politician in 1991, when he was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha. He was also included in the Cabinet of the Narsimha Rao-led government, as he held the finance ministry charge from 1991 to 1996 at a critical juncture.
Between 1998 and 2004, Singh served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
