Dr. Manmohan Singh

All you want to know about Dr. Manmohan Singh

This article is about the Prime Minister of India. For the film director and cinematographer, see Manmohan Singh (director).
Manmohan Singh
ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ
Manmohan Singh
Incumbent
Assumed office 
22 May 2004
President Abdul Kalam
Pratibha Patil
Preceded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
In office
6 November 2005 – 24 October 2006
Preceded by Kunwar Natwar Singh
Succeeded by Pranab Mukherjee
In office
21 June 1991 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao
Preceded by Madhu Dandavate
Succeeded by Jaswant Singh
In office
1982 – 1985
Preceded by I. G. Patel
Succeeded by Amitav Ghosh
Born 26 September 1932 (1932-09-26) (age 76)
Gah, Punjab, British India
Political party INC
Spouse Flag of India Gursharan Kaur
Residence 7 Racecourse Road, New Delhi
Alma mater Panjab University, Chandigarh
St John's College, Cambridge University
Nuffield College, Oxford University
Profession Economist
Religion Sikhism

Manmohan Singh (Punjabi: ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ) (born 26 September 1932) is the 17th and current Prime Minister of India. An economist by profession, Dr. Singh worked at organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations. From 1982 to 1985, he was the governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Singh is a member of the Indian National Congress party, and became the first Sikh Prime Minister of India on 22 May 2004. He is considered one of the most influential figures in India's recent history, mainly because of the Economic Reforms he had initiated in 1991 when he was Finance Minister under Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.[1]

Contents

Early life

Singh was born on 26 September 1932, in Gah, Punjab (now in Chakwal District, Pakistan). He has an Undergraduate (1952) and a Master's degree (1954) from Panjab University, Chandigarh; an Undergraduate degree (1957) from Cambridge University (St. John's College) and a Ph.D (1962) from Oxford University (Nuffield College). In 1997, the University of Alberta presented him with an Honorary Doctor of Laws. The University of Oxford awarded him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in June 2005, and in October 2006, the University of Cambridge followed with the same honour. St John's College and the University of Cambridge further honoured him by naming a PhD Scholarship after him, the Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship.

Singh married Gursharan Kaur in 1958, and they have three daughters. His youngest daughter, Amrit Singh, is a staff attorney at American Civil Liberties Union and is married to Barton Beebe, an Associate Professor of Law of Jewish faith.

Career as an economist and Early Political Career

After completing his Ph.D, Dr. Singh, worked for institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations. During the 1970s, he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and the Finance Ministry of India. He also taught at the University of Delhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985. He was deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of India from 1985 to 1987.

Finance Minister

In 1991, P.V. Narasimha Rao, chose Singh to be the Finance Minster of India. At the time, India was facing an economic crisis. Rao, and Singh, decided to open up the Indian Economy, and change the socialist economic system, to a capitalist economy. The economic reform package, included dismantling License Raj, that made it virtually impossible for private businesses to exist and prosper, removing many obstacles for Foreign Direct Investment, and beginning the process of the privatization of public sector companies. These economic reforms are credited with bringing high levels of economic growth in India, and changing the annual 3%, to an average of 8-9% economic growth in the following years. However inspite of these reforms, Rao's government was voted out in 1996. However, the economic reforms, were continued by ensuing administrations.

Career in the Rajya Sabha

Singh was first elected to the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, in 1995, and was re-elected in 2001 and 2007. From 1998 to 2004, while the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party was in power, Singh was the Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In 1999, he ran for the Lok Sabha from South Delhi, but was unable to win in that seat, thus making himself the only Indian Prime Minster never to have been elected from the Lok Sabha.

Tenure as Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh with US President George W. Bush at the Oval Office.
Manmohan Singh with US President George W. Bush at the Oval Office.

Singh's image is generally regarded as intellectual, honest but cautious, attentive to working class people (on whose votes he was elected), and technocratic. Although legislative achievements have been few and the Congress-led alliance is routinely hampered by conflicts, Singh's administration has focused on reducing the fiscal deficit, providing debt-relief to poor farmers, extending social programs and advancing the pro-industry economic and tax policies that have launched the country on a major economic expansion course since 2002. Singh has been the image of the Congress campaign to defuse religious tensions and conflicts and bolster political support from minorities like Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.

Foreign Policy

Prime Minister Singh, and the Foreign ministry, has continued the pragmatic foreign policy, that was started by P.V. Narasimha Rao, and was continued by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Prime Minister's foreign policy has been to continue the new peace process with Pakistan initiated by his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Exchange visits by top leaders from both countries have highlighted his tenure, as has reduced terrorism and increased prosperity in the state of Kashmir. Border disputes, with the People's Republic of China, have been solved to some extent. In November 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao, visited India, as did Dr. Singh, in January 2008. A big achievement, was the reopening of the Nathula Pass, in 2006, after being closed for more than 4 decades. In 2007, China became the biggest trade partner of India. Relations, with Afghanistan, have been very good. When Afghan President Hamid Karzai, visited India, in August 2008, Dr. Singh increased the aid package to Afghanistan for the development of more schools, health clinics, the economy, the infrastructure, the police, and the defence, of Afghanistan.

Dr. Singh's government, has worked towards stronger ties, with the United States. Dr. Singh, visited the US, in July 2005, when negotiations started over the Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Agreement, that Dr. Singh has said will give India energy security, and give India access to nuclear fuels for nuclear energy. This was followed by George W. Bush's successful visit in March 2006 to India. Dr. Singh, has enjoyed a good relationship with President Bush.

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 as Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert looks on.
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 as Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert looks on.
BRIC leaders in 2008 - Manmohan Singh, Dmitry Medvedev, Hu Jintao and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
BRIC leaders in 2008 - Manmohan Singh, Dmitry Medvedev, Hu Jintao and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Dr. Singh, visited Japan, in December 2006, and a new, strong relationship has grown with this Asian country. Relations have improved with 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. The construction of this pipeline, shall start in 2009. The Government suffered a setback when it lost the support of a key ally, several African Union members, for its bid for a permanent membership to the U.N. Security Council with veto privileges[citation needed]. However, relations have improved with Africa in general. A summit, with African leaders, took place, in New Delhi, in April 2008. Relations, have improved, with other developing countries, like Brazil, and South Africa. In 2006, a dialogue forum with these countries, the IBSA Dialogue Forum, was started. Relations, have continued to grow with strong allies like Israel, ASEAN, and Russia.

Economic Policy

Dr. Singh, along with Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, have presided over a period, where the Indian economy, has grown with an 8-9% economic growth rate. Dr. Singh, has focussed on reducing the budget deficit. In June 2007, India became a trillion dollar economy. As prime minister, Dr. Singh, has continued the economic reforms, that he, and P.V. Narasimha Rao, started in 1991, and were continued by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Dr. Singh's government, has continued the Golden Quadrilateral, and the highway modernization programme, that was initiated by Mr. Vajpayee's government. Dr. Singh, has also been working on reforming the banking and financial sectors, and has been working towards reforming public sector companies. The Finance ministry, and Dr. Singh, and his government, has been working towards relieving farmers of their debt, and has been working towards pro-industry policies, and reforming and cutting taxes.

Healthcare and Education

In 2005, Prime Minister Singh, and his government's health ministry, has started the National Rural Health Mission, which has mobilized half a million community health workers.

Dr. Singh, has announced, that eight more Indian Institutes of Technology, will be opened, in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa, Punjab, Madhya Pradeshand 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. The ancient university, Nalanda University, shall be restarted, in Bihar.

Security and Home Affairs

Dr. Singh's government, has been criticised, by opposition parties for revoking POTA, and for the many bomb blasts in various cities, like in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Jaipur, etc. and for not being able to reduce the Naxal terrorism, that is menacing rural areas in Eastern and Central India. Dr. Singh's government, has however, extended the ban on the radical Islamic terror group, Student's Islamic Movement of India, (SIMI). Terrorism in Kashmir, has however, reduced significantly, during the Singh administration.

Legislation

The important NREGA act and the RTI 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.

Criticism

Manmohan Singh on his visit to Arunachal Pradesh
Manmohan Singh on his visit to Arunachal Pradesh
  • Manmohan Singh is criticized by BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani by portraying him as the "weakest Prime Minister until now". [2] Dr. Manmohan Singh responded by saying that Advani's astrologers had misled him, when they said that he'd win the 22 July trust vote. He also accused Advani of being the inspiration behind the destruction of the Babri Masjid.[3]
  • Some Parties have been criticising him since he was elected as Rajya Sabha member in 1991 from Assam. Their main argument was that he is not eligible to become a Member of Parliament from a state where he does not reside.
  • His statement about losing sleep on Hanif's arrest in Australia was also criticised.[4]. Opposition asked whether he lost sleep when hundreds of people were killed in Hyderabad, Varanasi and Ajmer blasts.

Trust-vote

Further information: 2008 Lok Sabha vote of confidence and Notes-for-Vote scandal

On 22 July 2008 the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) faced it's first confidence vote in the Lok Sabha after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front withdraw support from the government over India approaching the IAEA for Indo-US nuclear deal. The President had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prove the majority. The UPA won the trust vote with 275-256. However, there were allegations from the opposition BJP, that certain coalition allies, of the government had bribed certain opposition parliamentarians to abstain from the confidence vote.

Degrees and posts held

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

See also

References

  1. ^ India's architect of reforms.
  2. ^ Manmohan Singh India's weakest PM: Advani
  3. ^ "Manmohan to Advani: Change your astrologers, stop abuse against me", Thaindian News (2008-07-22). Retrieved on 2008-07-23. 
  4. ^ Assyria Liberation Party - GFA - London

External links

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Flag of India Prime Ministers of India
Emblem of India
Rajya Sabha
Preceded by
'		 Member for Assam
1991 – present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
I. G. Patel		 Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
1982 – 1985		 Succeeded by
Amitav Ghosh
Preceded by
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao		 Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission of India
1985 – 1987		 Succeeded by
Punjala Shiv Shankar
Preceded by
Yashwant Sinha		 Finance Minister of India
1991 – 1996		 Succeeded by
Jaswant Singh
Preceded by
Atal Bihari Vajpayee		 Prime Minister of India
2004 – present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Atal Bihari Vajpayee		 Chairperson of the Planning Commission of India
2004 – present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Natwar Singh		 Minister for External Affairs of India
2005 – 2006		 Succeeded by
Pranab Mukherjee
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