26 December, 2024 will be remembered as one of the poignant days of India’s history as India lost a true gem, Dr. Manmohan Singh—a statesman, an economist, and our former prime minister whose contributions are often underappreciated and overshadowed by contemporary politics.
Dr. Manmohan Singh was admitted to AIIMS Delhi on Thursday evening because of his deteriorating health. He took his last breath in the hospital and passed away at the age of 92, giving an irrecoverable loss to India.
Source- Hindustan Times
Early life
From his unpretentious roots to the pinnacle of power is a story of a self-made man who, without any guiding hand in the political arena, carved a path of indelible imprint on India’s history.
Born in Gah, a small, underdeveloped village lacking educational and health facilities, Manmohan Singh had to walk miles to reach his Urdu-medium school. He completed his bachelor’s as well as master’s degree in economics from Punjab University. He then went on to study economic tripos at the University of Cambridge in 1957. In 1962, he completed a DPhil in economics from Nuffield College at the University of Oxford. He credits the system of scholarships for his extraordinary rise, which enabled him to unlock opportunities for his remarkable journey.
Source- The Mint
Contributions
In 1971, he became the economic advisor of India in the commerce ministry, and then soon he was promoted to the position of chief economic advisor in the ministry of finance. He occupied many government positions, among them some of the most crucial positions were the secretary of the Ministry of Finance, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of India, secretary-general of the South Commission in Geneva, advisor to the prime minister on economic affairs, and chairman of the University Grants Commission.
Political Career
He started his political career as finance minister under PV Narasimha Rao’s government, which marked the turning point of the economic history of independent India. A sharp jump in oil prices in 1990 pushed India into an economic crisis, making the balance of payments unmanageable and leaving India with foreign reserves only for two weeks of imports. At such a peculiar circumstance, Manmohan Singh emerged as a savior of India’s economy by devaluing the rupee and steering India towards economic growth, away from the socialist era and ending license raj. The economic reforms had a profound effect, leading to sharp economic growth and lifting 300 million people out of poverty.
He served as Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. It was an unexpected turn of events that made Dr. Manmohan Singh prime minister in 2004 when Sonia Gandhi stepped aside from the position and chose him instead. Her decision was far from arbitrary; she recognized his integrity, intellectual prowess, and administrative leadership, which made him an ideal choice for the position. Despite being criticized for his soft-spoken nature, he showed his resilience. His unyielding stance on the Indo-US deal, despite facing opposition from his own party members, demonstrated his political courage.
His tenure as PM was marked by many inclusive initiatives that aimed to foster inclusive growth, such as NREGA, the right to education act, and the right to information act. India saw a robust increase in IITs, IIMs, and other educational institutions during his tenure.
“History will be kinder to me than the contemporary media.” Those were the words of Dr. Manmohan Singh in his last press conference as Prime Minister, which marked the end of his second tenure as PM in 2014.
Indeed, history will be much kinder to him than we could ever be. As India mourns the loss of Dr. Manmohan Singh, we will remember him as a father of economic reforms- a leader of decency and courtesy, who prioritized governance over politics and stood in stark contrast to other political leaders. His departure has left a void that will be felt for years, but his principles will continue to guide India forever.
