Manmohan Singh Biography

Manmohan Singh is an eminent Indian economist and politician who served as the prime minister of India for two consecutive terms. He held prominent posts in different organizations and received several honors for his brilliant work even before beginning his political career. He held various posts, such as advisor to the Foreign Trade Ministry, Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance, Governor of Reserve Bank of India, and Head of the Planning Commission. As the finance minister under P. V. Narasimha Rao government in the 1990s, he carried out several structural reforms that liberalized India's economy. It also enhanced Singh's reputation as a leading reform-minded economist. In 2004, he was chosen to be the prime minister of India which came across as a surprise as Sonia Gandhi, the head of the UPA, was expected to take up the post. His no-nonsense image and brilliant bureaucratic experience played major roles when he was re-elected as the prime minister in 2009. However, in his second term, he was criticized for fostering too close a relationship with the United States and his party faced allegations of corruption which eventually led to the deterioration of his party’s popularity. Despite the criticism, he is still regarded as one of India’s most important economists and politicians. A great thinker, scholar, and talented economist, he became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.