Manmohan Singh ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਿਸੰਘ
Prime Minister of India
Incumbent
Assumed office  22 May 2004
President	Abdul Kalam Pratibha Patil
Preceded by	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
External Affairs Minister of India
In office 06 November 2005 – 24 October 2006
Preceded by	Kunwar Natwar Singh
Succeeded by	Pranab Mukherjee
Finance Minister of India
In office 21 June 1991 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister	Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Madhu Dandavate
Succeeded by	Jaswant Singh
Born	26 September 1932 (1932-09-26) (age 75) Gah, Punjab, British India
Political party	INC
Spouse	Gursharan Kaur
Residence	07 Racecourse Road, New Delhi
Profession	Economist
Religion	Sikhism

Manmohan Singh (Punjabi: ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਿਸੰਘ ) (born 26 September 1932) is the 14^th and current Prime Minister of India. Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. The Prime Minister of India is head of the Council of Ministers, appointed by the President to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Singh is a member of the Indian National Congress party, and became the first Sikh Prime Minister of India on May 22, 2004. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 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. Economic liberalism is the Economic component of Classical liberalism. The Finance Minister of India is a Cabinet position in the Government of India. Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (పాములపర్తి వెంకట నరసింహారావు (28 June 1921 &ndash 23 December 2004 was the 12th Prime Minister ^[1]

Early life

He was born on 26 September 1932, in Gah, Punjab (now in Chakwal District, Pakistan). Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Gah is a village of Chakwal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c Chakwal (چکوال is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and 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 D. Panjab University is one of the oldest Universities in India. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the St John's College, an institution known formally as The Master Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge is a Phil (1962) from Oxford University (Nuffield College). The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. In 1997, the University of Alberta presented him with an Honorary Doctor of Laws. The University of Alberta (U of A is a public research University located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 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. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa ( Latin: 'for the sake of the honour' is an Academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding Some universities such as the University of Oxford, award Doctor of Civil Law (DCL degrees instead of Doctor of Laws (LL The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the St John's College and the University of Cambridge further honoured him by naming a PhD Scholarship after him, the Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship. St John's College, an institution known formally as The Master Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge is a The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the "PhD" redirects here for other uses see PhD (disambiguation. A scholarship is an award of access to an institution or a financial aid award for an individual student scholar for the purpose of furthering their Education The Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship is an international award for study at St John's College at the University of Cambridge.

Singh married Gursharan Kaur in 1958, and they have three daughters. Gursharan Kaur is the wife of the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh.

Political career

Singh, an economist by profession, worked for the International Monetary Fund in his younger days. An economist is an expert in the Social science of Economics. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic ^[2] Dr. Singh is known to be an unassuming politician, enjoying a formidable, highly respected and admired image. ^[3] Due to his work at the UN, International Monetary Fund and other international bodies, he is highly respected around the world. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic He was awarded the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 2002. The Outstanding Parliamentarian Award is an award given by the Indian Parliamentary Group to an outstanding sitting Member of the Indian Parliament. Before becoming Prime Minister, he served as the Finance Minister under Narasimha Rao. Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (పాములపర్తి వెంకట నరసింహారావు (28 June 1921 &ndash 23 December 2004 was the 12th Prime Minister He is credited with transforming the economy in the early 1990s during the financial crisis. He served as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (upper house) from March 1998 to May 2004, when the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government was in office. The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political

His economic policies - which included getting rid of several socialist policies, especially the License Raj - were popular. Licence Raj refers to the elaborate licences regulations and the accompanying Red tape that were required to set up business in India between 1947 and He enjoys strong support among the middle classes of India due to his education. Singh lost the election in the Lok Sabha from South Delhi constituency in the 1999 general elections. The Lok Sabha (also titled the House of the People, by the Constitution) is the directly elected Lower house of the Parliament of India Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population He is thus the only Indian Prime Minister never to have been an elected member of the Lower House of Parliament. In fact he has not won a direct election. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha from Assam since 1995. Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2001 and 2007.

Economic reforms and ascent to power

See Also: Economic Reforms under Rao

Singh served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985, and was hand picked as finance minister in cabinet of then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in 1991. Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (పాములపర్తి వెంకట నరసింహారావు (28 June 1921 &ndash 23 December 2004 was the 12th Prime Minister The Reserve Bank of India (RBI भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक is the Central bank of India, and was established on April Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (పాములపర్తి వెంకట నరసింహారావు (28 June 1921 &ndash 23 December 2004 was the 12th Prime Minister

Singh is widely regarded as the architect of India's original economic reform programme, which was enacted in 1991 under Rao's administration. The economic liberalization package pushed by Singh and Rao opened the nation to foreign direct investment. Economic liberalization is a broad term that usually refers to fewer government regulations and restrictions in the economy in exchange for greater participation of private entities the The liberalization was prompted by an acute balance-of-payments crisis whereby the Indian government, left without sufficient reserves to meet its obligations, had begun preparations to mortgage its gold reserves to the Bank of England in order to obtain the cash reserves needed to run the country. The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom

Many see the 1991 liberalization as the first of a series of economic restructuring efforts throughout the 1990s and 2000s that have raised India's growth rates to amongst highest in world. Despite its liberal economic policies, Rao's government was voted out in the next general election in 1996.

Opposition and 2004 election

Singh became leader of opposition in upper house of Indian Parliament, and stayed with the Congress Party during a major split in 1999, when three senior Congress leaders objected to Sonia Gandhi's rise as Congress President. Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and Being touted as the Congress choice for the PM's job, Gandhi had become a target of nationalists who objected to her Italian birth.

An alliance led by the Congress Party won a surprisingly high number of seats in the Parliamentary elections of 2004. The Left Front decided to support a coalition government led by the Congress Party from the outside. BamfronttripuraJPG|thumb|right| West Bengal Left Front Committee meeting for solidarity with Tripura]] The Left Front ( Bengali: বাম ফ্রন্ট Sonia Gandhi was elected leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party and was expected to become the Prime Minister. Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. In a surprise move, she declined to accept the post and instead nominated Dr. Singh. He secured the nomination for prime minister on 19 May 2004 when the then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam officially asked him to form a government. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (அவுல் பகீர் ஜைனுலாப்தீன் அப்துல் கலாம் born October 15 1931 Tamil Nadu Although most expected him to head the Finance Ministry himself, he entrusted the job to P. Chidambaram. Palaniappan Chidambaram (பழனியப்பன் சிதம்பரம் is an Indian politician and present Finance minister in the United Progressive Alliance

His appointment is notable as it comes 20 years after India witnessed significant tensions between the Indian central government and the Punjabi Sikh community. After Congress Party Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the mother-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, ordered central government troops to storm the Golden Temple (the holiest site of Sikhism) in Amritsar, Punjab to quell a separatist movement, she was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi ( Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī) ( Née: Nehru (19 November 1917 - 31 October 1984 was the Prime Minister of the Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Amritsar (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ meaning The Lake of the Holy Nectar, is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar District in the state Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. The result was a genocidal campaign against Sikhs and many innocent Sikhs lost their lives during riots promoted by the Congress Party immediately after the assassination.

Tenure as Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh with US President George W. Bush at the Oval Office. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States.

Singh's image is generally regarded as intellectual, honest but cautious, attentive to working class people (on whose votes he was elected), and technocratic. Technocracy: A form of government in which scientists and technical experts are in control "technocracy is described as that society in which those who govern justify themselves 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. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism.

The Prime Minister's foreign policy has been to continue the new peace process with Pakistan initiated by his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Atal Bihari Vajpayee (अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी əʈəl bɪhaːɾiː ʋaːdʒpeiː (born December 25 1924 The eleventh Prime Minister of India. Exchange visits by top leaders from both countries have highlighted this year, as has reduced terrorism and increased prosperity in the state of Kashmir. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir

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. Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (born January 30 1941 is the forty-sixth and current Vice President of the United States. Joint sessions of the United States Congress are the gatherings together of both houses of the United States Congress (the House of Representatives See also Illinois's 14th congressional district special election 2008 John Dennis "Denny" Hastert (born January 2, 1942) is an

His government has endeavored to build stronger relations with the United States, the People's Republic of China and European nations. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES 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. The African Union (abbreviated AU in English, and UA in its other working languages is a Confederation consisting of 53  African One of the biggest achievements of Manmohan Singh's Government has been a nuclear deal between India and the U.S.A. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Under Dr. Singh, an economist and Finance minister P. Chidambaram, India's economic growth has continued, with the GDP growing at a very fast rate of 9%. An economist is an expert in the Social science of Economics. The finance minister is a Cabinet position in a Government. A minister of Finance (also called financial affairs the treasury the economy or economic Palaniappan Chidambaram (பழனியப்பன் சிதம்பரம் is an Indian politician and present Finance minister in the United Progressive Alliance India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country This has resulted in India becoming a trillion dollar economy.

Criticism

• Manmohan Singh is often criticized by opposition parties (mainly BJP) by portraying him as the "weakest Prime Minister until now". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political The comment was made by Lal Krishna Advani after Manmohan Singh made a statement in which he implied that the "nuclear deal is not a big issue". Lal Krishna Advani (लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi लाल किशनचंद ^{[4] [5]}
• Communist Parties (notably Somnath Chatterjee) have been criticising him since he got elected as Rajya Sabha member in 1991 from Assam. Somnath Chatterjee (Bengali সোমনাথ চট্টোপাধ্যায় (born July 25, 1929 in Tezpur, Assam) is an The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Their main argument was he is not eligible of becoming a Member of Parliament from a state where he does not reside. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament.
• His statement about losing sleep on Hanif's arrest in Australia was also criticised a lot. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. ^[6]. Opposition asked whether he lost sleep when hundreds of people got killed in Hyderabad, Varanasi and Ajmer blasts. Varanasi ( Sanskrit: वाराणसी Vārāṇasī, pronunciation) also commonly known as Benares ( or Banaras (बनारस This article is about a city in central Rajasthan, for the historical region see Ajmer region.
• He is also the target of opposition due to the "Muslim appeasement" which the government is doing according to other political parties. ^[7]

His statements like "Minorities, particularly the Muslims, have first right over the national resources" have also invited a lot of discussion in Indian print media ^{[8] [9]}

Quotations

• "We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources"
• "I could not sleep thinking about Hanif"
• "Rahul Gandhi is the future of you people" (While addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections). Rahul Gandhi (born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and member of the Parliament of India, representing the Amethi constituency Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U
• "India happens to be a rich country inhabited by very poor people. "
• "Life is never free of contradictions"
• "Together with international unity and resolve we can meet the challenge of this global scourge and work to bring about an international law of zero tolerance for terrorism. "
• "We are a coalition government, and that limits our options in some ways. Privatization happens to be one such area. "
• "We need bipolar democracy like United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Multiparty system has its own disadvantages. "
• "In this increasingly interdependent world in which we live in we have an obligation to explore areas of convergence. "
• "By appointing me as Prime Minister of India, Soniyaji (Sonia Gandhi) has proved her sacrifice. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and I will continue to work on her footsteps. "
• "Jawaharlal Nehru wanted India to develop close ties with Japan and learn from its experience. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party "^[10]
• "As the largest and most developed democracies of Asia (India and Japan), we have a mutual stake in each other’s progress and prosperity. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. " ^[10]

Dr. Manmohan Singh's career

• First Class Honours degree in Economics, University of Cambridge, St John's College, Cambridge (1957)
• Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
  • Senior Lecturer, Economics (1957-1959)
  • Professor of International Trade (1969-1971)
  • Reader (1959-1963)
  • Professor (1963-1965)
• D. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the St John's College, an institution known formally as The Master Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge is a Panjab University is one of the oldest Universities in India. Chandigarh ( ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ, चंडीगढ़) also called The City Beautiful India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Phil in Economics, Nuffield College at University of Oxford, (1962)
• Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi
  • Honorary Professor (1996)
• Chief, Financing for Trade Section, UNCTAD, United Nations Secretariat, New York
  • 1966 : Economic Affairs Officer 1966
• Economic Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Trade, India (1971-1972)
• Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, India, (1972-1976)
• Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (1976)
• Director, Reserve Bank of India (1976-1980)
• Director, Industrial Development Bank of India (1976-1980)
• Secretary, Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs), Government of India, (1977-1980)
• Governor, Reserve Bank of India (1982-1985)
• Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India, (1985-1987)
• Advisor to Prime Minister of India on Economic Affairs (1990-1991)
• Finance Minister of India, (21 June 1991 - 15 May 1996)
• Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (1998-2004)
• Prime Minister of India (22 May 2004 - Present)

See also

• Gursharan Kaur, his wife
• Amrit Singh, his youngest daughter, a staff attorney at the ACLU
• Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship
• Economic reforms under Narasimha Rao

References

External links

Government of India Links

• Prime Minister's Office - Official page includes Profile and Curriculum Vitae
• ManmohanSingh.org
• Prime Minister's profile at the Government of India website
• List of current Union Ministers, includes the portfolios held by the Prime Minister.

Other Sites

• Dr. Singh the Prime Minister - ArasiyalTalk.com
• Profile of Manmohan Singh from Nilacharal
• Our Problems are internal
• India's architect of reforms - BBC NEWS
• Soni leads the new ministers to thank Gandhi