Our Heroes
The Man Who Rules India
A RESUME
Name: Dr. Manmohan Singh
Date of Birth: September 26, 1932
Place of Birth: Gah, West Punjab
Father: Sardar Gurmukh Singh
Mother: Sardarni Amrit Kaur
Married on: September 14, 1958
Wife: Sardarni Gursharan Kaur
Children: Three daughters
EDUCATION /QUALIFICATIONS:
Stood first in B.A. (Hons.), Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1952
Stood first in M.A. (Economics), Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1954
Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St. John's College, Cambridge, 1955 and 1957
Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge, 1957; D.Phil. (Oxford), D.Litt. (Honoris Causa)
Ph.D. thesis on India's export competitiveness
OCCUPATION /TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Professor, Senior lecturer, Economics, 1957-59
Reader, Economics, 1959-63
Professor, Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1963-65
Professor, International Trade, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, 1969-71
Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 1976
Honorary Professor, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi,1996
Civil Servant
WORKING EXPERIENCE/ POSITIONS:
1971-72: Economic Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Trade
1972-76: Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance
1976-80: Director, Reserve Bank of India
Director, Industrial Development Bank of India
Alternate Governor for India, Board of Governors, Asian Development Bank
Alternate Governor for India, Board of Governors, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
November 1976 - April 1980: Secretary, Ministry of Finance, (Department of Economic Affairs)
Member, Finance, Atomic Energy Commission
Member, Finance, Space Commission
April 1980 - September 15, 1982: Member-Secretary, Planning Commission
1980-83: Chairman, India Committee of the Indo-Japan Joint Study Committee
September 16, 1982 - January 14, 1985: Governor, Reserve Bank of India
1982-85: Alternate Governor for India, Board of Governors, International Monetary Fund
1983-84: Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
1985: President, Indian Economic Association
January 15, 1985 - July 31, 1987: Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
August 1, 1987 - November 10, 1990: Secretary-General and Commissioner, South Commission, Geneva
December 10, 1990 - March 14, 1991: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Economic Affairs
March 15, 1991 - June 20, 1991: Chairman, University Grants Commission
June 21, 1991 - May 15, 1996: Union Finance Minister
October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress ticket
June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
1996 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Finance
August 1, 1996 - December 4, 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce
March 21, 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha
June 5, 1998 onwards: Member, Committee on Finance
August 13, 1998 onwards: Member, Committee on Rules
August 1998-2001: Member, Committee of Privileges
2000 onwards: Member, Executive Committee, Indian Parliamentary Group
June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
August 2001 onwards: Member, General Purposes Committee
Currently, Prime Minister of India
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS:
India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth, Clarendon Press, Oxford University, 1964
Also published a large number of articles in various economic journals
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge, 1956
Padma Vibhushan, 1987
Euro Money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993
Asia Money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia, 1993 and 1994
INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:
1966: Economic Affairs Officer
1966-69: Chief, financing for trade section, UNCTAD
1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee of Twenty on International Monetary Reform
1977-79: Indian delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
1980-82: Indo-Soviet joint planning group meeting
1982: Indo-Soviet monitoring group meeting
1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Cyprus
1993: Human Rights World Conference, Vienna
RECREATION:
Gymkhana Club, New Delhi
Life Member, India International Centre, New Delhi
The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, seems to be the most qualified Prime Minister (or equivalent) in the world. Is there another politician anywhere who is as qualified? Or with half as much integrity?
[Courtesy: Prakash Advani]
Conversation about this article
1: Pritam Singh Grewal (Canada), August 28, 2007, 11:34 PM.
Wow! India is rightly proud to have such a greatly qualified and vastly experienced person as Prime Minister. Besides, he is indeed one of the rare leaders having genuine humility and integrity.
2: Devinder Pal Singh (India), August 29, 2007, 6:39 AM.
He has impeccable credentials, there is no doubt. Whatever I have read in papers also gives a good view of his daughters. Alas, I have not heard much on his views about the Sikh community. If he is refraining from venting them because of his stature, then humbly I would like to comment that when others have voiced and acted on the issues concerning their community, why can't a Sikh voice his/her own personal views?
3: Amrik Singh (New Delhi, India), August 29, 2007, 7:12 AM.
It helps immensely if one does a comparative study of Maharajah Ranjit Singh and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and looks at the different strengths and skills each has brought to the role of Ruler/Leader, and the challenges each has had to meet before achieving what both of them have undoubtedly done. Both have ruled in accordance with the highest of Sikh principles, while never losing sight of the fact that each was mandated to lead the enitre nation, and was not merely a "Sikh leader". Thus, while he is Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, being the extraordinarily diligent and honourable man that he is, he will invariably fulfill the role as the Prime Minister of ALL Indians. At this juncture, we do not need to hear from his lips what he feels about Sikhs and Sikhi: his very life and actions speak for him. Once he has moved on - to bigger and better things, I'm sure - there will be ample time to hear his personal views. Now is not the time. Let's leave him alone while he is busy dragging the country, kicking and screaming, out of the middle ages and into the brave new world of the twenty-first century!
4: Gurvinder Pal kkaur (India), August 29, 2007, 8:58 AM.
A virtual honour display for the Sikh community. However, I would welcome that during his tenure, he does something significant for Punjab. After all, a retired head is only a mention in dispatches. Take the case of President Kalam: we could not even house him in a decent manner.
5: Tejwant (U.S.A.), August 29, 2007, 12:49 PM.
A Sikh has to be outstanding before standing out. We can say that for Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime minister. I wish he would subliminally nudge the hindutva conscience to make them realize that, without the Sikh sacrifices at every juncture during the course of the last five centuries of Indian History, all would be using "worry beads" and "rosaries" instead of having the freedom and a real choice between them and "malas", etc., which all Indians enjoy today.
6: Sharan (Fremont, Calfornia, U.S.A.), August 30, 2007, 1:34 PM.
No doubt Manmohan Singh has excellent credentials and is an honest man. But,he has never criticized the Congress party for its role in the Sikh Genocide of 1984. Hasn't he given a clean chit to the Indian authorities for all the human rights violations to date against the Sikhs? Moreover, has he taken any steps to tackle the draconian French Turban law, to take another example?
7: Harpreet SIngh Hunjan (Surrey, British Columbia), August 31, 2007, 1:18 PM.
Since he is the prime minister of India, it does include Sikhs, doesn't it? So far, his performance has fallen short of expectations.
8: Harminder Singh (U.K.), September 01, 2007, 2:36 PM.
This man has done nothing for either the Sikhs or for Punjab. And, many of his colleagues are the very same who perpetrated the 1984 genocide.
9: Guneeta Kapoor (Delhi, India), October 12, 2007, 11:07 AM.
I'm proud of Dr Manmohan Singh: a good example of one who lives in Sikhi.
10: Harsimran Singh Grewal (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), February 12, 2009, 7:17 PM.
I would say it's not fair to ask of Dr. Manmohan singh to prefer Punjab to the whole nation because he is the Prime Minister of India and all in India put their trust on this man's actions. If those actions are biased, or appear to be so, it will make the whole Sikh community look bad in front of the world, and weaken him as well. People who can work for the betterment of Punjab are its own ministers and civil servants. When Mr Badal is the person not known to have worked for Punjab's betterment, then why is he being elected repeatedly to head the state. I am deeply saddened by the actions of Mr Badal; Punjab can do better than him. S. Simranjit Singh Mann is what I suggest is an able person to head the state, for his resume is far more impressive than Mr. Badal's.
11: Jitender Singh (New Delhi, India), January 12, 2010, 2:18 AM.
No doubt no one in the world today, not even President Obama can even beat Manmohan Singh's stature. He is a one-person army who showed the world - when every other nation was crying "Recession!" that India is not even touched by the 'R' word. He came into the picture when the entire gold of the "sonney di chirria" had been pledged to the World Bank by his predecessors. And look at his achievement! India not only took its own gold, a few days ago purchased abundant gold for its reserves. I say I am proud of you, Singh Sahib. But there are certain aspects I feel you have neglected which, if taken care of, would have made you all the more deserving of honour more honoured ... for example, you were in a position to help 1984 massacre victims also. You can still get them the long-overdue Justice!