A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers.
Singh was elected to a second term as prime minister from 2009-2014 that was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi.
Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister.
A look into Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM:
As Prime Minister, Dr. Singh launched several transformative initiatives including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) (2005) which is aimed at providing 100 days of guaranteed wage employment per year to rural households.His first term was also marked by his unwavering commitment to the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, despite strong opposition from Left parties within his coalition. Singh stood firm, even at the risk of his government collapsing, ultimately securing a historic agreement that ended India’s nuclear isolation.However, Singh’s second term was overshadowed by allegations of corruption, including the 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games, and coal block allocation scams. These scandals, coupled with a perceived policy paralysis, tarnished his government’s image. The rise of the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare further dented the Congress party’s standing.
Despite these challenges, Singh’s contributions as an economist and leader remain unparalleled. His tenure saw robust GDP growth averaging 8.5%, and his personal commitment to maintaining peaceful ties with Pakistan helped stabilize bilateral relations.
