Dr Manmohan Singh, veteran Congress leader and former prime minister who ran a coalition government between 2004-2014, turns 88 today.
Before he became the prime minister, his brightest moment was ushering in the 1991 economic reforms under the Narasimha Rao government. He was Rao’s finance minister.
The 1991 Budget is feted by many as one that laid the foundations of a modern India and the roadmap for pushing economic reforms in the country. However, Singh never stopped to share the credit with his boss PV Narasimha Rao.
“It was a hard choice and a bold decision and it was possible because Prime Minister Narasimha Rao gave me the freedom to roll out things, after he fully understood what was ailing India’s economy at that time,” Singh, who has also been held the post of the RBI Governor during his celebrated career, was quoted as saying by the PTI at Rao’ centenary celebrations.