New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted his predecessor and veteran Congress leader Dr Manmohan Singh on his 90th birthday, wishing him a long and healthy life. "Birthday greetings to former PM Dr Manmohan Singh Ji. Praying for his long and healthy life," tweeted PM Modi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also wished the former PM on his birthday. "Wishing one of India's finest statesmen, Dr Manmohan Singh ji a very happy birthday. His humility, dedication and contribution to India's development, have few parallels. He is an inspiration to me, and to crores of other Indians. I pray for his good health and happiness," tweeted the Wayanad MP.
Meanwhile, several other leaders wished the Congress veteran on his birthday. “Warmest wishes to respected Dr. Manmohan Singh ji on his birthday. Pray for his long life, good health and happiness,” wrote external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.
Congress general secretary in charge, Communications, Jairam Ramesh also shared birthday wishes. “Today is Day 19 of #BharatJodoYatra and the day Dr. Manmohan Singh turns 90. He has been the rare epitome of grace, humility, dignity, sobriety, large-heartedness and erudition. It’s been my privilege to have had a close association with him for 36 years. Wishing him good health,” tweeted Ramesh.
A look back at renowned economist & India’s former PM
Dr Manmohan Singh served as Prime Minister between 2004-14 during the Congress-led UPA rule. Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in Punjab's village of Gah before the partition.
He also held the position of finance minister in the P V Narasimha Rao-led government during 1991-96, an epochal era for the country's economy marked by sweeping reforms.
The Congress leader studied at Punjab University, Cambridge, and Oxford. Singh held the position of Prime Minister for two consecutive terms (from 2004-2014). He is a renowned economist, credited for introducing sweeping reforms in the 1990s.
A celebrated economist, Singh joined politics at the peak of the 1991 economic crisis when late Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao inducted him into the government as finance minister. Both managed to lift the economy out of the balance of payments crisis and then paved the way for the economic reforms on which no successive government has looked back.
Sonia Gandhi nominated him to the post of Prime Minister and he was sworn in by President A P J Abdul Kalam. Singh has occupied various positions including Reserve Bank governor and secretary general of the South-South Commission.
Another noteworthy achievement was his display of considerable determination to move ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal amid pulls and pressures from allies, especially the Left parties. He succeeded in ending the sanctions regime against India even unmindful of the threats to his government.
Singh also delivered a robust 8.5 per cent GDP growth for most of his tenure.