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115-461: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stayed at 19 Safdarjung Road until he became PM in May 2004. The residence of the former Prime Minister of India , Indira Gandhi is located at 1, Safdarjung Road. She was assassinated there on 31 October 1984, by two of her bodyguards, while going towards the neighbouring 1, Akbar Road Congress office for an interview. The guards carried grievances against her for

230-429: A severe economic crisis , the newly elected prime minister, P. V. Narasimha Rao , inducted the apolitical Singh into his cabinet as finance minister . Over the next few years, despite strong opposition, he carried out several structural reforms that liberalised India's economy . Although these measures proved successful in averting the crisis, and enhanced Singh's reputation globally as a leading reform-minded economist,

345-599: A BJP conference in Mumbai in November 1995, BJP President Advani declared that Vajpayee would be the party's prime ministerial candidate in the forthcoming elections. Vajpayee himself was reported to be unhappy with the announcement, responding by saying that the party needed to win the election first. The BJP became the single largest party in Parliament in the 1996 general election , helped by religious polarisation across

460-758: A Hindu right-wing political party associated with the RSS. He was appointed as a national secretary of the party in charge of the Northern region, based in Delhi. He soon became a follower and aide of party leader Syama Prasad Mukherjee . In the 1957 Indian general election , Vajpayee contested elections to the Lok Sabha , the lower house of the Indian Parliament . He lost to Raja Mahendra Pratap in Mathura , but

575-678: A Master of Arts in political science from DAV College, Kanpur , Agra University . His activism started in Gwalior with Arya Kumar Sabha, the youth wing of the Arya Samaj movement, of which he became the general secretary in 1944. He also joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1939 as a swayamsevak , or volunteer. Influenced by Babasaheb Apte , he attended the Officers Training Camp of

690-510: A central agency to combat terrorism was realised. Also, Unique Identification Authority of India was established in February 2009, an agency responsible for implementing the envisioned Multipurpose National Identity Card with the objective of increasing national security and facilitating e-governance. Singh's administration initiated a massive reconstruction effort in Kashmir to stabilise

805-413: A manner that very few others were able to achieve. She questioned me a great deal and made me think the unthinkable. She propounded the left wing interpretation of Keynes, maintaining that the state has to play more of a role if you really want to combine development with social equity. Kaldor influenced me even more; I found him pragmatic, scintillating, stimulating. Joan Robinson was a great admirer of what

920-563: A part of China, which was welcomed by the Chinese leadership, and which, in the following year, recognised Sikkim as part of India. China–India relations improved greatly in the following years. Vajpayee's government introduced many domestic economic and infrastructural reforms, including encouraging the private sector and foreign investments, reducing governmental waste, encouraging research and development and privatisation of some government owned corporations. Among Vajpayee's projects were

1035-786: A speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi. In 1979, Desai and Vajpayee resigned, triggering the collapse of the Janata Party. The erstwhile members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh came together to form the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980, with Vajpayee as its first President. Leading up to Operation Bluestar , there were several protests by Sangh Parivar , including a march led by LK Advani and Vajpayee of

1150-494: A state visit to India (Delhi- Mumbai ) from 19 to 21 May 2013. Singh paid an official visit to China from 22 to 24 October 2013. Three agreements were signed establishing sister-city partnership between Delhi- Beijing , Kolkata- Kunming and Bangalore- Chengdu . As of 2010, the People's Republic of China was the second biggest trade partner of India. Relations with Afghanistan have improved considerably, with India now becoming

1265-754: Is "the model of what a political leader should be." Singh also received the World Statesman Award in 2010. Henry Kissinger described Singh as "a statesman with vision, persistence and integrity", and praised him for his "leadership, which has been instrumental in the economic transformation underway in India." Singh was ranked 18 on the 2010 Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People . Forbes magazine described Singh as being "universally praised as India's best prime minister since Nehru". Australian journalist Greg Sheridan praised Singh "as one of

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1380-540: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Manmohan Singh Premiership Budgets [REDACTED] Manmohan Singh ( Punjabi: [mənˈmoːɦən ˈsɪ́ŋɡ] ; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist, academician and bureaucrat who served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru , Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi . A member of

1495-476: The 2001-2002 military standoff . A terrorist attack on an army garrison in Kashmir in May 2002 further escalated the situation. As the threat of war between two nuclear capable countries and the consequent possibility of a nuclear exchange loomed large, international diplomatic mediation focused on defusing the situation. In October 2002, both India and Pakistan announced that they would withdraw their troops from

1610-566: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other minor parties. On 22 May 2009, Manmohan Singh was sworn in as the prime minister during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan . The 2009 Indian general election was the then largest democratic election in the world held prior to 2014 (834 million), 2019 (912 million) and 2024 (968 million), with an eligible electorate of 714 million. The 2012 report filed by

1725-506: The Golden Quadrilateral and the highway modernisation program that was initiated by Vajpayee 's government. Singh also worked on reforming the banking and financial sectors, as well as public sector companies. The Finance ministry worked towards relieving farmers of their debt and worked towards pro-industry policies. In 2005, Singh's government introduced the value added tax , replacing sales tax . In 2007 and early 2008,

1840-650: The Indian Constitution . India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010. Manmohan Singh continued the pragmatic foreign policy that was started by P.V. Narasimha Rao and continued by Bharatiya Janata Party 's Atal Bihari Vajpayee . Singh continued the peace process with Pakistan initiated by his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Exchange of high-level visits by top leaders from both countries have highlighted his tenure. Efforts have been made during Singh's tenure to end

1955-530: The Indian National Congress , Singh was the first Sikh prime minister of India. He was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term. Born in Gah , West Punjab , in what is today Pakistan , Singh's family migrated to India during its partition in 1947. After obtaining his doctorate in economics from Oxford , Singh worked for

2070-668: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution . After the fall of the two United Front governments between 1996 and 1998, the Lok Sabha was dissolved and fresh elections were held. The 1998 general elections again put the BJP ahead of others. A number of political parties joined the BJP to form the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Vajpayee was sworn in as the prime minister. The coalition

2185-685: The National Highways Development Project and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana . In 2001, the Vajpayee government launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan campaign, aimed at improving the quality of education in primary and secondary schools. In 2003, news reports suggested a tussle within the BJP with regard to sharing of leadership between Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani. BJP president Venkaiah Naidu had suggested that Advani must lead

2300-654: The National Rural Health Mission , Unique Identification Authority , Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and Right to Information Act . In 2008, opposition to a historic civil nuclear agreement with the United States nearly caused Singh's government to fall after Left Front parties withdrew their support. India's economy grew rapidly under his reign. The 2009 general election saw the UPA return with an increased mandate, with Singh retaining

2415-544: The Padma Vibhushan in 1992, India's second highest civilian award by the Government of India . The administration of Narendra Modi declared in 2014 that Vajpayee's birthday, 25 December would be marked as Good Governance Day . In 2015, he was honoured India's highest civilian honour - Bharat Ratna , by the then President of India , Pranab Mukherjee . He died in 2018 due to age-related illness. Vajpayee

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2530-522: The Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. Vajpayee sought to improve diplomatic relations with Pakistan , travelling to Lahore by bus to meet with Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif . After the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan, he sought to restore relations through engagement with President Pervez Musharraf , inviting him to India for a summit at Agra . Vajpayee's government introduced many domestic economic and infrastructural reforms , including encouraging

2645-474: The Prime Minister of India , first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004 . He was the first non- Congress prime minister to serve a full term in the office. Vajpayee was one of the co-founders and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party . He was a member of the RSS , a Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation. He

2760-430: The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program. The program includes the introduction and improvement of mid-day meals and the opening of schools all over India, especially in rural areas, to fight illiteracy . Singh's government strengthened anti-terror laws with amendments to Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also created soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks , as need for

2875-626: The United Nations during 1966–1969. He subsequently began his bureaucratic career when Lalit Narayan Mishra hired him as an advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry . During the 1970s and 1980s, Singh held several key posts in the Government of India , such as Chief Economic Advisor (1972–1976), governor of the Reserve Bank (1982–1985) and head of the Planning Commission (1985–1987). In 1991, as India faced

2990-602: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1966 to 1969. Later, he was appointed as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Trade by Lalit Narayan Mishra , in recognition of Singh's talent as an economist. From 1969 to 1971, Singh was a professor of international trade at the Delhi School of Economics , University of Delhi . In 1972, Singh was chief economic adviser in

3105-555: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) form the new government under the incumbent Singh, who became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 to win re-election after completing a full five-year term. The Congress and its allies were able to put together a comfortable majority with support from 322 members out of 543 members of the House. These included those of the UPA and the external support from

3220-604: The global problem of inflation impacted India. In 2005, Prime Minister Singh and his government's health ministry started the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM), which mobilised half a million community health workers. This rural health initiative was praised by the American economist Jeffrey Sachs . In 2006, his Government implemented the proposal to reserve 27% of seats in All India Institute of Medical Studies (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs),

3335-536: The 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Singh immediately returned the ₹ 2 lakh (US$ 2,400) he had borrowed from the writer for hiring taxis. Terming him as the best example of integrity, Khushwant Singh stated, "When people talk of integrity, I say the best example is the man who occupies the country's highest office." In 2010, Newsweek magazine recognised him as a world leader who is respected by other heads of state, describing him as "the leader other leaders love." The article quoted Mohamed ElBaradei , who remarked that Singh

3450-679: The BJP. Under him, the BJP returned to a policy of hardline Hindu nationalism. It became the political voice of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Movement, which sought to build a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Rama in Ayodhya . The temple would be built at a site believed to be the birthplace of Rama after demolishing a 16th-century mosque, called the Babri Masjid , which then stood there. The strategy paid off for

3565-674: The BJP; it won 86 seats in the Lok Sabha in the 1989 general election , making its support crucial to the government of V. P. Singh . In December 1992, a group of religious volunteers led by members of the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), tore down the mosque . He served as Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, for various terms starting at Balrampur from 1957–1962. He served again from Balrampur from 1967–1971, then from Gwalior from 1971–1977, and then from New Delhi from 1977–1984. Finally, he served from Lucknow from 1991–2009. During

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3680-606: The Bhartiya Janta Party to protest against the lack of government action and to demand that the Indian Army be sent into the Golden Temple . The 1984 general elections were held in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. While he had won the 1977 and the 1980 elections from New Delhi, Vajpayee shifted to his home town Gwalior for the election. Vidya Razdan

3795-516: The CAG in Parliament of India states that due to the allocation of coal blocks to certain private companies without bidding process the nation suffered an estimated loss of Rs 1.85 trillion ( short scale ) between 2005 and 2009 in which Manmohan Singh was the coal minister of India. Manmohan Singh declined to appear before a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in April 2013 when called upon by one of

3910-520: The Congress, leading to a massive victory at the polls. The BJP won only two seats in parliament. Vajpayee offered to quit as party president following BJP's dismal performance in the election, but stayed in the post until 1986. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1986 from Madhya Pradesh, and was briefly the leader of the BJP in Parliament. In 1986, L. K. Advani took office as president of

4025-545: The Human Resource Development Minister (now called Education Minister) Murli Manohar Joshi were indicted in the 1992 Babri Mosque demolition case for inciting a mob of activists. Vajpayee himself came under public scrutiny owing to his controversial speech one day prior to the mosque demolition. These years were accompanied by infighting in the administration and confusion regarding the direction of government. Vajpayee's weakening health

4140-684: The IAEA, Nuclear Suppliers Group and the US Congress , India and the US signed the agreement on 10 October 2008 with Pranab Mukherjee representing India. Singh had the first official state visit to the White House during the administration of US President Barack Obama . The visit took place in November 2009, and several discussions took place, including on trade and nuclear power. Relations have improved with Japan and European Union countries, like

4255-563: The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other central institutions of higher education for Other Backward Classes which led to 2006 Indian anti-reservation protests . On 2 July 2009, Singh ministry introduced the Right to Education Act (RTE) act. Eight IIT's were opened in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Bihar, Gujarat , Orissa, Punjab , Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh . The Singh government also continued

4370-504: The Indian market, enjoying widespread success in these matters. Singh, along with his finance minister, P. Chidambaram , presided over a period where the Indian economy grew with an 8–9% economic growth rate. In 2007, India achieved its highest GDP growth rate of 9% and became the second fastest growing major economy in the world. Singh's ministry enacted a National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2005. Singh's government continued

4485-597: The Indian parliament) and on 4 September 2013 in Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Indian parliament). The bill received the assent of the President of India , Pranab Mukherjee on 27 September 2013. The Act came into force from 1 January 2014. Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was enacted on 4 August 2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of

4600-511: The Indian parliament, during which India had severed diplomatic ties with Pakistan. Although diplomatic relations did not pick up immediately, visits were exchanged by high-level officials and the military standoff ended. The Pakistani President and Pakistani politicians, civil and religious leaders hailed this initiative as did the leaders of the United States, Europe and much of the world. In July 2003, Prime Minister Vajpayee visited China and met with various Chinese leaders. He recognised Tibet as

4715-581: The Jan Sangh, the precursor to the BJP, because of their discontent over Vajpayee's rule. Former president of the Jan Sangh Balraj Madhok had written a letter to the then-RSS chief Rajendra Singh for support. The BJP was, however, accused of "saffronising" the official state education curriculum and apparatus, saffron being the colour of the RSS flag of the RSS, and a symbol of the Hindu nationalism movement. Home Minister L. K. Advani and

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4830-595: The Kashmir Valley, where they had taken control of border hilltops and unmanned border posts. The incursion was centred around the town of Kargil , but also included the Batalik and Akhnoor sectors and artillery exchanges at the Siachen Glacier . The Indian army responded with Operation Vijay, which launched on 26 May 1999. This saw the Indian military fighting thousands of militants and soldiers in

4945-479: The Kashmir dispute and other conflicts with Pakistan. The resultant Lahore Declaration espoused a commitment to dialogue, expanded trade relations and mutual friendship and envisaged a goal of denuclearised South Asia. This eased the tension created by the 1998 nuclear tests, not only within the two nations but also in South Asia and the rest of the world. The AIADMK had continually threatened to withdraw from

5060-489: The Lok Sabha but served as a member of the Rajya Sabha , representing the state of Assam from 1991 to 2019 and Rajasthan from 2019 to 2024. Singh was born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on 26 September 1932, in Gah , Punjab , British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan ), into a Sikh family. His mother died when he was very young. His paternal grandmother raised him, and he was very close to her. His early schooling

5175-563: The Ministry of Finance, and in 1976 he was secretary in the Finance Ministry. In 1980–1982 he was at the Planning Commission, and in 1982, he was appointed governor of the Reserve Bank of India under then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and held the post until 1985. He went on to become the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission (India) from 1985 to 1987. Following his tenure at the Planning Commission, he

5290-576: The NREGA has been successful at various degrees, in various regions, the RTI act has proved crucial in India's fight against corruption. New cash benefits were also introduced for widows, pregnant women, and landless persons. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 was passed on 29 August 2013 in the Lok Sabha (lower house of

5405-551: The PM and the party that India is facing an unprecedented crisis. However the rank and file of the party resisted deregulation. So P. Chidambaram and Singh explained to the party that the economy would collapse if it was not deregulated. To the dismay of the party, Rao allowed Singh to deregulate the Indian economy . Subsequently, Singh, who had thus far been one of the most influential architects of India's socialist economy, eliminated

5520-426: The RSS during 1940 to 1944, becoming a pracharak (RSS terminology for a full-time worker) in 1947. He gave up studying law due to the partition riots. He was sent to Uttar Pradesh as a vistarak (a probationary pracharak ) and soon began working for the newspapers of Deendayal Upadhyaya : Rashtradharma (a Hindi monthly), Panchjanya (a Hindi weekly), and the dailies Swadesh and Veer Arjun . By 1942, at

5635-531: The Rajya Sabha in April 2024 and was succeeded by Sonia Gandhi . The Independent described Singh as "one of the world's most revered leaders" and "a man of uncommon decency and grace", noting that he drives a Maruti 800 , one of the humblest cars in the Indian market. Khushwant Singh lauded Singh as the best prime minister India has had, even rating him higher than Jawaharlal Nehru . He mentions an incident in his book Absolute Khushwant: The Low-Down on Life, Death and Most things In-between where after losing

5750-731: The Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Gwalior and high school education from the Gorkhi School, Gwalior. In 1934, he was admitted to the Anglo-Vernacular Middle (AVM) School in Barnagar , Ujjain district , after his father joined as headmaster. He subsequently attended Gwalior's Victoria College, (now Maharani Laxmi Bai Govt. College of Excellence ) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Hindi, English and Sanskrit . He completed his post-graduation with

5865-535: The United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Relations with Iran have continued and negotiations over the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline have taken place. New Delhi hosted an India–Africa Summit in April 2006 which was attended by the leaders of 15 African states. Relations have improved with other developing countries, particularly Brazil and South Africa. Singh carried forward the momentum which

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5980-653: The United States . He visited the United States in July 2005 initiating negotiations over the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement . This was followed by George W. Bush 's successful visit to India in March 2006, during which the declaration over the nuclear agreement was made, giving India access to American nuclear fuel and technology while India will have to allow IAEA inspection of its civil nuclear reactors . After more than two years for more negotiations, followed by approval from

6095-465: The VHP and the Government engaging in a major standoff in Ayodhya over the Ram temple . On the 10th anniversary of the destruction of the Babri mosque , the VHP wanted to perform a shila daan , or a ceremony laying the foundation stone of the cherished temple at the disputed site. Thousands of VHP activists amassed and threatened to overrun the site and forcibly perform the ceremony. A threat of communal violence and breakdown of law and order owing to

6210-477: The aftermath of the Kargil operations. The BJP-led NDA won 303 seats out of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, securing a comfortable and stable majority. On 13 October 1999, Vajpayee took oath as the prime minister of India for the third time. A national crisis emerged in December 1999, when Indian Airlines flight IC 814 from Kathmandu to New Delhi was hijacked by five terrorists and flown to Taliban -ruled Afghanistan. The hijackers made several demands including

6325-410: The age of 16 years, Vajpayee became an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and joined it shakha in Gwalior along with his elder brother. Although the RSS had chosen not to participate in the Quit India Movement , in August 1942, Vajpayee and his elder brother Prem were arrested for 24 days during the Quit India Movement. He was released after giving a written statement that while he

6440-406: The border dispute with People's Republic of China . In November 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited India which was followed by Singh's visit to Beijing in January 2008. A major development in Sino-Indian relations was the reopening of the Nathula Pass in 2006 after being closed for more than four decades. Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang paid

6555-426: The border. The Vajpayee administration brought in the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2002. The act was aimed at curbing terrorist threats by strengthening powers of government authorities to investigate and act against suspects. It was passed in a joint session of the parliament, amidst concerns that the law would be misused. Another political disaster hit his government between December 2001 and March 2002 with

6670-416: The building was sealed off swiftly and security forces cornered and killed the men who were later proven to be Pakistan nationals. Vajpayee ordered Indian troops to mobilise for war, leading to an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 Indian soldiers positioned along the international border between India and Pakistan under Operation Parakram. Pakistan responded by mobilising its own troops along the border leading to

6785-498: The coalition and national leaders repeatedly flew down from Delhi to Chennai to pacify the AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa . However, in May 1999, the AIADMK withdrew from NDA, and the Vajpayee administration was reduced to a caretaker status pending fresh elections scheduled for October 1999 . In May 1999 some Kashmiri shepherds discovered the presence of militants and non-uniformed Pakistani soldiers (many with official identifications and Pakistan Army 's custom weaponry) in

6900-447: The country as a result of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Indian president Shankar Dayal Sharma invited Vajpayee to form the government. Vajpayee was sworn in as the 10th prime minister of India, but the BJP failed to muster a majority among members of the Lok Sabha. Vajpayee resigned after 16 days, when it became clear that he did not have enough support to form a government. In this short period, he also created and administered

7015-406: The creation of jobs, a rising high-tech and IT industry and urban modernisation and expansion improved the nation's international image. Good crop harvests and strong industrial expansion also helped the economy. In May 2003, he announced before the parliament that he would make one last effort to achieve peace with Pakistan. The announcement ended a period of 16 months, following the 2001 attack on

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7130-414: The defiance of the government by a religious organisation hung over the nation. The incident, however, ended peacefully with a symbolic handover of a stone at a different location 1 km away from the disputed site. In February 2002, a train filled with Hindu pilgrims returning to Gujarat from Ayodhya stopped in the town of Godhra . A scuffle broke out between Hindu activists and Muslim residents, and

7245-528: The delay and price hike of several Russian weapons to be delivered to India, relations between the two remained strong with India and Russia signing various agreements to increase defence, nuclear energy and space co-operation. India held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. The results of the election were announced on 16 May 2009. Strong showing in Andhra Pradesh , Rajasthan , Maharashtra , Tamil Nadu , Kerala , West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh helped

7360-493: The ensuing vote of confidence motion in the Lok Sabha by a single vote on 17 April 1999. As the opposition was unable to come up with the numbers to form the new government, the Lok Sabha was again dissolved and fresh elections were held. In May 1998, India conducted five underground nuclear tests in the Pokhran desert in Rajasthan , 24 years after its first nuclear test, operation Smiling Buddha in 1974. Two weeks later, Pakistan responded with its own nuclear tests making it

7475-407: The greatest statesmen in Asian history." Singh was later ranked 19 and 28 in 2012 and 2013 in the Forbes list. Time (magazine) described Singh as "guiding India into the ranks of the great powers". Atal Bihari Vajpayee Premiership [REDACTED] Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian politician, statesman and poet who served as

7590-433: The impossible and inconceivable" and likened him to Hindu god Rama . Vajpayee's oratorial skills won him the reputation of being the most eloquent defender of the Jana Sangh's policies. After the death of Upadhyaya, the leadership of the Jana Sangh passed to Vajpayee. He became the national president of the Jana Sangh in 1968, running the party along with Nanaji Deshmukh , Balraj Madhok and L. K. Advani . Vajpayee

7705-498: The incumbent Congress Party fared poorly in the 1996 general election . Subsequently, Singh was leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India ) during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government of 1998–2004. In 2004, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance came to power, its chairperson Sonia Gandhi unexpectedly relinquished the prime ministership to Singh. His first ministry executed several key legislations and projects, including

7820-450: The international sanctions imposed failed to sway India from weaponising its nuclear capability. US sanctions against India and Pakistan were eventually lifted after just six months. In late 1998 and early 1999, Vajpayee began a push for a full-scale diplomatic peace process with Pakistan. With the historic inauguration of the Delhi-Lahore bus service in February 1999, Vajpayee initiated a new peace process aimed towards permanently resolving

7935-416: The largest regional donor to Afghanistan. During Afghan President Hamid Karzai 's visit to New Delhi in August 2008, Manmohan Singh increased the aid package to Afghanistan for the development of more schools, health clinics, infrastructure, and defence. Under the leadership of Singh, India emerged as one of the single largest aid donors to Afghanistan. Singh's government worked towards stronger ties with

8050-453: The members of JPC Yashwant Sinha for his alleged involvement in the 2G case. Singh's premiership officially ended at noon on 17 May 2014. He did not contest the 2014 general election for the 16th Lok Sabha as the prime ministerial candidate. He resigned his post as prime minister after the Bharatiya Janata Party -led National Democratic Alliance won the election. He served as the acting prime minister till 26 May 2014, when Narendra Modi

8165-401: The midst of heavy artillery shelling and while facing extremely cold weather, snow and treacherous terrain at the high altitude. Over 500 Indian soldiers were killed in the three-month-long Kargil War, and it is estimated around 600–4,000 Pakistani militants and soldiers died as well. India pushed back the Pakistani militants and Northern Light Infantry soldiers. Almost 70% of the territory

8280-508: The newest nation with declared nuclear capability. While some nations, such as France, endorsed India's right to defensive nuclear power, others including the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain and the European Union imposed sanctions on information, resources and technology to India. In spite of intense international criticism and steady decline in foreign investment and trade, the nuclear tests were popular domestically. In effect,

8395-458: The office of prime minister. Over the next few years, Singh's second ministry government faced a number of corruption charges over the organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games , the 2G spectrum allocation case and the allocation of coal blocks . After his term ended in 2014 he opted out from the race for the office of the PM during the 2014 Indian general election . Singh was never a member of

8510-577: The party politically at the 2004 general elections, referring to Vajpayee as vikas purush , Hindi for development man, and Advani as loh purush , iron man. When Vajpayee subsequently threatened retirement, Naidu backtracked, announcing that the party would contest the elections under the twin leadership of Vajpayee and Advani. The NDA was widely expected to retain power after the 2004 general election . It announced elections six months ahead of schedule, hoping to capitalise on economic growth, and Vajpayee's peace initiative with Pakistan. The 13th Lok Sabha

8625-476: The permit raj, reduced state control of the economy, and reduced import taxes Rao and Singh thus implemented policies to open up the economy and change India's socialist economy to a more capitalistic one, in the process dismantling the License Raj, a system that inhibited the prosperity of private businesses. They removed many obstacles standing in the way of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and initiated

8740-510: The political party with the single largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha . It formed United Progressive Alliance (UPA) with allies and staked claim to form government. In a surprise move, Chairperson Sonia Gandhi declared Manmohan Singh, a technocrat , as the UPA candidate for the prime ministership. Despite the fact that Singh had never won a direct popular election, according to the BBC , he "enjoyed massive popular support, not least because he

8855-414: The post of Finance Minister after a parliamentary investigation report criticised his ministry for not being able to anticipate a US$ 1.8 billion 1992 securities scandal . Prime Minister Rao refused Singh's resignation, instead promising to punish the individuals directly accused in the report. Singh was first elected to the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha , in 1991 by the legislature of

8970-597: The principal architect of the Kargil War in India. By accepting him as the President of Pakistan , Vajpayee chose to move forward leaving behind the Kargil War. But after three days of much fanfare, which included Musharraf visiting his birthplace in Delhi, the summit failed to achieve a breakthrough as President Musharraf declined to leave aside the issue of Kashmir. On 13 December 2001, a group of masked, armed men with fake IDs stormed Parliament House in Delhi. The terrorists managed to kill several security guards, but

9085-413: The private sector and foreign investments, reducing governmental waste , encouraging research and development and privatisation of some government owned corporations. During his tenure, India's security was threatened by a number of violent incidents including 2001 Indian Parliament attack and 2002 Gujarat riots which ultimately caused his defeat in 2004 general election . Vajpayee was conferred with

9200-480: The process of the privatisation of public sector companies. However, in spite of these reforms, Rao's government was voted out in 1996 due to non-performance of government in other areas. In praise of Singh's work that pushed India towards a market economy, long-time Cabinet minister P. Chidambaram has compared Singh's role in India's reforms to Deng Xiaoping 's in China . In 1993, Singh offered his resignation from

9315-522: The region but after some period of success, insurgent infiltration and terrorism in Kashmir has increased since 2009. The Singh administration was, however, successful in reducing terrorism in Northeast India. The important National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information Act were passed by the Parliament in 2005 during his tenure. While the effectiveness of

9430-556: The release of certain terrorists like Masood Azhar from prison. Under pressure, the government ultimately caved in. Jaswant Singh , the then minister of external affairs, flew with the terrorists to Afghanistan and exchanged them for the passengers. In March 2000, Bill Clinton , the President of the United States, paid a state visit to India. This was the first state visit to India by a U.S. president in 22 years, since President Jimmy Carter's visit in 1978. President Clinton's visit

9545-745: The site of the most violent riots. He announced financial aid for victims and urged an end to the violence. While he condemned the violence, he did not chastise Modi directly in public. When asked as to what his message to the chief minister in the event of the riots would be, Vajpayee responded that Modi must follow raj dharma , Hindi for ethical governance. At the meeting of the BJP national executive in Goa in April 2002, Vajpayee's speech generated controversy for its contents which included him saying: "Wherever Muslims live, they don't like to live in co-existence with others." The Prime Minister's Office stated that these remarks had been taken out of context. Vajpayee

9660-623: The state of Assam, and was re-elected in 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2013. From 1998 to 2004, while the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power, Singh was the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In 1999, he contested for the Lok Sabha from South Delhi but was unable to win the seat. After the 2004 general elections , the Indian National Congress ended the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) tenure by becoming

9775-568: The state of emergency in 1977. A coalition of parties, including the BJS, came together to form the Janata Party , which won the 1977 general elections . Morarji Desai , the chosen leader of the alliance, became the prime minister. Vajpayee served as the minister of external affairs , or foreign minister, in Desai's cabinet. As foreign minister, Vajpayee became the first person in 1977 to deliver

9890-429: The swearing in. So that's how I started in politics". In 1991, India's fiscal deficit was close to 8.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, the balance of payments deficit was huge and the current account deficit was close to 3.5 per cent of India's GDP. India's foreign reserves barely amounted to US$ 1 billion, enough to pay for 2 weeks of imports, in comparison to US$ 600 billion in 2009. Evidently, India

10005-497: The time, P. V. Narasimha Rao , chose Singh to be his finance minister. Singh told Mark Tully a British journalist in 2005: "On the day (Rao) was formulating his cabinet, he sent his Principal Secretary to me saying, 'The PM would like you to become the Minister of Finance'. I didn't take it seriously. He eventually tracked me down the next morning, rather angry, and demanded that I get dressed up and come to Rashtrapati Bhavan for

10120-555: The train was set on fire, leading to the deaths of 59 people. The charred bodies of the victims were displayed in public in the city of Ahmedabad , and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad called for a statewide strike in Gujarat. These decisions stoked anti-Muslim sentiments. Blaming Muslims for the deaths, rampaging Hindu mobs killed thousands of Muslim men and women, destroying Muslim homes and places of worship. The violence raged for more than two months, and more than 1,000 people died. Gujarat

10235-505: The way she had handled Operation Blue Star . The prime minister's house was subsequently turned into the ‘Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum’. Prior to being the Prime Minister's office, this was the residence of former Chief Justice of India Sudhi Ranjan Das . 28°35′53″N 77°12′27″E  /  28.598087°N 77.207601°E  / 28.598087; 77.207601 This Indian road or road transport-related article

10350-505: Was recalcitrant and Nawaz Sharif asked the remaining militants to stop and withdraw to positions along the LoC. The militants were not willing to accept orders from Sharif but the NLI soldiers withdrew. The militants were killed by the Indian army or forced to withdraw in skirmishes which continued even after the announcement of withdrawal by Pakistan. The 1999 general elections were held in

10465-464: Was a member of St John's College . In a 2005 interview with the British journalist Mark Tully , Singh said about his Cambridge days: I first became conscious of the creative role of politics in shaping human affairs, and I owe that mostly to my teachers Joan Robinson and Nicholas Kaldor . Joan Robinson was a brilliant teacher, but she also sought to awaken the inner conscience of her students in

10580-529: Was a part of the crowd, he did not participate in the militant events in Bateshwar on 27 August 1942. Throughout his life, including after he became prime minister, Vajpayee has labelled the allegation of participation in the Quit India Movement to be a false rumour. In 1951, Vajpayee was seconded by the RSS, along with Deendayal Upadhyaya , to work for the newly formed Bharatiya Jana Sangh ,

10695-603: Was accused of doing nothing to stop the violence, and later admitted mistakes in handling the events. K. R. Narayanan , then president of India , also blamed Vajpayee's government for failing to quell the violence. After the BJP's defeat in the 2004 general elections, Vajpayee admitted that not removing Modi had been a mistake. In late 2002 and 2003 the government pushed through economic reforms. The country's GDP growth exceeded 7% every year from 2003 to 2007, following three years of sub-5% growth. Increasing foreign investment, modernisation of public and industrial infrastructure,

10810-612: Was also a Hindi poet and a writer. He was a member of the Indian Parliament for over five decades, having been elected ten times to the Lok Sabha , the lower house, and twice to the Rajya Sabha , the upper house. He served as the Member of Parliament from the Lucknow constituency , retiring from active politics in 2009 due to health concerns. He was among the founding members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh , of which he

10925-587: Was also a subject of public interest, and he underwent a major knee-replacement surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai to relieve intense pressure upon his legs. In March 2001, the Tehelka group released a sting operation video named Operation West End which showed BJP president Bangaru Laxman , senior army officers and NDA members accepting bribes from journalists posing as agents and businessmen. The Defence Minister George Fernandes

11040-618: Was an uneasy one, as apart from the Shiv Sena , none of the other parties espoused the BJP's Hindu-nationalist ideology. Vajpayee has been credited for managing this coalition successfully, while facing ideological pressure from the hardline wing of the party and from the RSS. Vajpayee's government lasted 13 months until mid-1999 when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) under J. Jayalalithaa withdrew its support. The government lost

11155-688: Was arrested along with several other opposition leaders during the Internal Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Initially interned in Bangalore , Vajpayee appealed his imprisonment on the grounds of bad health, and was moved to a hospital in Delhi. In December 1976, Vajpayee ordered the student activists of the ABVP to tender an unconditional apology to Indira Gandhi for perpetrating violence and disorder. The ABVP student leaders refused to obey his order. Gandhi ended

11270-425: Was being ruled by a BJP government, with Narendra Modi as the chief minister. The state government was criticised for mishandling the situation. It was accused of doing little to stop the violence, and even being complicit in encouraging it. Vajpayee reportedly wanted to remove Modi but was eventually prevailed upon by party members to not act against him. He travelled to Gujarat, visiting Godhra, and Ahmedabad,

11385-599: Was born into a Kanyakubja Brahmin family on 25 December 1924 in Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh . His mother was Krishna Devi and his father was Krishna Bihari Vajpayee. His father was a school teacher in Gwalior. His grandfather, Shyam Lal Vajpayee, had migrated to Morena , Madhya Pradesh from his ancestral village of Bateshwar in the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh . Later he shifted to Gwalior from Morena for better opportunities. Vajpayee did his primary schooling at

11500-677: Was dissolved before the completion of its term. The BJP hoped to capitalise on a perceived 'feel-good factor' and BJP's recent successes in the Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh . Under the " India Shining " campaign, it released ads proclaiming the economic growth of the nation under the government. However, the BJP could only win 138 seats in the 543-seat parliament, with several prominent cabinet ministers being defeated. The NDA coalition won 185 seats. The Indian National Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi , emerged as

11615-465: Was elected from Balrampur . He was influenced by Jawaharlal Nehru to the extent that he mirrored his style, diction, and tone of his speeches. Nehru's influence was also evident in Vajpayee's leadership. In the Lok Sabha his oratorial skills so impressed Prime Minister Nehru that he predicted that Vajpayee would someday become the prime minister of India. On the occasion of Nehru's death on 27 May 1964, Vajpayee termed him as "the orchestrator of

11730-496: Was established after the "Brasilia Declaration" in 2003 and the IBSA Dialogue Forum was formed. Singh's government has also been especially keen on expanding ties with Israel . Since 2003, the two countries have made significant investments in each other and Israel now rivals Russia to become India's largest defence partner. Though there have been a few diplomatic glitches between India and Russia, especially over

11845-416: Was facing an economic crisis. At this point, the government of India sought funds from the supranational International Monetary Fund , which, while assisting India financially, imposed several conditions regarding India's economic policy. In effect, IMF-dictated policy meant that the ubiquitous Licence Raj had to be dismantled, and India's attempt at a state-controlled economy had to end. Singh explained to

11960-516: Was forced to resign following the Barak Missile scandal involving the botched supplies of coffins for the soldiers killed in Kargil, and the findings of an inquiry commission that the government could have prevented the Kargil invasion. Vajpayee initiated talks with Pakistan and invited Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf to Agra for a joint summit . President Musharraf was believed to be

12075-647: Was going on in China, but Kaldor used the Keynesian analysis to demonstrate that capitalism could be made to work. After Cambridge, Singh returned to India and served as a teacher at Panjab University . In 1960, he went to the University of Oxford for his DPhil , where he was a member of Nuffield College . His 1962 doctoral thesis under the supervision of I.M.D. Little was titled "India's export performance, 1951–1960, export prospects and policy implications", and

12190-460: Was hailed as a significant milestone in relations between the two nations. Vajpayee and Clinton had wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, regional and international developments. The visit led to expansion in trade and economic ties between India and the United States. A vision document on the future course of Indo-U.S. relations was signed during the visit. Domestically, the BJP-led government

12305-839: Was in the Urdu medium, and even as prime minister years later, he wrote his apparently Hindi speeches in the Urdu script , although sometimes he would also use Gurmukhi , a script used to write Punjabi , his mother tongue. After the Partition of India , his family migrated to Haldwani , India. In 1948 they relocated to Amritsar , where he studied at Hindu College, Amritsar. He attended Panjab University , then in Hoshiarpur , Punjab, studying Economics and got his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1952 and 1954, respectively, standing first throughout his academic career. He completed his Economics Tripos at University of Cambridge in 1957. He

12420-545: Was influenced by the RSS, but owing to its dependence on coalition support, it was impossible for the BJP to push items like building the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, repealing Article 370 which gave a special status to the state of Kashmir, or enacting a uniform civil code applicable to adherents of all religions. On 17 January 2000, there were reports of the RSS and some BJP hard-liners threatening to restart

12535-655: Was initially tipped to be the Congress candidate. Instead, Madhavrao Scindia , scion of the Gwalior royal family , was brought in on the last day of filing nominations. Vajpayee lost to Scindia, managing to secure only 29% of the votes. Under Vajpayee, the BJP moderated the Hindu-nationalist position of the Jana Sangh, emphasising its connection to the Janata Party and expressing support for Gandhian Socialism . The ideological shift did not bring it success and Indira Gandhi's assassination generated sympathy for

12650-402: Was later the basis for his book "India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth". After completing his D.Phil., Singh returned to India. He was a senior lecturer of economics at Panjab University from 1957 to 1959. During 1959 and 1963, he served as a reader in economics at Panjab University, and from 1963 to 1965, he was an economics professor there. Then he went to work for

12765-614: Was president from 1968 to 1972. The BJS merged with several other parties to form the Janata Party , which won the 1977 general election . In March 1977, Vajpayee became the Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Morarji Desai . He resigned in 1979, and the Janata alliance collapsed soon after. Former members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh formed the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980, with Vajpayee its first president. During his tenure as prime minister , India carried out

12880-405: Was recaptured by India. Vajpayee sent a "secret letter" to U.S. President Bill Clinton that if Pakistani infiltrators did not withdraw from the Indian territory, "we will get them out, one way or the other". After Pakistan suffered heavy losses, and with both the United States and China refusing to condone the incursion or threaten India to stop its military operations, General Pervez Musharraf

12995-649: Was secretary general of the South Commission , an independent economic policy think tank headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland from 1987 to November 1990. Singh returned to India from Geneva in November 1990 and held the post as the advisor to Prime Minister of India on economic affairs during the tenure of Chandra Shekar . In March 1991, he became chairman of the University Grants Commission . In June 1991, India's prime minister at

13110-562: Was seen by many as a clean politician untouched by the taint of corruption that has run through many Indian administrations." He took the oath as the Prime Minister of India on 22 May 2004. In 1991, Singh, as Finance Minister, abolished the Licence Raj , source of slow economic growth and corruption in the Indian economy for decades. He liberalised the Indian economy, allowing it to speed up development dramatically. During his term as prime minister, Singh continued to encourage growth in

13225-531: Was sworn in as the new prime minister. Singh, along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi , former Presidents A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil , and Vice-President Hamid Ansari attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony . Later, Singh shifted to 3 Motilal Nehru Road, New Delhi. In 2016, it was announced that Singh was to take up a position at Panjab University as the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair, which he eventually did not. Singh retired from

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