It is famously known that Dr. Manmohan Singh never had any political ambitions. He was a true technocrat, married to scholarly and intellectual pursuits. A product of scholarships, he developed his understanding of economics at prestigious foreign universities, such as the University of Cambridge and Oxford University. His past, and plenty, academic endeavours would go on to inform his work as a two-term prime minister. His lateral entry into politics makes for an unusual, yet fascinating, story.

A policymaker par excellence

After a brief stint at the United Nations in the 1960s, Dr. Singh took up the offer to join the faculty of Delhi School of Economics. His return to India would open several doors in policymaking.

In 1971, Dr. Singh joined the Government of India as an economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. Over the next few decades, he held a series of important government positions, including chief economic adviser, economic affairs secretary in the union finance ministry, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and more. By the time Dr. Manmohan Singh entered politics in an official capacity, he had gathered extensive experience in policy making.

The making of a politician

Dr. Manmohan Singh’s most significant contribution, of course, came as finance minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Narasimha Rao from 1991 and 1996 – a time when the country was facing an unprecedented economic crisis. His decisions marked a turning point in the economic history of independent India, setting it on the path to becoming a market economy. By the time he took over the Prime Minister’s Office in 2004, Dr. Manmohan Singh was already a distinguished political personality.

The Indo-US Nuclear Deal was one of the crowning glories of Dr. Singh’s first term. His leadership through the confidence motion in the parliament silenced his critics and established his status as a strong prime minister. During most of his tenure, the Indian economy also registered strong growth, even during the 2008 global economic recession which led to an economic slowdown the world over.

The development work done during Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure set the foundation for inclusive growth in the country. It culminated into three landmark Acts - Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) and the Right to Food Act. The most important governance reform, perhaps, was the Right To Information Act (RTI) which was no less than revolutionary in its scope.

The second term

Dr. Manmohan Singh’s second term, conversely, was marked by several scams and allegations of corruption. The 2G scam, the Commonwealth Games scandal and the coal block allocation scam led to policy paralysis which negatively impacted economic growth. Though the personal reputation of Dr. Manmohan Singh remained untarnished, he increasingly came to be seen as a leader who failed to check growing corruption in his cabinet. Further, the UPA-II government was marked by increased inflation and fiscal irresponsibility. It seemed like much that had been gained in his first term was undone by his second term. Dr. Manmohan Singh stepped down as prime minister in 2014 with a mixed legacy behind him.

A man of few words, Dr. Manmohan Singh preferred to let his work speak for himself. The book ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ provides an inside look at the happenings of UPA-I under his leadership. Written by his then media adviser, Sanjaya Baru, the book charts the rise of the ‘accidental’ prime minister and explores how he navigated his first term. The bestseller went on to be adapted into a film of the same name.

Directed by Vijay Ratnakar Gutte, the film stars an empathic Anupam Kher as Dr. Manmohan Singh, the impactful Akshaye Khanna as Sanjaya Baru, Suzanne Bernert as Sonia Gandhi, Arjun Mathur as Rahul Gandhi and Ahana Kumra as Priyanka Gandhi. You can catch the World Television Premiere of The Accidental Prime Minister on Saturday, 8th June, at 8PM only on &Pictures.

This article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of &Pictures and not by the Scroll editorial team.