RIP Manmohan Singh: A look at the former PM's CV

From a PhD and an Economic Tripos to serving as Finance Minister and then Prime Minister, the late Dr Manmohan Singh as an envious CV.

With the country mourning the death of the former prime minister, who breathed his last late night on December 26, let's take a look at his Curriculum Vitae.

Personal details

Dr Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932.

He was the son of Shri Gurmukh Singh.

He got married in 1958 to Smt. Gursharan Kaur.

He is survived by his three daughters.

Education

Dr Singh holds :

- A PhD which he received in 1962 from Nuffield College, University of Oxford, on the topic - India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth.

- An Economic Tripos [First Class honours] from the University of Cambridge which he received in 1957.

- A Master of Arts in Economics from Panjab University which he received in 1954, passing with First Class and finishing in first position in the University.

- A Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Hons.) from Panjab University which he received in 1952 passing with Second Class and in the first position in the University.

He completed his Intermediate from Panjab University in 1950 achieving First Class and finishing first position in the University, and finished his Matriculation from Panjab University, achieving First class.

He is also a recipient of Honorary Degrees of D.Litt from :

• Panjab University, Chandigarh

• Guru Nanak University, Amritsar

• Delhi University, Delhi

• Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi

• University of Bologna, Italy

• University of Mysore, Mysore

• Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar (D.Sc)

• Kurukshetra University Thapar

• Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala (D.Sc)

• Nagarjuna University, Nagarjunanagar

• Osmania University, Hyderabad

• University of Roorkee, Roorkee (Doctor of Social Sciences)

• Doctor of Laws by the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

• Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University (formerly Agra University) Doctor Letters degree

• Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (Deemed University) D.Sc. (Honoris Causa)

• Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur

Acheivements and Awards

The former prime minister:

- Was conferred Annasaheb Chirmule Award by the W.LG. alias Annasaheb Chirmule Trust setup by United Western Bank Limited, Satara, Maharashtra in 2000.

- Received H.H. Kanchi Sri Paramacharya Award for Excellence from Shri R. Venkataraman, former President of India and Patron, The Centenarian Trust in 1999.

- Was made a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi in 1999.

- Was conferred Lokmanya Tilak Award by the Tilak Smarak Trust, Pune in 1997.

- Received Justice K.S. Hegde Foundation Award for the year 1996 in 1997

- Was awarded Nikkei Asia prize for Regional Growth by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc. (NIKKEI), publisher of Japan’s leading business daily in 1997

- Was made an Honorary Professor, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi in 1996

- Was given the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress Association for 1994-95

- Was awarded the Asiamoney Award, Finance Minister of the Year in 1994

- Was elected Distinguished Fellow, London School of Economics, Centre for Asia Economy, Politics and Society in 1994

- Was elected Honorary Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK in 1994

- Was made an Honorary Fellow, All India Management Association in 1994

- Was awarded the Euromoney Award, Finance Minister of the year in 1993

- Was awarded the Asiamoney Award, Finance Minister of the Year in 1993

- Was conferred the Padma Vibhushan Award by the President of India in 1987

- Was made a National Fellow, National Institute of Education, NCERT in 1986

- Was elected President, Indian Economic Association in 1982

- Was elected Honorary Fellow, St. John’s College, Cambridge in 1985

- Was elected Honorary Fellow, Indian Institute of Bankers in 1982

- Was made an Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in 1976

- Was elected Wrenbury Scholar, University of Cambridge, UK in 1957

- Was awarded Wright’s Prize for Distinguished Performance, & St. John’s college, Cambridge, UK in 1955

- Was awarded Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge, UK in 1956

- Was awarded the Uttar Chand Kapur Medal, Panjab University, for standing first in M.A.(Economics), Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1954

- Was conferred the University Medal for standing First in B.A. Hon.(Economics), Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1953

Work Experience

Dr. Manmohan Singh:

• Served as Senior Lecturer in Economics from 1957-59, then as Reader in Economics from 1959 - 63 and finally as Professor of Economics from 1963-65 at Panjab University, Chandigarh.

• Served as Economic Affairs Officer and then Chief, Financing for Trade Section in UNCTAD, United Nations Secretariat, New York from 1966 – 1969

• Served as Professor of International Trade, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University, India from 1969 – 1971.

• Served as Economic Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Trade, India from 1971-72

• Served as Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance, India from 1972-76

• Served as Member [Finance], Space Commission, Govt. of India, then Member [Finance], Atomic Energy Commission, Govt. of India then Secretary, Ministry of Finance Dept. of Economic Affairs, Government of India from 1976 to 1980.

• Served as Member-Secretary, Planning Commission, India from 1980-82

• Served as Governor, RBI from 1982-85

• Served as Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission of India in 1985-87

• Served as Secretary General and Commissioner, South Commission from 1987 - 1990

• Served as Advisor to Prime Minister of India on Economic Affairs from 1990 to 1991

• Served as Chairman, University Grants Commission from March 1991 to June 1991

• Was elected Member of Rajya Sabha in September, 1991

• Was re-elected Member of Rajya Sabha for a term of six years in 1995

• Served as Finance Minister of India from 1991 to 1996

• Served as Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, Rajya Sabha from 1996-1997

• Was re-elected as member of Rajya Sabha for a Term of six years in 2001

• Was appointed as Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha (Council of States) Parliament of India from 1998 to 2004.

• Served as Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014.

• Retired from the Rajya Sabha in April 2024.

An old CV of Dr Manmohan Singh from Vishva Bharati

His other assignments included serving as:

• Leader of the Indian delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Cyprus (1993)

• Leader of the Indian delegation to the Human Rights World Conference, Vienna (1993)

• Governor of India on the Board of Governors of the IMF and the International Bank of Reconstruction & Development (1991-95)

• Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (1983-84)

• Chairman, India Committee of the Indo-Japan Joint Study Committee (1980-83)

He also served as Leader of Indian Delegations to :

• Indo-Soviet Monitoring Group Meeting (1982)

• Indo-Soviet Joint Planning Group Meeting (1980-82)

• Aid India Consortium Meetings (1977-79)

Further, he was a member of Indian Delegations to :

• South-South Consultation, New Delhi (1982)

• Cancun Summit on North-South Issues (1981)

• Aid-India Consortium Meetings, Paris (1973-79)

• Annual Meetings of IMF, IBRD & Commonwealth Finance Ministers (1972-79)

• Third Session of UNCTAD, Santiago (April-May 1972)

• Meetings of UNCTAD Trade & Development Board, Geneva (May 1971 – July 1972)

• Ministerial Meeting of Group of 77, Lima (Oct.1971)

Besides these roles, he was also:

• Deputy for India on IMF Committee of Twenty on International Monetary Reform (1972 – 74)

• Associate, Meetings of IMF Interim Committee and Joint Fund-Bank Development Committee (1976-80,1982-85)

• Alternate Governor for India, Board of Governors of IBRD (1976-80)

• Alternate Governor for India, Board of Governors of the IMF (1982-85)

• Alternate Governor for India, Board of Governors, Asian Development Bank, Manila (1976-80)

• Director, Reserve Bank of India (1976-80)

• Director, Industrial Development Bank of India (1976-80)

Other achievements

• Participated in Commonwealth Prime Ministers Meeting, Kingston (1975)

• Represented Secretary;- General UNCTAD at several inter-governmental meetings including Second Session of UNCTAD, 1968, and Committee on Invisibles & Financing Related to Trade, Consultant to UNCTAD, ESCAP and Commonwealth Secretariat

• Was appointed as Member by the Secretary-General, United Nations of a Group of Eminent Persons to advise him on Financing for Development (December, 2000)