Health, education did not keep up with economic progress: Manmohan on 30th anniversary of liberalisation

On the 30th anniversary of economic reforms initiated by his government, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh voiced anguish over the "devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the loss of millions of fellow Indians."

"The social sectors of health and education have lagged behind and not kept pace with our economic progress. Too many lives and livelihoods have been lost that should not have been," Singh said while flagging that the road ahead on economic prosperity is even more daunting than during the 1991 economic crisis and the nation would need to recalibrate its priorities to ensure a dignified life for all Indians.

The economic liberalisation process in 1991 was triggered by an economic crisis that confronted our nation then, but it was not limited to crisis management. The edifice of India's economic reforms was built on the desire to prosper, the belief in our capabilities, and the confidence to relinquish control of the economy by the government, Singh said.

"Over the last three decades, successive governments have followed this path to catapult the nation to a $3 trillion economy and into the league of the world's largest economies. More importantly, nearly 300 million fellow Indians have been lifted out of poverty in this period and hundreds of millions of new jobs have been provided for the youth," the former PM said.

He insisted that the reforms process had unleashed the spirit of free enterprise which has helped produce world-class companies and help India emerge as a global power in many sectors.

Singh said he was fortunate to play a role in this reform process along with several of his colleagues in the Congress party.