Manmohan Singh had qualities, he did not believe in NEPOTISM at least at a personal level :::::: "...India can only wait to see if Manmohan Singh can rouse himself, let alone prevail or overcome" - Time magazine 2012

Here it is - came an observation from a retired official. 

"So (referring to Dr Manmohan Singh's stint) what matters is not the ‘chair’ you occupy but how you occupy the ‘chair’ !!

And the gentleman put out a smiley leaving me to do all the interpretation. 

Here too, one feels like going back to 'Time' magazine and its famous 2012 article -- 

"..... Singh's "squeaky-clean image" took a hit when anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare levelled charges at Singh and more than a dozen of his ministers over the alleged misallocation of coal-mining rights.

India's "battered economy" is another menacing concern for Singh, Time said.

"In a bid to cushion the pain of inflation and keep constituents happy ahead of ever looming elections, the UPA has been burning through its boom-time chests, spending on subsidies and social benefits. But business-friendly laws that could spur growth to offset that spending are languishing, and industry is struggling," it said.

Given the bleak economic situation, industry leaders are demanding a host of bold reforms, such as an end to expensive subsidies, deregulation of diesel prices and resumption of a law to allow multi-brand retailers like Walmart into India, the magazine said.

Singh has said that the government owes it to the country to take all the "necessary decisions which would return the country to a high-growth path," it said.

Time said Singh has joined the public soul-searching belatedly, and the electorate will let him know what it thinks of his performance in general elections scheduled for 2014.

"...India can only wait to see if Singh can rouse himself, let alone prevail or overcome," it said.

In 2024 one can safely say - it was a 'weak' and 'indecisive' Manmohan Singh that created ground for "56-inch" chest Namo.   

On April 24, 2014, the day country went for 6th phase of polls, the Food Ministry-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) had floated a tender inviting bids to meet the working capital expenditures.

In 2013-14, the government had provided Rs 75,500.02 crore as subsidy to FCI, while subsidy incurred during the year was at Rs 1,03,791.85 crore. The total subsidy arrears, including arrears carried over from the previous years amounted to about Rs 50,000 crore. 

Thanks to hurriedly brought in Food Security Act, the subsidy burden had gone up throwing financial management into disarray. On the other hand, former president of business chamber FICCI, Rajya Vardhan Kanoria said people and industry thought that under Modi’s focused approach, Gujarat could successfully attract investment. 

Then came the constant 12-year-old lambasting of Narendra Modi for the 2002 mayhem. This perhaps angered a large section of Hindu elites and middle class who sympathized with the then Gujarat chief minister. 

People may compare Dr Manmohan Singh with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam easily and may quickly also hasten to add Kalam did not sacrifice his own principles.  My friend analysis on this score has been pretty good:

"Dr Abdul Kalam and Dr Manmohan Singh were two great sons of Bharat who did not choose western world as their karma Bhumi but history will judge them differently for the manner in which they carried the post with them".   

Of course there is an anecdote but a vital one.  Dr Singh's "relative" was in a key Government agency.

But the gentleman too had no airs about him even if his father in law was the Prime Minister of India. 

There is another point, that 'officer' did not rise much in the organisation.

Well, that only showed Manmohan Singh did not believe in favouritism at least at a personal level.  

These may bring us back to the Time magazine .. and what it had said -- 

"India needs a reboot. Is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh up to the job?" 

 

ends