Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, infamously dubbed the “architect of India’s economic reforms”, passed away on December 26, at the age of 92. Having served two consecutive terms, the Oxford graduate introduced multiple reforms that ameliorated the Indian economy. Take a look at a few:
With the aim of increasing employment for the underprivileged, the MGNREGA was established in 2005 to provide those living in rural areas with at least 100 days of work per year to one member of a family. According to the Indian Human Development Survey, the program prevented 14 million people from falling below the poverty line
The NHRM, launched in 2005, and now called the National Health Mission, was an initiative undertaken by Singh to provide healthcare for the underprivileged by creating community-owned clinics. This initiative gave the rural community the upper hand to combat various air- and water-borne diseases and also led to a noticeable reduction in the Infant Mortality Rate
The RTI took over the Freedom of Information Act, 2000 (which only applied to government bodies), and gave the people of India the power to request information from any government body and establishment, expecting a prompt reply within 30 days
Eager to grow future leaders of India, Singh implemented the Right to Education Act, 2009. to ensure free and compulsory education for children aged between 6-14. According to NSSO data, the school attendance rate for boys rose from 80% in 1999-2000 to 95% in 2009-2010, while for girls it increased from 69% in 1999-2000 to 92% in 2009-2010
Though the Aadhaar card was implemented under the rule of current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the idea's genesis came in 2009. The UIDAI aims to provide unique identification for every citizen of India, simplifying individual documentation while also driving a swift transformation towards e-governance