When Manmohan Singh thought announcement of him becoming Cabinet minister in Rao government was a joke
India TV NewsManmohan SIngh passes away: Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died on Thursday at the age of 92 at AIIMs, Delhi. While Singh will be remembered for his historic 1991 reforms, which rescued India from near bankruptcy, he will also be known for redefining India's trajectory as a rising global power. UPDATES However, not many know that the former finance minister in the then PV Narasimha Rao government at the Centre had initially thought that the announcement of his becoming the Cabinet minister was a joke. Manmohan Singh had to literally face a trial-by-fire to ensure widespread acceptance of his path-breaking Union Budget of 1991 that saw the nation rise from its darkest financial crises. How Manmohan defended the landmark 1991 Union Budget Singh made an unscheduled appearance at the press conference on July 25, 1991, a day after the presentation of the Union Budget "to ensure that the message of his budget did not get distorted by less-than-enthusiastic officials", a Congress leader writes in his book 'To the Brink and Back: India's 1991 Story' that recounts the fast-paced changes that took place after Rao became the prime minister in June 1991.