Dr Manmohan Singh, veteran Congress leader and former prime minister who ran a coalition government between 2004-2014, turns 88 today.

Before he became the prime minister, his brightest moment was ushering in the 1991 economic reforms under the Narasimha Rao government. He was Rao’s finance minister.

The 1991 Budget is feted by many as one that laid the foundations of a modern India and the roadmap for pushing economic reforms in the country. However, Singh never stopped to share the credit with his boss PV Narasimha Rao.

“It was a hard choice and a bold decision and it was possible because Prime Minister Narasimha Rao gave me the freedom to roll out things, after he fully understood what was ailing India’s economy at that time,” Singh, who has also been held the post of the RBI Governor during his celebrated career, was quoted as saying by the PTI at Rao’ centenary celebrations.

Here’s everything you need to know about one of Congress’ greatest stalwarts

— Singh was born on September 26, 1932 in the Punjab province of Pakistan before the partition of India.

–He studied at the Panjab University, University of Cambridge and obtained his doctorate in economics from the University of Oxford. He later taught at the Panjab University as well as Delhi School of Economics, and the University of Delhi.

–Dr. Manmohan Singh served as the 13th Prime Minister of India between 2004 and 2014 after the UPA defeated the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. The economist served as the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004.

–The Indian economist also served as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from 1982 to 1985.

— Singh has held several key posts including the chief economic advisor between 1972 and 1976 while was the head of the Planning Commission from 1985 to 1987.

— Dr. Singh also worked with the United Nations twice, once from 1966 – 1969, as economic affairs officer for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). His second stint in the UN from 1987 to 1990 was as the secretary general of the South Commission, which is an intergovernmental organisation of developing economies.

–He is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan.