Pranab Mukherjee (1935-2020): Career highlights as 2-time EAM, FM & 'Citizen' President

As former President Dr. Pranab Mukherjee passes away at 84 on Monday, he leaves behind a rich leagcy with his stint as India's finance, commerce, defence minister, India's President and veteran Congress leader has man. Known to be close to late former PM Indira Gandhi, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha first in 1969 and then subsequently in 1975, 1981, 1993 and 1999. While he was a thorough Congressman serving in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for 23 years, his multiple stints as Finance minister ushered several major economic reforms boosting the Indian economy. The 84-year-old veteran politician, who had tested positive for COVID-19, passed away 21 days after being put in a coma post a successful brain surgery at Army Hospital (R&R) in New Delhi.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away at 84 in Delhi's Army Hospital (R&R)

Here are his career highlights:

Finance Minister stints

• 1982

In his first stint as Finance Minister in 1982, when he was 47 -  India’s youngest finance minister, he had turned India's strongest recession (-5.2%) to average growth of 5.7%. He banished populist reforms of the 'Garibi Hatao' years, by tightening public expenditures, greater efficiency of the state-owned enterprises (SOE) and stimulating private sector companies through deregulation and liberalisation. Launching 'Operation Forward' in 1982, he boosted Indian economic reforms leading to repayment of the government's loan of $5.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November 1981 to manage its balance of payments situation. 

He was rated one of the best five Finance Ministers of the world in 1984 according to a survey conducted by the "Euro Money" Journal. In 1982, Dr. Manomohan Singh was the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, reporting to Mukherjee - building a working relationship with the veteran economist.

• 2009

When the roles were reversed in 2004 in the UPA-1 & 2 governments under then-PM Dr. Singh, Mukherjee was one of the most powerful ministers heading close to 90 groups of ministers and deciding on important policy matters. Being made Finance Minister again in 2009, he inherited an economic crisis, growth plummeting, and the problem of fiscal and current account deficits. His most notable decision in 2009 was his amendment in the direct taxes law that would allow the government to tax overseas companies on their share transactions involving companies with substantial and operating assets within the Indian jurisdiction. While he had major differences with then RBI governor  D. Subbarao on the question of the role and functions of the RBI, he passed several key reforms and laid the foundation for India's two economic reforms - the Direct Taxes Code and the Goods and Services Tax. He was also declared 'Finance Minister of the year' for Asia in 2010 by "Emerging Markets", the journal of record for the World Bank and the IMF.

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13th President (2012-2017)

Known as the Citizen's President, he did away with the use of 'His Excellency' used to address the president, encouraging Governors to do the same. During his tenure as President, he promulgated 26 ordinances, commuted four mercy petitions and rejected 30. In his last two years as President, he held classes at a school within the premises of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to teach students the history of Indian politics and spoke bout the rising menace of terrorism in the country and outside.

Launching the  Rashtrapati Bhavan's Twitter account in 2014, he also opened up three tourist circuits - Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mughal Gardens, and Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum in 2016.  Boosting several welfare activities - he launched 4S initiatives like 'Sanskriti', 'Samagam', 'Sparsh', and 'Sanskar'. He also launched the 'E-Pustakalaya' project for barcoding and cataloguing of books in the Rashtrapati Museum and converted a dilapidated building due for demolition in the  President's Estate to Pranab Mukherjee Public Library in 2013.

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Break away from Congress

While he was a close aide of late former PM Indira Gandhi, sticking with her through the Emergency era, he fell out with the Congress post her assassination in 1984. Her son Rajive Gandhi, he succeeded her sidelined Mukherjee after rumours spread that he was eyeing the post of PM. He was subsequently dropped as Cabinet minister, which led him to loat his own party, the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress. The party was short-lived and was merged with the Congress in 1989.

Stint on Board of governors

He has served on the Board of Governors of the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank. He has led the Indian delegations to the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' Conferences in 1982, 1983 and 1984; the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, 1995, 2005 and 2006, the Conference of Commonwealth Heads of Government at Auckland in 1995, the Non-Aligned Foreign Minister's Conference at Cartagena in 1995 and the Conference to mark the 40th anniversary of the Afro -Asian Conference in Bandung in 1995.

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Other highlights

• As External Affairs minister (2006-2009), he played a key rule in the signing of the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement in October 2008, garnering support for the deal from all parties in the UPA coalition due to his widespread respect across party lines. He has described it as his 'most satisfying moment as EAM'.
• Apart from being a marked orator, Dr Mukherjee has authored several books on the Indian Economy and on Nation Building. Prior to being awarded the Bharat Ratna, many awards and honours conferred on him include India's second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhusan in 2008, the Best Parliamentarian Award in 1997, and the Best Administrator in India Award in 2011.
• In 2018, after he had vacated Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mukherjee attended an RSS event as chief guest, a move criticized by many in his party, including his daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away at 84 in Delhi's Army Hospital (R&R)