On May 22, 2004, Dr. Manmohan Singh, clad in his signature white kurta-pyjama and blue turban, was sworn in as India's 14th Prime Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. This moment was a political surprise, as Sonia Gandhi, despite leading the Congress-led UPA coalition to victory, chose not to assume the role due to political resistance and personal reasons. Instead, she stepped aside in favor of Dr. Singh, a respected economist with no mass political base.

Dr. Singh’s rise to power was seen as an unexpected turn, as he was viewed as a technocrat rather than a political leader. His government, however, achieved significant milestones, such as launching the Right to Information Act (RTI), the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), and the Right to Education (RTE). While praised for these reforms, Dr. Singh’s tenure was also marred by controversies, notably the 2008 Indo-US nuclear deal and a narrow survival of a trust vote after the Left parties withdrew support.

Although labeled the "Accidental Prime Minister," his decade in power was marked by efforts to strengthen India’s global position and improve its economic standing. Despite the controversies, Dr. Singh's leadership was largely defined by his quiet and dignified approach to governance. His government ultimately lost power in 2014 to Narendra Modi’s BJP, but Dr. Singh exited public life with grace, believing history would judge him more favorably than his contemporaries.