Montek Singh Ahluwalia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Montek Singh Ahluwalia
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission
In office 6 July 2004 – 26 May 2014
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	K.C. Pant
Succeeded by	Post abolished Arvind Panagariya as Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog
Personal details
Born	(1943-11-24) 24 November 1943 (age 81) Rawalpindi, Punjab Province, British India (modern-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Spouse	Isher Judge Ahluwalia (until her death in 2020)
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Delhi (B.A.) University of Oxford (M.A., M.Phil.)
Profession	Economist Civil servant

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, born on November 24, 1943, is a well-known Indian economist. He is also a civil servant, meaning he worked for the government. He held a very important job as the Deputy Chairman of India's Planning Commission. This role was like being a Cabinet Minister. He left this position in May 2014. Before that, he was the first director of a special office at the International Monetary Fund.

Growing Up and Learning

Montek Singh Ahluwalia was born in Rawalpindi in 1943. His father, Jagmohan Singh, worked in the Defence Accounts Department. His mother's name was Pushp Kaur.

He went to school at St. Patrick's High School, Secunderabad and Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. Later, he earned a B.A. degree from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, which is part of the University of Delhi.

He then received a special scholarship called the Rhodes scholarship. This allowed him to study at the University of Oxford in England. He earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree there. While at Oxford, he was even the president of the Oxford Union, a famous debating society.

Mr. Ahluwalia has also received several honorary degrees. These are special awards from universities. For example, he got an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree from Oxford University. He is also an Honorary Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford.

His Important Work

After finishing his studies at Oxford, Mr. Ahluwalia started working at the World Bank in 1968. He was very young, just 28, when he became a "Division Chief." This made him one of the youngest people to hold such a high position there. He was in charge of a division that looked at how income was shared among people.

In 1979, he returned to India. He became an Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance. Over the years, he held many important government jobs. These included Special Secretary to the Prime Minister and Finance Secretary.

In 1998, he became a Member of the Planning Commission. Then, in 2001, he was chosen to lead a new office at the International Monetary Fund. This office checked how well the IMF was working.

In June 2004, he came back to India to become the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. In this role, he helped create two important plans for India's growth. These were the Eleventh Plan (2007–2012) and the Twelfth Plan (2012–2017). These plans aimed for faster and more inclusive growth for the country.

Mr. Ahluwalia has written many articles about India's economy. He also helped write a book called "Redistribution with Growth" in 1974. His writings often discuss India's economic changes and how to make growth fair for everyone.

In February 2020, he published his own book. It is called Backstage: The Story Behind India’s High Growth Years. The book shares his personal thoughts and India's economic history. It also includes his ideas on important topics like education and energy.

Today, he is a Distinguished Fellow at a research center in New Delhi. In June 2021, he was also chosen for a special advisory group. This group was formed by the IMF and World Bank to help with challenges like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

About His Family

Montek Singh Ahluwalia was married to Isher Judge Ahluwalia. She was also a well-known economist. They had two sons, Pawan Ahluwalia and Aman Ahluwalia.

Awards and Special Recognitions

The President Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award to Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, at an Investiture Ceremony II, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 01, 2011

In 2011, Mr. Ahluwalia received the Padma Vibhushan. This is India's second-highest award for civilians. The President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil, presented him with this honor for his public service.

He has also received other special honors from universities: