PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi greet former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh on his birthday on Wednesday. Dr Singh was born in Gah in undivided Punjab on September 26, 1932.

"Greetings to our former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji on his birthday," Modi tweeted. "I pray for Dr. Singh’s long life and good health."

A noted economist, Singh was the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 during UPA rule.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh were also among those who wished the former prime minister on his 86th birthday. 

"Manmohan Singh Ji’s birthday is an opportunity for us to appreciate and remember his many years of selfless service and dedication to the cause of nation building," Mr Gandhi tweeted. 

"I wish him a very Happy Birthday and good health and happiness always," he said. 

"Birthday greetings and good wishes to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh ji. May he be blessed with good health and long life," Rajnath Singh said in a tweet. 

Singh was the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.

Born in Gah (now in Punjab, Pakistan), Singh's family migrated to India during its partition in 1947.

After obtaining his doctorate in economics from Oxford, Singh worked for the United Nations from 1966 to 1969.

He subsequently began his bureaucratic career when Lalit Narayan Mishra hired him as an advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Singh held several key posts in the Government of India, such as Chief Economic Advisor (1972–76), Reserve Bank governor (1982–85) and Planning Commission head (1985–87).

His political career began in 1991 when he was appointed as the country's Finance Minister under late Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. 

He is credited with the "liberalisation and privatisation" of the Indian economy as the Finance Minister.