Editing V. P. Singh (section)

==Ministries under Central Government==
Singh has been on the list as one of the senior-most and most powerful leaders of the [[Indian National Congress]] and has held many important ministry positions such as [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Defence]], [[External Affairs]] and [[Ministry of Finance (India)|Finance]].{{Efn|Vishwanath Singh, was one of the most trusted and noble member of [[Indian National Congress]], under the [[Indira Gandhi]] and [[Rajiv Gandhi]] holding important ministries in the central government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/v-p-singh-changed-indias-political-course-through-quota/639058|title=V P Singh Changed India's Political Course Through Quota|date=2008-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219063159/https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/v-p-singh-changed-indias-political-course-through-quota/639058|archive-date=2020-12-19|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Outline.com}}</ref>|name=|group=upper-alpha}}

=== Minister of Finance (1984–1987) ===
He was called to New Delhi following [[Rajiv Gandhi|Rajiv Gandhi's]] mandate in the [[1984 Indian general election|1984 general election]]. Singh was appointed to the post of [[Minister of Finance (India)|Finance Minister]] in the [[Tenth cabinet of India 1984|tenth Cabinet of India]], where he oversaw the gradual relaxation of the [[License Raj]] (governmental regulation) as Gandhi had in mind.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Singh|first=Hemant|date=2020-06-03|title=List of Finance Ministers of India|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/list-of-finance-ministers-of-india-1473760031-1|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Jagranjosh.com}}</ref> During his term as Finance Minister, he oversaw the reduction of gold smuggling by reducing gold taxes and giving the police a portion of the confiscated gold.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-14|title=Finance Ministers who shaped India's economy – Pillars of Indian economy|url=https://economictimes.Indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance-ministers-who-shaped-indias-economy/pranab-mukherjee-1982-1984/slideshow/67522259.cms|access-date=2020-10-29|website=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref> He also gave extraordinary powers to the [[Enforcement Directorate]] of the Finance Ministry, the wing of the ministry charged with tracking down tax evaders, then headed by Bhure Lal. Singh's efforts to reduce government regulation of business and to prosecute tax fraud attracted widespread praise.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5y8mAAAAMAAJ&q=Parliamentary+debates|title=Parliamentary Debates|date=1985|publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Kk1PAQAAMAAJ&dq=Vp+Singh+as+Minister+of+Commerce&pg=RA1-PA105 105]|language=en}}</ref>

Following a number of high-profile raids on suspected evaders&nbsp;{{ndash}} including [[Dhirubhai Ambani]] and [[Amitabh Bachchan]]&nbsp;– Gandhi was forced to sack him as Finance Minister, possibly because many of the raids were conducted on industrialists who had supported the Congress financially in the past.<ref>In May 1985, Singh suddenly removed the import of [[Terephthalic acid|Purified Terephthalic Acid]] (PTA) from the Open General License category. As a raw material, this was very important to manufacture polyester filament yarn. This made it very difficult for Reliance Industries under [[Dhirubhai Ambani]] to carry on operations. Reliance was able to secure, from various financial institutions, letters of credit that would allow it to import almost one full year’s requirement of PTA on the eve of the issuance of the government notification changing the category under which PTA could be imported.</ref> However, Singh's popularity was at such a pitch that only a sideways move seemed to have been possible, to the Defence Ministry (in January 1987).<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/02/business/in-india-economic-gains-and-new-perils.html?scp=182&sq=%22v%20p%20singh%22&st=cse In India, economic gains and new perils]. ''The New York Times''. (2 March 1987). Retrieved 14 September 2011.</ref> Then he succeeded his position to [[Rajiv Gandhi]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=India – V.P. Singh's coalition—its brief rise and fall|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/India|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030103945/https://www.britannica.com/place/India|archive-date=30 October 2020|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

=== Minister of Defence (1987) ===
In the year 1987, Singh was appointed on the position of [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Defence Minister of India]] for the first time but only for a period less than 3 months from 24 January 1987 to 12 April 1987. He was at that time preceded by [[Rajiv Gandhi]] and succeeded in his position by [[Krishna Chandra Pant]]. At that time due to his non-corrupt image, he was also called 'Mr. Clean'.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Mr Clean VP singh |url=https://pragmaticideas.wordpress.com/tag/mr-clean-vp-singh/|access-date=15 September 2020|website=Realistic News|language=en}}</ref> He was not able to do any good work for Defence due to holding the position for such a short time. But his biggest work was in the import of [[Bofors]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Contact Us – IndiaInfoline|url=https://www.indiainfoline.com/contactus|access-date=15 September 2020|website=www.indiainfoline.com|language=en}}</ref> Once ensconced in South Block, Singh began to investigate the notoriously murky world of defence procurement. After a while, word began to spread that Singh possessed information about the [[Bofors scandal|Bofors]] defence deal (the infamous arms-procurement fraud) that could damage Gandhi's reputation.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/23/world/indian-government-lodges-first-charges-in-weapons-scandal.html?scp=57&sq=%22v%20p%20singh%22&st=cse Indian Government Lodges First Charges In Weapons Scandal]. ''The New York Times''. (23 January 1990). Retrieved 14 September 2011.</ref> Before he could act on it, he was dismissed from the Cabinet and, in response, resigned his memberships in the Congress Party (Indira) and the Lok Sabha.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/24/world/turmoil-and-a-scandal-take-a-toll-on-gandhi.html?scp=199&sq=%22v%20p%20singh%22&st=cse Turmoil and a Scandal Take a Toll on Gandhi]. ''The New York Times''. (24 August 1987). Retrieved 14 September 2011.</ref> The deal of Bofors also played a very crucial role in making of his [[Prime Minister of India]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=Dilip|first1=M.|date=2019-11-27|title=It's a puzzle why VP Singh was never accepted by OBCs even after Mandal Commission|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/v-p-singh-the-unsung-hero-who-was-hated-by-upper-castes-dumped-by-obcs/327230/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=[[ThePrint]]|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002152537/https://theprint.in/opinion/v-p-singh-the-unsung-hero-who-was-hated-by-upper-castes-dumped-by-obcs/327230/|archive-date=2 October 2020}}</ref>

=== Minister of External Affairs (1989) ===
He was appointed as the 16th [[Minister of External Affairs (India)|Minister of External Affairs of India]] and remained in the position for another very short period of just 3 days from 2 December 1989 to 5 December 1989. He was succeeded by [[Inder Kumar Gujral]] for the position.<ref>{{Cite book|last=BRASS|first=PAUL R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J5ZRzQEACAAJ|title=An Indian Political Life: Charan Singh and Congress Politics, 1967 To 1987|date=2014|publisher=Sage Publications India Pvt Limited-Eng|isbn=978-93-5328-895-2|language=en}}</ref>