Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, had to literally face a trial-by-fire to ensure widespread acceptance of his path-breaking Union Budget of 1991 that saw the nation rise from its darkest financial crises.

Singh, the newly-appointed finance minister in the P V Narasimha Rao-led government, did it with great elan -- from facing journalists at a post-budget press conference and irate Congress leaders at the parliamentary party meeting who were unable to digest the wide-ranging reforms.