Sluggish Start for India's Leader ; after a Year in Office, Reformer Manmohan Singh Has Been Unable to Push the Economy to New Heights

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When Manmohan Singh came to office as India's prime minister a year ago, there were high expectations that this architect of the recent boom times would be able to engineer even greater economic miracles. Surely, the former finance minister who first opened India's economy would sweep away bad regulations, invite more foreign investment, and turn the elephantine Indian economy into a racehorse. Or so the thinking went.

Today, some observers say, Mr. Singh's greatest achievement may be simply staying in office.

Surrounded by leftist coalition supporters who oppose almost every economic reform, and right-wing opposition parties who refuse even to attend parliament, …