Manmohan’s memoirs? Well, not yet…

He has just completed 200 days out of office, but former prime minister Manmohan Singh keeps himself perhaps as busy as he was when in power, attending parliament for half-a-day daily, meeting people and attending party meetings. And he hasn't yet decided on writing his memoirs, at least not yet.

No, he also isn't troubled by a court direction that he be quizzed on the coal blocks issue as he had anyway offered to be questioned by the CBI, say aides.

Manmohan Singh, India's 13th prime minister, was known to be a workaholic, keeping a punishing schedule despite his age and his heart condition.

And he continues to keeps himself as busy now after a decade at the head of a Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

And he has refused to give interviews, an aide said. "He sticks to his daily schedule; only now he starts a little later everyday and retires a little early," the aide said, declining to be named. A member of the Rajya Sabha, Manmohan Singh rarely misses a day in Parliament.

The 82-year-old Dr Singh stepped down in May when the Modi government took over after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the Lok Sabha polls.

He is not fazed by a trial court directing the Central Bureau of Investigation to examine him in a coal block allocation scandal during his tenure that is being probed for alleged corruption.

The aide was dismissive about the court direction, saying there was "nothing new in it" and Singh had always offered himself for questioning in the matter. The former prime minister held the coal portfolio for some time in UPA-I.

The aide also denied reports that Manmohan Singh is writing his memoirs. "He is not writing any book now. He has not made up his mind."

India’s first Sikh prime minister is known for his understated manners and quiet gravitas, has always kept away from flamboyance and is camera shy.

After undergoing a coronary bypass in 2009, he is careful about his diet and health. He keeps to his daily routine of walks and exercises to keep fit and meets people who call on him.

As a member of the CWC, the party's highest decision-making body, Manmohan Singh attends all meetings. Though he keeps away from publicity events, he recently appeared on an Aap ki Adalat show on India TV and spoke with a degree of clarity and passion on several issues, including the telecom and coal scandals.

By: Ranjana Narayan