An economist & former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dies at 92

PM Narendra Modi described Singh as one of the most distinguished leaders of India, other leaders cutting across party lines recalled his life and times

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
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New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reforms and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, breathed his last at 92.

Singh, the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi, was admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi on late Thursday after he fell unconscious at home. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 pm. But despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 pm. Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said.

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A politician, economist, academician and bureaucrat, Singh had served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. However, his image suffered a few bruises by allegations of corruption against his ministers.

As the finance minister, Singh helped India to tide over the country’s gravest financial crisis in 1991. Foreign reserves had almost depleted, inflation was high and the country teetered on the edge of default. In his maiden budget speech, Singh quoted Victor Hugo, announcing India’s path to economic liberalization: “India is now wide awake. We shall prevail. We shall overcome.”

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His policies dismantled the License Raj, opened the economy to foreign investments, and ushered in an era of globalization, privatization, and liberalization that forever changed the nation’s trajectory.

Singh was chosen to lead the nation as the Prime Minister in 2004 by then Congress president Sonia Gandhi after assassination of her husband and former PM Rajiv Gandhi. He was elected to a second term as prime minister from 2009-2014. 

However, his second stint was rocked by financial scandals and corruption charges, which included irregularities in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, coal scam, etc. As media houses virtually ran a campaign against him over allegations of scams, Singh had remarked “History will be kinder to me than the media” at his last press conference as the PM.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was then in the opposition, made good use of the allegations and voted the Congress party out in 2014 under the leadership of then Gujarat chief minister and hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi. Singh maintained a low profile after relinquishing the office of Prime Minister.

PM Modi refers Manmohan Singh as one of the most distinguished leaders

Describing Singh as one of the most distinguished leaders of India, Prime Minister Modi said that Singh rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in his post on X said: “Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji! With the passing of the Former Prime Minister, India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature. His policy of Economic Liberalisation and Rights-based welfare paradigm profoundly transformed the lives of crores of Indians, virtually creating a Middle Class in India and lifting crores out of poverty.” 

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