New Delhi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92 at AIIMS Delhi on Thursday evening. Mr Singh was rushed to the hospital’s emergency ward and admitted to the ICU after facing difficulty in breathing due to a lung infection.
A stalwart of Indian politics and governance, Manmohan Singh leaves behind a legacy of statesmanship and reforms he brought from 1991 to 1996 as the Finance Minister that ushered in a new era of liberal Indian economy.
Rightly acclaimed as a thinker and a scholar. He is well regarded for his diligence and his academic approach to work, as well as his accessibility and his unassuming demeanour. He served as India’s fourteenth prime minister from 2004 to 2014 during the UPA regime.
Manmohan Singh’s life journey and role in Indian governance
Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in a village in Punjab province, undivided India. He completed his Matriculation from Punjab University in 1948. His academic journey led him to the University of Cambridge in the UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1957.
In 1962, Dr. Singh obtained a D. Phil in Economics from Nuffield College, Oxford. His book, India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1964), was an early critique of India’s inward-looking trade policies.
Dr. Singh’s academic credentials were further strengthened by his tenure on the faculties of Punjab University and the Delhi School of Economics. During this time, he also briefly worked at the UNCTAD Secretariat. This experience paved the way for his appointment as Secretary General of the South Commission in Geneva from 1987 to 1990.
Reforming Indian economy
In 1971, Manmohan Singh joined the Government of India as Economic Advisor in the Commerce Ministry, followed by his appointment as Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972. Over the years, he held several key positions, including Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Chairman of the University Grants Commission.
A defining chapter in India’s economic history unfolded during Dr. Singh’s tenure as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996. His leadership was pivotal in implementing comprehensive economic reforms, a move now recognised globally. For many, that transformative period in India is closely linked to Dr. Singh’s vision and leadership.
Honours conferred to Manmohan Singh
Among the many awards and honours conferred upon Dr. Singh in his public career, the most prominent are India’s second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan (1987); the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress (1995); the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year (1993 and 1994); the Euro Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year (1993), the Adam Smith Prize of the University of Cambridge (1956); and the Wright’s Prize for Distinguished Performance at St. John’s College in Cambridge (1955). Dr. Singh has also been honoured by a number of other associations including the Japanese Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Dr. Singh is a recipient of honorary degrees from many universities including the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.
Dr. Manmohan Singh has represented India at numerous international conferences and organisations. In 1993, he led Indian delegations to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Cyprus and the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna.
Throughout his political career, Dr. Singh has been a Member of the Rajya Sabha (India’s Upper House of Parliament) since 1991. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 1998 to 2004. Following the 2004 general elections, Singh was sworn in as Prime Minister on 22nd May, a role he resumed for a second term on 22nd May 2009.
Mr Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and their three daughters.
