India mourns the loss of its economic visionary, Dr. Manmohan Singh. The former Prime Minister, aged 92, passed away on Thursday night at AIIMS Delhi after battling age-related health complications. Admitted to the emergency ward in critical condition, he took his last breath at 9:51 PM, according to an official statement from AIIMS.
Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum, with heartfelt tributes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, JP Nadda, and others.
Born on September 26, 1932, in Punjab, then part of undivided India, Manmohan Singh’s academic brilliance was evident early on. He earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 1957 and later completed his D.Phil in Economics at Oxford University’s Nuffield College in 1962.
Renowned globally as the architect of India’s economic reforms, his tenure as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 marked a transformative era in India’s economic trajectory. Singh later served two terms as India’s Prime Minister, from 2004 to 2014, leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s governance.
In recognition of his remarkable contributions, the Indian government honored him with the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award, in 1987.