Manmohan Singh, India’s Visionary Economist and Ex-PM, Dies at 92
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, passed away late tonight at AIIMS, New Delhi, following a prolonged illness. He was 92 years old.
Dr. Singh, a senior leader of the Congress party, served as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, leading the UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments. As the 13th Prime Minister of India, he was renowned as one of the nation’s most eminent economists and the architect of several key economic reforms.
Between 1982 and 1985, Dr. Singh served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He holds the distinction of being the first non-Hindu to assume the office of Prime Minister. He was a Rajya Sabha member for 33 years and served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House from 1998 to 2004.
Dr. Singh also held the position of Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 under the leadership of then-Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. During this time, he introduced landmark reforms known as LPG (Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization), which significantly boosted India’s economic progress.
His efforts earned him the “Euromoney Award for Best Finance Minister” in 1993 and 1994. In 2010, he was honored with the “World Statesman Award.” He also served as Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Globally recognized for his contributions, Dr. Singh featured on Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s most powerful people.
During his extensive career, he also served as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1987. In 2017, he received the Indira Gandhi Prize.
Born on September 26, 1932, in present-day Pakistan before India’s partition, Dr. Singh’s family migrated to India during the partition.
He is survived by his wife, Gursharan Kaur, and three daughters, Upinder, Daman, and Amrit Singh.