Former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh at the age of 93, passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness.
According to Indian media, Singh was admitted to AIIMS Delhi after his health worsened in evening on December 26 and later was declared dead at 9:51 PM.
The officials from Dehli hospital stated that Singh had been suffering from age-related medical conditions and had lost consciousness at home on December 26, 2024, despite immediate medical intervention, he could not be saved.
Singh, who had stepped back from active politics in recent years due to his health, had not been well since early 2024.
His last public appearance was in January 2024 at the launch of a book by his daughter. He retired from the Rajya Sabha – Council of states – earlier this year in April.
Serving two terms as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Singh’s leadership was instrumental in steering India through a period of significant economic growth.
His tenure witnessed landmark reforms such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the Right to Information Act. He was also the architect of the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, which ended India’s nuclear isolation.
However, his tenure was not without controversy, marred by high-profile corruption scandals, including the 2G spectrum case and coal block allocation issues.
Singh was a key figure in India’s economic liberalisation in 1991 when, as Finance Minister, he implemented critical reforms that helped open the economy and position India as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
His academic background in economics, with degrees from Panjab University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Oxford, laid the foundation for his impactful career in public service.
Born in 1932 in Gah (now in Pakistan), Singh’s early life was shaped by the partition of India. Despite the challenges, he excelled academically, later becoming a respected figure in global economic circles.
