Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passes away at 92 in AIIMS, Delhi

Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India, passed away on Thursday, December 26, 2024, at the age of 92. He had served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. Born in 1932, Dr. Singh breathed his last at AIIMS, Delhi, where he had been admitted earlier on Thursday due to breathing difficulties.

Born in 1932
Dr. Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India. He completed his matriculation in 1948 from Punjab University and pursued further studies at Cambridge University, UK. In 1957, he graduated with first-class honors in Economics and later, in 1962, earned a D.Phil. in Economics from Nuffield College, Oxford. Dr. Singh is survived by his wife, Gursharan Kaur, and their three daughters.

Key Positions Held
Known for his humility, diligence, and dedication to work, Dr. Manmohan Singh made significant contributions to India. He joined the Ministry of Commerce as an Economic Advisor in 1971 and became the Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972. Over his career, he held various prominent positions, including Secretary of 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. From 1991 to 1996, he served as India’s Finance Minister, a period that was pivotal in shaping India’s economic reforms.

Awards and Honors
Dr. Manmohan Singh received numerous accolades and awards during his lifetime, including:

Padma Vibhushan (1987), India’s second-highest civilian award
Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award by the Indian Science Congress (1995)
Finance Minister of the Year by Asia Money (1993, 1994)
Finance Minister of the Year by Euro Money (1993)
Adam Smith Prize from Cambridge University (1956)
Wright Prize for Distinguished Performance at St. John’s College, Cambridge (1955)
He was also honored by Cambridge, Oxford, and various other universities with honorary degrees and awards.