Manmohan Singh, India's economic liberator & former PM, passes away

ECONOMIST-TURNED-POLITICIAN LEAVES LEGACY OF REFORMS

- VINAY KUMAR

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India's economic reforms, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92. Singh, known for his quiet demeanour, deep intellectualism, and decisive leadership, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. He had been receiving treatment for age-related conditions in the hospital after being admitted in a critical state.

In a statement, AIIMS confirmed that Singh was brought to the emergency ward on December 26 after suffering a sudden loss of consciousness at his home. Despite immediate resuscitative efforts, he was declared dead at 9:51 pm, leaving behind a legacy that shaped India's economic landscape.

Singh's passing marks the end of an era. A man of remarkable academic credentials, he served as India's 14th Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. His tenure, which spanned a decade, saw India rise as one of the world's fastest-growing economies. However, his journey to the highest office in the land was anything but conventional.

Born in Gah, now in Pakistan, on September 26, 1932, Singh's early years were marked by hardship. He was raised in a family that valued education, and it was this pursuit that eventually propelled him into the halls of the world's leading academic institutions. He earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics from Cambridge University in 1957, followed by a DPhil from Oxford University in 1962. He then went on to teach at Punjab University and the Delhi School of Economics, among other esteemed institutions.