A NATION IN MOURNING

● Manmohan Singh will be accorded state funeral ● No change of guard ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan today ● Central govt offices and CPSUs to observe half-day

- NIUKESH RANJAN & RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @New Delhi

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet on Friday led the nation in paying tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh. The Cabinet, chaired by Modi, condoled the death of Singh, hailing him as an eminent statesman and renowned economist, who left an imprint on the national life. A seven-day state mourning was declared as a mark of respect. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and PM Modi were among the first to pay homage to Singh at his residence in New Delhi. Modi described Singh's demise a profound loss, recalling his journey from a Partition-era migrant to a global statesman. In a video message, Modi highlighted Singh's significant contributions, including his pivotal role in India's economic liberalisation as finance minister under PV Narasimha Rao and his tenure as a two-term PM, which shaped India's development trajectory.