Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who ruled the South Asian country for two terms and liberalized its economy as finance minister, has died. He was 92 years old.
Mr. Singh, an economist-turned-politician and former governor of India’s central bank, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi late Thursday after falling ill.
The hospital said in a statement that the man’s health condition had deteriorated following a “sudden loss of consciousness at home.” He is “being treated for age-related conditions,” the statement added.
A mild-mannered technocrat, Mr. Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers, serving from 2004 to 2014 and earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity.
After stepping down as prime minister, Singh kept a low profile. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from poor backgrounds to leave “a strong footprint on our economic policy over the years.” I called him alone.
“As the Prime Minister of our country, he made great efforts to improve people’s lives,” PM Modi said in a post on X. He said Singh’s interventions in parliament as an MP were “insightful” and that “his wisdom and humility were always visible”.
India is mourning the death of one of its most eminent leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. He rose from a poor background to become a respected economist. He also held various government positions including Minister of Finance and left a strong mark on our country’s economy… pic.twitter.com/clW00Yv6oP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 26, 2024
Born in 1932 into a poor family in the part of British-ruled India that is now Pakistan, Singh studied by candlelight and entered Cambridge University, then went to Oxford, where he studied India’s role in exports and free trade. He received his Ph.D. for his thesis. Indian economy.
He became a respected economist and later served as the governor of India’s central bank and as a government advisor, but when he was suddenly appointed finance minister in 1991, he had no clear plans for a career in politics.
During his tenure, which ended in 1996, Mr. Singh was the architect of reforms that rescued India’s economy from a severe balance of payments crisis and promoted deregulation and other measures that opened the island nation to the world.
Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation.
My deepest condolences to Mrs. Kaul and her family.
I lost a mentor and mentor. He will be remembered by the millions of us who admired him… pic.twitter.com/bYT5o1ZN2R
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 26, 2024
Mr. Singh’s appointment as prime minister in 2004 was even more unexpected.
He was asked to take the job by Sonia Gandhi, who led her centre-left Indian National Congress party to a surprise victory. Born in Italy, she feared that Hindu nationalist opponents would use her ancestry to attack the government if she were to lead the country.
Riding on a period of unprecedented economic growth, the Singh government shared the spoils of the country’s newfound wealth and introduced welfare schemes, including employment programs for the rural poor.
In 2008, his government also signed a landmark agreement allowing peaceful trade in nuclear energy with the United States for the first time in 30 years, paving the way for strong ties between New Delhi and Washington.
However, his efforts to further open India’s economy were often frustrated by political conflicts within his party and the demands of his coalition partners.
In 2012, the National Congress Party’s biggest ally left the coalition in protest against the entry of foreign supermarkets, leaving the government in the minority. Two years later, the Congress was decisively won by Prime Minister Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
At a press conference a few months before his retirement, Singh insisted he had done what was best for the country.
“I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the modern media and, for that matter, the opposition in Congress,” he said.
