By Asia Samachar | India |
Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who governed the South Asian country for two terms and liberalised its economy in an earlier stint as finance minister, has died. He was 92.
Manmohan, an economist-turned-politician who also served as the governor of the Central Bank of India, was ailing and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi late on Thursday.
He was India’s first Sikh PM and the architect of the big-bang economic reforms that set the stage for the country’s emergence as a global powerhouse.
His health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home”, the hospital said in a statement. He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions”, the statement added.
A mild-mannered technocrat, Manmohan served as India’s PM from 2004 to 2014 and earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity.
He adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Manmohan, widely regarded for his intellect and vision, was sworn in as India’s Prime Minister on May 22, 2004, following the Congress Party’s victory in the general elections. He took office for a second term on the same date in 2009, reported the Economic Times.
Born on September 26, 1932, in a village in Punjab province in undivided India, Singh completed his matriculation from Punjab University in 1948, laying the foundation for an illustrious career.
He also implemented the Right to Information Act (2005) that strengthened transparency and accountability by granting citizens access to public information. His National Food Security Act (2013) ensured subsidized food grains for nearly two-thirds of India’s population.
His academic credentials were unparalleled. After completing his studies in Punjab, he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 1957, followed by a D. Phil in Economics from Nuffield College, Oxford, in 1962.
Manmohan, called India’s “reluctant prime minister” due to his shyness and preference for being behind the scenes, was considered an unlikely choice to lead the world’s biggest democracy. But when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi led her party to a surprise victory in 2004, she turned to Singh to be prime minister.
Famed for his trademark sky-blue turbans and home-spun white kurta pyjamas, Singh became the country’s first non-Hindu prime minister. He served a rare full two terms as prime minister in India’s tumultuous politics and is credited with spurring the rapid economic growth that lifted tens of millions of Indians from poverty, reported The Guardian.
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World class economist, a great INDIAN, a good Sikh but a reluctant politician.
As asked by colleagues, briefed him about UK Sikh issues – 6 bullet points – when he was PM.
There will be more discussion about his life and achievements. Perhaps, after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, he too, indirectly, aswered the question, “What would be rule GUIDED BY SIKHI PRINCIPLES like?”.
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