Kochi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 92, of Congress died last night in a hospital in New Delhi, reports said.
He was admitted to the hospital following health complications.
Singh was the 13th Prime Minister and remained in the post from 2004 to 2014. He was the architect of taking the country through the paths of globalisation when the country was in a deep financial crisis.
He was an economist, academic, and bureaucrat.
Manmohan Singh was born on 26 September 1932 in Gah in today’s Pakistan. His family migrated to India after partition in 1947.
After taking a doctorate in economics from Oxford, Singh worked for the United Nations d from 1966 to 1969.
Singh was first picked by Congress Minister Lalit Narayan Mishra as an advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Singh held many key posts as Chief Economic Advisor, Governor of the Reserve Bank and head of the Planning Commission.
He was economic adviser to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao made Singh the Finance Minister in 1991 when the country was passing through a severe economic crisis.
He carried out several structural reforms that liberalised the country’s economy.
He became Prime Minister in 2004 and continued until 2014. His tenure from 2009 to 2014 created problems for him for corruption allegations leading to the ouster of the government in 2014.
His landmark deal securing access to American nuclear technology led to antagonizing the Communists who withdrew support to the government.
Singh is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his condolence message described Singh as one of its most distinguished leaders.
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