Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dies at 92

India's two-time prime minister and Congress leader was brought to the hospital's emergency department, around 8 PM after his health deteriorated. He was administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), but efforts to revive him remained unsuccessful, an AIIMS statement said.

"With profound grief, we inform the demise of the former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, aged 92. He was being treated for age-related medical conditions and had a sudden loss of consciousness at home on 26 December 2024," AIIMS said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the demise stating: "India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist.

"He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives."

His family and senior Congress leader and parliamentarian Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were present at the hospital.

Later the Congress MP posted on X: "Few people in politics inspire the kind of respect that Sardar Manmohan Singh ji did."

"His honesty will always be an inspiration for us and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment to serve the nation despite being subjected to unfair and deeply personal attacks by his opponents. He was genuinely egalitarian, wise, strongwilled and courageous until the end. A uniquely dignified and gentle man in the rough world of politics," she wrote.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a post appreciated Singh's immense "wisdom and integrity" and said he lost a "mentor and a guide".

"Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation. My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kaur and the family. I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride," he wrote.

Manmohan Singh rose to prominence as the country's finance minister during the Congress regime headed by PV Narasimha Rao during 1991-96, for bringing sweeping reforms that transformed the economy.

As the two-term UPA Prime Minister, he stayed at the top post from 2004 to 2014 and served as a member of the Rajya Sabha till early this year.

He retired from the Rajya Sabha in April. 

The career graph of a mild-mannered technocrat turned politician

Born in Gah, West Punjab, now in Pakistan, Singh's family migrated to India during its partition in 1947. After obtaining his doctorate in economics from Oxford University, Singh worked for the United Nations during 1966–1969.

He subsequently began his bureaucratic career when Lalit Narayan Mishra hired him as an advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. During the 1970s and 1980s, Singh held several key posts in the Government of India, such as Chief Economic Advisor (1972–1976), governor of the Reserve Bank (1982–1985) and head of the Planning Commission (1985–1987).

In 1991, when India faced a severe economic crisis, the newly elected Congress regime under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao appointed apolitical Singh as the finance minister.

Over the next few years, despite strong opposition, he carried out several structural reforms to liberalise the Indian economy and invite Foreign Direct Investment.

Although these measures were successful in averting the crisis, and enhanced Singh's reputation globally as a leading reform-minded economist, the incumbent Congress  fared poorly in the 1996 general election. Subsequently, Singh was leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India) during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government of 1998–2004.

In 2004, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance came to power, a reluctant Singh was made the Prime Minister of India by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. His first ministry executed several key legislations and projects, including the National Rural Health Mission, Unique Identification Authority, Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and Right to Information Act.

In 2008, opposition to a historic civil nuclear agreement with the United States nearly caused Singh's government to fall after Left Front parties withdrew their support. even as he faced severe crticisms for his leadership qualuties, India's economy grew rapidly during his term.

Singh returned to the Prime Minister's office with the UPA's 2009 general election win.

However it was during his second term, despite his personal integrity, Singh's government faced a string of corruption charges over the organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2G spectrum allocation case and the allocation of coal blocks.

After his term ended, he opted out from the race for the office of prime minister during the 2014 Indian general election. Singh was never a member of the Lok Sabha but served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing the state of Assam from 1991 to 2019 and Rajasthan from 2019 to 2024.

Leading Indian politicians mourn Manmohan Singh's demise 

President Droupadi Murmu in a post lamented the demise and wrote: "Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Ji was one of those rare politicians who also straddled the worlds of academia and administration with equal ease. In his various roles in public offices, he made critical contributions to reforming Indian economy."

"He will always be remembered for his service to the nation, his unblemished political life and his utmost humility. His passing is a great loss to all of us. I pay my respectful homage to one of the greatest sons of Bharat and convey my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and admirers."

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a post said: "Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is no more. He had served as the Governor of RBI and as Finance Minister of India. Presented the milestone budget of 1991 which liberalised the Indian economy. Respected by all, he was soft-spoken and gentle. Condolences to his family and friends.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar in a post wrote: "Deeply pained to learn about the passing of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, former Prime Minister and a distinguished economist who transformed India's economic landscape. A Padma Vibhushan awardee and architect of India's economic liberalisation in 1991, he boldly steered our nation through a critical transition, opening new pathways for growth and prosperity."

In an emotional post, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said: "With the passing of the Former Prime Minister, India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature. His policy of Economic Liberalisation and Rights-based welfare paradigm profoundly transformed the lives of crores of Indians, virtually creating a Middle Class in India and lifting crores out of poverty."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin posted: "Deeply saddened by the passing of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, a statesman whose intellect and leadership steered India’s economic transformation. His tenure marked an era of steady growth, social progress, and reforms that improved the lives of millions."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reaclled the time she worked with Singh and wrote: "Profoundly stunned and saddened by the sudden demise of our former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji. I had worked with him and saw him from very close quarters in the Union Cabinet. His erudition and wisdom were unquestionable, and the depth of the financial reforms ushered in by him in the country are widely acknowledged. The country will miss his stewardship and I shall miss his affection. My sincere condolences to his family, friends and followers."