Former PM Manmohan Singh passes away at 92

Former prime minister and veteran Congress leader Manmohan Singh passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92.

The veteran leader was brought to the emergency department of the hospital in the evening after his health deteriorated.

"With profound grief, we inform the demise of the former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, aged 92," the hospital said in a bulletin.

"He was being treated for age-related medical conditions and had a sudden loss of consciousness at home on 26 December 2024. Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency at AIIMS, New Delhi at 8:06 PM. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM," it said.

Singh is survived by wife Gurcharan Singh and three daughters.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have reached the hospital.

BJP president J.P. Nadda has also arrived at the AIIMS.

Singh, who had served as the prime minister in two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014, retired as a Rajya Sabha MP in April this year. He had been a member of the upper house since 1991.

Singh is considered the key architect of India’s economic reforms which were brought in during his tenure as the finance minister in the P.V. Narasinha Rao-led government from 1991-1996. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Singh had left a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. "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 wrote on X.

"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," Modi further said.