Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s passing on Tuesday at the age of 92 triggered an outpouring of condolence messages and tributes from political leaders from both sides of the aisle and industry titans.
Before he became prime minister in 2004, Singh served as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India in 1982 and as minister of finance in 1991.
Singh returned to politics in 2004 when a Congress-led coalition swept the elections, and party leader Sonia Gandhi appointed him prime minister.
Singh played a pivotal role in strengthening India’s ties with Washington, visiting the U.S. multiple times as prime minister.
Apart from the U.S., Singh also strengthened India’s ties with Russia.
Following the death of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday at the age of 92, political figures from both parties as well as business titans sent heartfelt condolence messages and tributes.
One of India’s “most distinguished leaders,” according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was Singh, in a post on X. In the 2014 elections, Singh’s Congress alliance lost to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which has remained in power ever since.
Singh had “a strong imprint” on India’s economic policy and was a “respected economist,” Modi continued.
Singh held positions as minister of finance in 1991 and governor of the Reserve Bank of India in 1982 prior to his appointment as prime minister in 2004.
He oversaw a number of changes as finance minister that deregulated India’s economy and welcomed foreign investment.
Then-Prime Minister P. was dealing with a serious balance of payments crisis. v. The economy was liberalized by Singh and Narasimha Rao, which allowed it to grow quickly in the decades that followed.
“His crucial contribution to the revolutionary 1991 reforms that changed India and made it more accessible to the world will always be remembered,” wrote Gautam Adani, the country’s second-richest individual and the chairman of the Adani Group conglomerate.
After a Congress-led coalition won a landslide victory in the 2004 elections, Singh made a comeback to politics and was named prime minister by party leader Sonia Gandhi.
During his time in office from 2004 to 2014, India’s GDP grew quickly at first, which gave Singh the opportunity to use the newfound wealth for initiatives like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which provided jobs for the underprivileged.
But Singh’s final years as prime minister were tainted by sclerotic growth, a halt to reforms, and accusations of corruption against some government officials.
By traveling to the U.S., Singh was instrumental in advancing India’s relations with Washington. S. as prime minister several times. When U. S. George W. President. Singh mediated an agreement that allowed India access to the U.S. when Bush visited India. S. nuclear methodology.
“Dr. Singh was among the greatest U.S. champions. S. -India strategic partnership, and his efforts contributed to a lot of what our nations have achieved in the last 20 years,” the U.S. S. Department of State regarding Singh’s demise.
Other than the U.S. S. . Singh also improved India’s relations with Russia. Beginning in 2000, he regularly attended the India-Russia Annual Summit, which aims to strengthen collaboration between the two nations as well as among the BRIC countries.
