<div class='bc_element' id='bc_element'1 style=' background:#FFFFFF;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana;width:auto;padding:5px;max-height:100%;'><span><p></p><p style=""><span style="font-size: 14px;">Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, known for implementing transformative reforms that positioned the country as a rising economic power capable of competing with China, passed away on Thursday in New Delhi at the age of 92.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style=""><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p style=""><span style="font-size: 14px;">The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where he was hospitalized, confirmed his death in a statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Singh on X as one of India’s “most distinguished leaders.”</span></p><p style=""><span style="font-size: 14px;">On the 26th of July, 1991, a soft-spoken and unassuming Finance Minister stood before the Indian Parliament and delivered what would later be seen as a watershed moment in India's economic history. Dr. Manmohan Singh’s landmark Budget speech began with a quote that resonates across time: “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.” The idea was liberalization—a seismic shift that would unshackle India from the chains of the licence-permit-quota raj and propel it towards global economic relevance. Decades later, as the nation reflects on his legacy, Dr. Singh emerges not just as a policymaker but as a statesman whose vision continues to shape modern India.</span></p><p style="font-size: 14px;"><br></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">On the 26th of July, 1991, a soft-spoken and unassuming Finance Minister stood before the Indian Parliament and delivered what would later be seen as a watershed moment in India's economic history. Dr. Manmohan Singh’s landmark Budget speech began with a quote that resonates across time: “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.” The idea was liberalization—a seismic shift that would unshackle India from the chains of the licence-permit-quota raj and propel it towards global economic relevance. Decades later, as the nation reflects on his legacy, Dr. Singh emerges not just as a policymaker but as a statesman whose vision continues to shape modern India.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">Early Life and Academic Brilliance</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">Born on 26 September 1932 in Gah, Punjab, British India, Manmohan Singh belonged to a Punjabi Sikh family of Khatri background, known for their dried fruit trade. His parents, Gurmukh Singh Kohli and Amrit Kaur, played a limited role in his upbringing as his mother passed away when he was very young. Raised by his paternal grandmother, Jamna Devi, Singh developed a deep bond with her, which influenced his formative years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">Singh’s early education began at a local gurdwara, where he learned Urdu and Punjabi. In 1937, he enrolled at the Government Primary School, continuing his Urdu-medium education until the age of 10. After his family moved to Peshawar, he joined the Khalsa School and completed his matriculation examination in the summer of 1947. Even as Prime Minister, Singh displayed his linguistic versatility by writing Hindi speeches in Urdu script and occasionally in Gurmukhi, the script of his mother tongue, Punjabi.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">The Partition of India in 1947 uprooted Singh and his family, who migrated first to Haldwani and later to Amritsar. There, he pursued his higher education at Hindu College, followed by Panjab University (then in Hoshiarpur), where he excelled in Economics, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 1952 and 1954, respectively. A consistent academic achiever, Singh continued his studies at the University of Cambridge, completing his Economics Tripos in 1957 as a member of St John’s College.</span></p><p><br></p><span></div><div class='bc_element' id='bc_element'1 style=' background:#FFFFFF;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana;width:auto;padding:5px;max-height:100%;'><span><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">The Economic Revolution of 1991</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">When Dr. Singh took charge of India’s finances in 1991, the country was teetering on the edge of an economic abyss. Foreign reserves had dwindled to dangerously low levels, inflation was rampant, and the centralized economic model had throttled innovation and growth. Dr. Singh’s reforms—lifting trade barriers, encouraging foreign investment, and dismantling bureaucratic red tape—were revolutionary. These policies didn’t just stabilize India; they transformed it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">India’s infamous “Hindu rate of growth”—a mere 3% per annum—became a thing of the past. In the decades following liberalization, India saw periods of GDP growth exceeding 8%, earning its reputation as an emerging global powerhouse. From a struggling centrally planned economy, India blossomed into a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and globally integrated market—an evolution for which Dr. Singh deserves unreserved credit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">Prime Ministerial Years: A Dual Legacy</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">Dr. Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister (2004-2014) was equally transformative, albeit more controversial. Under his leadership, India navigated the 2008 global financial crisis with remarkable resilience, emerging as the second-fastest-growing major economy in the world. Landmark policies such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Aadhaar initiative fundamentally altered the socio-economic landscape, lifting millions out of poverty and giving digital identity to billions. His government also enacted the Right to Information and Right to Education Acts, empowering citizens and enhancing accountability.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">However, his era was not without its challenges. Accusations of corruption and “policy paralysis” became the opposition’s rallying cry, tarnishing his administration’s image. Critics often mistook his measured demeanor for indecision and his calm for complacency. Yet, as Dr. Singh himself remarked in 2014, “I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media.”</span></p><p><br></p><p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">The Visionary in Foreign Policy</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">In the realm of international relations, Dr. Singh’s philosophy was pragmatic and purpose-driven. Dubbed the “Manmohan Doctrine,” his foreign policy prioritized India’s domestic transformation. He focused on building economic partnerships, securing energy resources, and enhancing food security rather than engaging in performative diplomacy. His efforts led to strengthened relations with major economies, paving the way for trade agreements and foreign investments that directly benefited India’s people.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">Beyond the Headlines: Corruption and Democracy</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">While corruption scandals marred his tenure, it’s essential to view these issues in context. Corruption is not unique to any one leader or government; it’s a systemic issue within Indian politics. Moreover, the independent functioning of institutions like the Comptroller and Auditor General, judiciary, and media—often critical of his administration—highlighted the robustness of India’s democratic framework during his era. In many ways, the very criticisms leveled against Dr. Singh underscored the vibrancy of Indian democracy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b style="font-size: 14px;">A Legacy of Integrity and Decency</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">Manmohan Singh’s career was defined not just by his achievements but by the manner in which he achieved them. His personal incorruptibility and quiet dignity set him apart in an often fractious political landscape. He transformed India with a mix of expertise, vision, and humility that earned him respect far beyond the nation’s borders. As President Barack Obama once said, “When the Prime Minister speaks, the world listens.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 14px;">Dr. Manmohan Singh’s contributions to India’s transformation—economic, social, and global—cannot be overstated. He was not a fiery orator or a political showman but a scholar and policymaker whose vision and integrity reshaped the nation. As India strides confidently into the 21st century, much of its success stands on the foundations laid by this gentle architect of reform. Indeed, history has been and will continue to be kinder to him than his contemporaries were. For all he has done, India owes him an eternal debt of gratitude.</span></p></p><span></div>