Manmohan Singh Dies At 92, Here Are The Rarest Facts About The 'Accidental PM'

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, died at the age of 92, on December 26. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi following a decline in his health. He was taken to the hospital’s emergency department around 8 pm.

The specific cause of his hospitalization has not been disclosed.

Manmohan Singh gained national recognition as the Finance Minister in P.V. Narasimha Rao’s government from 1991 to 1996, where he introduced transformative economic reforms.

He later served as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms, leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) from 2004 to 2014. Singh remained a member of the Rajya Sabha until his retirement in April this year.

भारत के पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉक्टर मनमोहन सिंह का निधन। pic.twitter.com/cDooeoMTCm

— Ashok Shera (@ashokshera94) December 26, 2024

Rarest Facts About Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh, an economist and former Prime Minister of India, has significantly contributed to the nation’s development. He held key positions across various institutions, including the Planning Commission, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and as an economic advisor. Here are some notable facts about his life and career:

Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, Punjab (present-day Pakistan), Singh moved to India with his family after the Partition.

He lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his grandmother.

Growing up in a village without electricity, he studied using a kerosene lamp.

Singh attended Hindu College in Amritsar and later earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Panjab University.

He pursued advanced studies in Economics at Cambridge University and completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford.

From 1966 to 1969, Singh worked with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

He served as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Trade, appointed by Lalit Narayan Mishra.

In 1972, he became Chief Advisor in the Ministry of Finance and later held the position of Secretary in the Finance Ministry in 1976.

Singh was appointed Governor of the Reserve Bank of India in 1982.

From 1985 to 1987, he served as the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

In 1991, he became Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Later that year, he joined the Cabinet of P.V. Narasimha Rao as Finance Minister and played a pivotal role in India’s post-liberalization economic reforms.
Singh became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1991 and was re-elected multiple times until 2013.

On May 22, 2004, he assumed office as India’s 14th Prime Minister.

He is the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi. A member of the Indian National Congress, Singh was the first Sikh prime minister of India. He was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.