Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist and politician who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. As Finance Minister in 1991 he launched the economic reforms that opened India’s economy to the world, and he is widely credited as the architect of modern India’s liberalisation. He was India’s first Sikh Prime Minister and one of its most respected scholars in public life.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Manmohan Singh |
| Born | 26 September 1932, Gah, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan) |
| Died | 26 December 2024, New Delhi (aged 92) |
| Office | 13th Prime Minister of India (2004–2014) |
| Other offices | Finance Minister (1991–1996), Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (1982–1985) |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
| Education | Panjab University; University of Cambridge; DPhil, University of Oxford |
| Spouse | Gursharan Kaur |
| Children | Three daughters, including historian Upinder Singh |
| Honour | Padma Vibhushan (1987) |
Early Life and Education
Manmohan Singh was born in the village of Gah in western Punjab, now in Pakistan. His family moved to India during Partition in 1947. A brilliant student, he studied economics at Panjab University. He then went to St John’s College, Cambridge, and earned a DPhil from Nuffield College, Oxford, with a thesis on India’s export performance.
Economist and Civil Servant
Singh taught economics at Panjab University and the Delhi School of Economics and worked for UNCTAD. He then held a series of top economic posts in the Indian government: Chief Economic Adviser, Secretary in the Finance Ministry, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (1982–85) and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. He also served as Secretary-General of the South Commission in Geneva.
Finance Minister and the 1991 Reforms
In June 1991, with India facing a balance-of-payments crisis and foreign reserves enough for only a few weeks of imports, Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao appointed Singh as Finance Minister. His July 1991 budget began dismantling the “Licence Raj”. It cut import tariffs, devalued the rupee and opened the economy to foreign investment. Quoting Victor Hugo, he told Parliament that no power on earth could stop an idea whose time had come. The reforms laid the foundation for decades of faster growth. He entered the Rajya Sabha that year and remained a member for 33 years.
Prime Minister (2004–2014)
After the Congress-led UPA won the 2004 election, party president Sonia Gandhi chose Singh to be Prime Minister. His first term saw some of India’s fastest economic growth. It also brought landmark laws such as the Right to Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. In 2008 he staked his government on the India–US civil nuclear deal and survived a confidence vote in Parliament. The UPA won re-election in 2009, but his second term was overshadowed by slowing growth and corruption allegations, including the 2G spectrum and coal allocation controversies. At his final press conference in 2014 he said that history would be kinder to him than the media.
Personal Life and Death
Singh married Gursharan Kaur in 1958, and they had three daughters. Known for his quiet manner, personal integrity and trademark blue turban, he retired from the Rajya Sabha in April 2024. He died at AIIMS in New Delhi on 26 December 2024, aged 92, and was cremated with full state honours. India declared seven days of national mourning.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Manmohan Singh born?
Manmohan Singh was born on 26 September 1932 in Gah, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan).
When did Manmohan Singh die?
Died: 26 December 2024, New Delhi (aged 92).
