New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26, 2024, at the age of 92. A towering figure in Indian politics, Singh served as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.  

Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, Punjab , British India (now in Pakistan ), Dr. Singh overcame early personal tragedies. Losing his mother at a young age, he was raised by his paternal grandmother, with whom he shared a close bond.  

Manmohan Singh graduated from Punjab University in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and followed it with a Master’s degree in 1954. 

In the University of Cambridge Singh earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1957. In 1962, he completed his D.Phil. from Nuffield College, Oxford. 

Dr. Singh also contributed to academia, teaching at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Delhi School of Economics, and Punjab University.  

In 1958, Dr. Singh married Gursharan Kaur. The couple had three daughters: Upinder Singh, a historian and professor at Ashoka University; Daman Singh, an author and rural development expert; and Amrit Singh, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union in the United States.  

Manmohan Singh’s Political Journey

Manmohan Singh’s political career began in 1971 as an Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Commerce. 

He then served as Chief Economic Advisor and Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

In 2004, Manmohan Sinigh became India’s 13th Prime Minister, leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.