Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in the national capital on Thursday, December 26. Dr Singh was 92 years old and had been facing age-related issues for the past few months. Economist-turned-statesman Dr Singh played a pivotal role in shaping the modern Indian economy. He is also credited with having played a crucial role in rescuing the economy from a severe crisis in 1991 when the country faced an alarming balance of payment crisis.

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As the Finance Minister, Dr Singh implemented sweeping economic reforms, liberalising the economy and opening it up to foreign investments.

What makes Dr Singh's stint as PM unique is that he was appointed the head of government without having a strong political background. Dr Singh served two back-to-back terms as PM from 2004 to 2014.

After former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, and the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Singh has served the single longest term as PM, with a stint spanning 10 years and four days.

In 1991, then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao appointed Singh as finance minister in his government.

Journey of Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh

Here are a few interesting moments in Dr Singh's career, from being an economics student to the country's prime minister:

The humble beginnings of a softspoken statesman

Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, Punjab (then Undivided India, now in Pakistan) to Gurumukh Singh and Amrit Kaur. After the Partition, his family migrated to India.

He graduated and completed his post-graduation from Punjab University and earned a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and a D.Phil from Oxford University.

He also worked as a professor at Punjab University and Delhi School of Economics.

Later, he worked as an Economic Affairs Officer for the United Nations Conference from 1966 to 1969. In 1971, he was appointed as Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Dr Singh became Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972.

Dr Singh held several prominent positions including as Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (1982–1985), Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

How Dr Manmohan Singh's political career began

Dr Singh was elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Assam in 1991 and re-elected in 1995, 2001, 2007, 2013 and 2019. He retired from the Rajya Sabha in April 2024. He served as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004 during the BJP's rule.

Dr Singh contested the 1999 Lok Sabha elections from South Delhi but lost to the BJP's Vijay Kumar Malhotra. He served as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 under then PM Narasimha Rao's government.

Accidental PM?

Dr Singh was known to keep a calm and softspoken demeanour. In 2018, he famously responded wittily to a remark about him being labeled an "accidental PM". In his characteristic polite tone, he humurously added that not only was he an "accidental prime minister" but also an "accidental 'finance minister".

Social media platforms flooded with posts about stories capturing Dr Manmohan Singh's simplicity and humility

UP Minister of State (Independent Charge) Social Welfare, Scheduled Caste and Tribal Welfare Asim Arun, a former bodyguard of Dr Singh, took to microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to share an incident about the former PM.

In the post, Arun explained that despite having access to a state-of-the-art BMW equipped with advanced security features, Dr Singh held a special fondness for his modest Maruti 800.

“Dr Sahab would repeatedly tell me, 'Aseem, I do not like to travel in this car (BMW), my car is this one (Maruti),'” Asim wrote, emphasising the leader's deep connection to his middle-class roots.

Asim Arun, a former IPS officer, took voluntary retirement in January 2022 to join politics.