Manmohan Singh was PM for two consecutive terms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tribute to former PM Manmohan Singh who died last night. Dr Singh, India's 14th PM and one of its most respected economists, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. He was 92.
"Manmohan Singh's contribution to the development of India will always be remembered," PM Modi said. "Manmohan Singh's life was a reflection of his honesty and simplicity. He was a distinguished parliamentarian. His life will always be a lesson on how a person can attain success by rising above deprivation, and struggle."
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An AIIMS bulletin said "he was treated for age related medical conditions and had sudden loss of consciousness at home" on December 26. "Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to medical emergency at AIIMS Delhi at 8.06 pm. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 pm," said the bulletin.
Dr Singh, who was prime minister for two terms in the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014, had been in poor health for the last few months. He is survived by wife Gurcharan Singh and three daughters.
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"He will always be remembered as an honest man, a great economist and a leader who dedicated himself to reforms. As an economist, he provided a lot of services to the nation. During a challenging time, he served as RBI Governor...when he was Finance Minister in the cabinet of former PM Bharat Ratna PV Narasimha Rao, he gave the country that was reeling under economic crisis, a new direction in terms of economy," PM Modi added.
In a video message, PM Modi recalled Singh's life journey after his family's migration to India, leaving behind everything following Partition, as he noted that his numerous achievements since then were no mean feat.
His life will always serve as a lesson for future generations on how someone can rise above deprivation and struggles to attain the heights of success, he said.
Noting that he served in various capacities in the government, the prime minister said Dr Singh was the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor during challenging times and put the country on a new economic path as finance minister in the government headed by PV Narasimha Rao.
PM Modi said despite being educated at the world's prestigious institutes and occupying leading positions, the former prime minister and Congress leader never forgot the values of his normal background.
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