New Delhi [India], December 27 (ANI): Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday paid his last respects to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and said that he stood for distributive justice and inclusivity and the loss is irreparable.
Randeep Surjewala said, "He was a true gentleman prime minister who was an epitome of probity and transparency in public life. He was a remarkable man with absolute simplicity and an affable style that unnerved and won over the biggest of his critics. Father of modern economy of India is Dr Manmohan Singh. When he took charge the foreign reserves were 3 billion. When he left charge the foreign reserves were 300 billion. He ushered in economic reforms but ensured that those economic reforms did not lead to concentration of power in the hands of few. Distributive justice and inclusivity are two things that Dr Manmohan Singh stood for. The entire country is grieving, every right-thinking person today thinks that the loss is irreparable."
He further said that he promoted business and also ensured right to work, right to food, right to education, right to compensation to farmers, all those were woven in into the economic growth of India.
He further said, "Mortal remains of former PM Manmohan Singh will be kept in the party office, tomorrow at 8:30 am so that the party workers can pay their last respects. After that last rites will take place as per the family rituals."
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, passed a condolence resolution in memory of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
During this period, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast across India and in all Indian Missions and High Commissions abroad. Dr Manmohan Singh will also be accorded a state funeral. On the day of the funeral, a half-day holiday will be declared for all Central Government offices and CPSUs.
The Cabinet expressed profound sorrow over the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh, who died on December 26, 2024, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, West Punjab, in undivided India, Dr Singh had an illustrious academic career. He earned a Master's degree in Economics from Panjab University in 1954, followed by a Tripos in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 1957, graduating with First Class Honours. He was awarded a DPhil in Economics by the University of Oxford in 1962.
Dr Singh began his career as a Senior Lecturer at Panjab University, Chandigarh, before becoming a Professor of Economics at the same institution. In 1969, he joined the Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University, as a Professor of International Trade.
He held numerous significant positions, including Economic Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Trade in 1971, Chief Economic Adviser to the Ministry of Finance (1972-1976), Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs (1976-1980), Member Secretary of the Planning Commission (1980-1982), and Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (1982-1985).
Among the many accolades conferred upon him, the most notable are the Padma Vibhushan (1987), the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress (1995), the Euromoney Award for Finance Minister of the Year (1993), and the Adam Smith Prize from the University of Cambridge (1956).
As India's Finance Minister (1991-1996), Dr Singh played a pivotal role in initiating a comprehensive policy of economic reforms. Dr Singh served as Prime Minister from May 22, 2004, to May 2009, and again from May 2009 to 2014.
Dr Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related ailments. He suffered a sudden loss of consciousness at home before being rushed to AIIMS. (ANI)
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