India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh dies aged 92

Manmohan Singh has died at the age of 92. Credit: AP

India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who was described as one of the country's "most distinguished leaders", has died aged 92.

Singh was one of India's longest-serving prime ministers and was widely regarded as the architect of the country’s economic reform programme and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States.

He was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement.

“Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p,m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM.”

Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said.

He served as prime minister for ten years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

But his sterling image was marred by allegations of corruption against his ministers.

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Singh was elected to a second term as prime minister from 2009-2014 which was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister.

Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.”

“As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.”

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