We lost an eminent economist, a great human being: PM's principal secretary

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26 at the age of 92, following prolonged health issues. Reflecting on his fond memories of the former Prime Minister, Pramod Kumar Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We have lost a very distinguished leader, an eminent economist and a great human being, with the passing away of Dr Manmohan Singh. My memories of Manmohan Singh date back to the time when he was teaching at the Delhi School of Economics.”

He said that during his first year of MA (Master of Arts) in Sambalpur district in Western Odisha, it was comforting to see Singh among the distinguished professors of that time.

“Those were the days when very eminent professors such as Amartya Sen, Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri, AM Khusro, K N Raj, Sukhamoy Chakraborty, Dharma Kumar and others were teaching there. Manmohan Singh had a remarkable ability to explain complex topics in international trade in a way every student can understand, making learning easier for students. He was extremely unassuming and low profile,” he further said.

Mishra said that he had the “honour of interacting with him” later on while serving as Secretary to the National Disaster Management Authority and Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, during Singh’s time as Prime Minister.

“Whenever I met him, I found the same simplicity, sincerity and humility in his demeanour. My heartfelt condolences and thoughts are with his family and friends during these difficult times,” Principal Secretary Mishra said.

On Thursday, Singh passed away at AIIMS, New Delhi. The hospital confirmed his death, stating that he had been unwell due to age-related health issues. According to their statement, Singh lost consciousness at home and was brought to the hospital’s emergency unit at 8.06 pm. Despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at 9.51 pm on December 26.