India mourns former Prime Minister as the ‘remarkable’ St John’s alumnus is laid to rest in state funeral
Manmohan's father said he would be Prime Minister because he “always had his nose in a book”
Tributes have been paid to Dr Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic transformation, after he died aged 92 on Thursday 26 December 2024.
Singh went from studying under street lamps as a child in India, to coming to Cambridge on a full scholarship, graduating with a First in Economics to leading the world’s biggest democracy for 10 years.
Manmohan Singh was one of 10 siblings and was so determined to get an education he would study outside at night to escape the noise at home. His brother, Surjit Singh, recalled his father “used to say Manmohan will be the Prime Minister of India” because he “always had his nose in a book”.
He read Economics at St John’s in the 1950s, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Cambridge, and was elected as an Honorary Fellow of St John’s – the flag is flying at half-mast above the Great Gate as a mark of respect.
He held pivotal government roles including serving as head of India’s central bank and he worked for the International Monetary Fund. Singh first served India as Finance Minister in the 1990s and then as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. It is rare to serve two full terms as Prime Minister in India’s turbulent political landscape and Dr Singh has been credited with masterminding the economic growth that pulled the country out of financial crisis and lifted tens of millions of Indians out of poverty.
Heather Hancock, Master of St John’s, paid tribute to the St John’s alumnus who was also India’s first Sikh prime minister, she said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of alumnus and Honorary Fellow, Dr Manmohan Singh. He was a remarkable political leader in India and beyond, who was much admired in the College as he was globally for his transformational economic reforms and distinguished statesmanship.
“He was a brilliant student who came to St John’s on a full scholarship and was known to have described Cambridge as some of the happiest and most formative years of his life. So much so that nearly five decades after he graduated with a First in Economics, he gave his name to a scholarship scheme at the College to bring outstanding Indian ĢƵذ to St John's.”
The intention of the Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships is to enable academically outstanding doctoral ĢƵذ from India the opportunity to study at Cambridge with a focus on Science, Technology, Economics and Social Sciences subjects. Applicants are expected to demonstrate their potential to become leaders in their fields. In return, they get a full scholarship covering the total cost of their time here (including fees, travel and living expenses), tenable for up to three years, to read for MPhils and PhDs. More than 25 ĢƵذ have already benefited from the scheme.
Speaking at the time of the launch of the scholarships, Dr Singh said: “Cambridge made me. The values, the ideas and the discipline instilled in me at Cambridge have lasted through my life.”
Singh, who famously described politics as “the art of the possible” is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and their three daughters. Singh was laid to rest with a state funeral in New Delhi, complete with full honours and a 21-gun salute today (28/12/24).
A portrait of him hangs in the Hall at St John’s.