Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] on Thursday hosted a farewell lunch for his Media Adviser, Sanjaya Baru, who is leaving on Friday to take up a teaching assignment abroad.

The luncheon at his residence was attended by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Ahluwalia, Chairman of PM's Economic Advisory Council C Rangarajan, former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon and officials of the Prime Minister's Office.

Baru will be joining the faculty of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Institute of South Asian Studies at Singapore.

Baru, a professional economist and a former Chief Editor of the Financial Express, was appointed prime minister's media adviser in June 2004 soon after the United Progressive Alliance government came to power.

Both Baru and Dr Singh enjoyed a close relationship that dates back to the time when the latter was the country's finance minister in 1991-1996.