Dr Manmohan Singh's mortal remains were consigned to the flames at the Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday, December 28, 2024 amid the chanting of religious hymns.
Dr Singh's eldest daughter Professor Upinder Singh gently reminded the gathering that this was a moment for prayer, not accolades.
22 images that captures glimpses of a most unusual Indian who led the nation for 10 years.
'The critical event signalling a new era for India was Dr Singh's 1991 Budget in which he quoted Victor Hugo to say that no power on earth could stop an idea whose time has come,' recalls T N Ninan.
Bangladesh Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus paid tribute to Dr Manmohan Singh at the Indian high commission in Dhaka.
Dr Manmohan Singh's ashes were immersed in the Yamuna river near the Majnu ka Tila gurdwara by members of his family following Sikh rituals.
On Friday, December 27, 2024, the Bhutanese king led the Himalayan nation in offering prayers for Dr Singh at a Buddhist monastery in Thimphu.
'I had to make sure that our much misunderstood erstwhile prime minister did not get a raw deal.'
The nation bid farewell to one of its tallest sons, Dr Manmohan Singh, at the Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday, December 28, 2024.
'Suddenly we had a new comprehension of affairs, which reminded that the luxury of politics floated atop a foundation by economics.' 'Along with this, finance ministers became crucial in molding the perception and reputation of Union Cabinets.' 'Governments couldn't afford a wrong person in that portfolio,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
Nitin Desai, who has known Dr Singh from 1971, extends his 'deepest condolences to his wife Gurcharan Kaur and to his three talented daughters Upinder, the historian; Daman, the writer; and Amrit, the human rights activist.'
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra D Modi, senior Cabinet ministers, Congress and Opposition leaders paid their respects to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed into the ages on Thursday night, at his residence in New Delhi on Friday.
'Mrs Gandhi had nothing to do in the day-to-day working of Dr Singh's government.' 'People say Mrs Gandhi's office used to give orders, which is nonsense.'
Explore the origins of the name 'Babasaheb' and its significance in the life and legacy of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a pivotal figure in India's struggle for social equality.
"Dr Manmohan Singh, soon after becoming the prime minister, had himself carried a small table for us to have tea comfortably at his Safdarjung Lane residence instead of asking his house help," Dr Srinath Reddy, who was the chairperson of the PM's medical panel, recalled.
Condolences have poured in from across the globe, including from the United States, Canada and Sri Lanka following the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh was shown black flags at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) by Left-backed students who were staging a protest during his visit to the campus in 2005. The incident led to show-cause notices to students by the university with few of them getting detained by the Delhi Police. However, a day later Dr Singh intervened, suggesting to the then vice chancellor (VC) B B Bhattacharya to be lenient with students.
'All the big things happening today in economic development have their beginning in Dr Manmohan Singh's ideas.'
'He will be remembered more for what he did as finance minister -- as someone who functioned well when the political fallout was taken care of.'
India is one of the few nations, and perhaps the only nation, that has good relations with America, Israel and Iran. Knowing that a war in the Gulf would damage our economy, hurt supply of fertilisers and fuel, and cause general chaos, we should have tried to ensure this war did not begin, asserts Aakar Patel.
'Maybe he was wrong, but they believed he genuinely meant what he said.'
Many were hoping that with Vajpayee's NDA gone, there would be a return to the Congress normal. Nobody was prepared for the opposite. Sonia Gandhi was sceptical. This became the only issue over which Manmohan Singh took on his party bosses and risked his government. Politically, it was riskier than the 1991 reform, recalls Shekhar Gupta.
A man in Uttar Pradesh has been booked for allegedly posting objectionable remarks against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and using casteist slurs in a video shared on social media.
Police in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, have arrested 23 people in connection with stone-pelting at an Ambedkar Jayanti procession. The incident resulted in injuries to a police officer and heightened tensions in the area.
Indian cricketer Rinku Singh's father, Khanchand Singh, passed away in Greater Noida after battling advanced-stage liver cancer. Rinku had returned home from the T20 World Cup to see his ailing father and rejoined the team before their match against Zimbabwe.
A procession marking Ambedkar Jayanti in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, was disrupted by stone pelting, leading to injuries and detentions. Police are investigating the incident.
A nurse's body was discovered under suspicious circumstances at a community health centre in Udaipur, leading to the arrest of a doctor and a murder investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were among the top leaders who paid homage to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at his home in New Delhi on Friday.
A woman and her three-year-old daughter died after being hit by a train in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. Her son was critically injured in the incident.
An operating theatre technician, Mudassar Ali, wanted in connection with an illegal kidney transplant racket in Kanpur, India, has surrendered to the court. He is accused of posing as a doctor and performing key surgical procedures in the illicit operations.
Manmohan Singh represented the finest aspects of India, asserts Aakar Patel.
'I had to persuade him. I think he was a sceptic to begin with, but later on he was convinced that what we were doing was the right thing to do, that there was no other way out.'
Indian cricketer Rinku Singh's father passed away after battling stage-four cancer. Rinku had briefly returned home from the T20 World Cup to see his father.
Six individuals have been arrested in connection with a grenade attack on the Bhindi Saida police station in Amritsar, Punjab. Preliminary investigations suggest the module was backed by Pakistan's ISI.
The Rajasthan government's decision to discontinue four school textbooks has ignited a political controversy, with the Education Minister defending the move and the Congress party accusing the government of attempting to erase history.
'Samrat Chaudhury's limited independent standing within the party, his reliance on the central leadership for his elevation, and his lack of a personal mass base all point toward this outcome.'
Police in Kanpur have arrested the alleged mastermind of an illegal kidney transplant racket, who had been evading arrest for two weeks. The arrest brings the total number of accused in custody to ten, as the investigation widens to uncover a potentially multi-state and international organ trafficking network.
What stood out in his 15-year journey as a member of the political executive at the Centre was his glowing record as India's most successful and effective finance minister. Both as prime minister and finance minister, he understood the importance of gradualism, except when the economy or the polity was in a crisis.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini commemorated B.R. Ambedkar's birth anniversary, highlighting his contributions to women's empowerment and social justice. Saini and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal criticised the Congress party for allegedly disrespecting Ambedkar, while praising the current government's efforts to honour his legacy.
Union Minister Virendra Kumar has directed officials to ensure swift justice for the family of Tarun Khatik, who was killed in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. The minister met with the victim's parents and assured them of support at both central and state levels.
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