New Delhi: The government of India announced a seven-day period of national mourning on Friday to honour former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday evening.
In a notification issued to all states and Union Territories, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast on all government buildings where it is regularly displayed, and no official entertainment would be held during the mourning period, which will continue until January 1, 2025. Additionally, all government programmes scheduled for Friday were canceled.
The former Prime Minister’s last rites will be conducted with full state honors. On Friday morning, Dr. Singh’s mortal remains were moved from AIIMS New Delhi, where he was declared dead at 9:51pm on Thursday, to his residence.
The hospital confirmed his passing in a statement, explaining that Dr. Singh had experienced a sudden loss of consciousness at home on December 26. Despite resuscitation efforts at home and at the hospital, he could not be revived.
Dr. Singh, who served as India’s Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s economic policies, notably during his tenure as Finance Minister under P.V. Narasimha Rao, when he spearheaded landmark reforms in 1991. He is survived by his wife, Gursharan Kaur, and their three daughters.
