Dr Manmohan Singh was a distinguished leader, an eminent economist: PM’s Principal Secy PK Mishra

New Delhi: Principal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra described late PM Manmohan Singh as a “distinguished leader, eminent economist and a great human being” in his condolence message. Mishra was a student of Dr Singh at the Delhi School of Economics and later served as a bureaucrat during his prime ministership.In a message, Mishra 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 Dr Manmohan Singh date back to the time when he was teaching at the Delhi School of Economics. I was in my MA first year those days. Seeing him among the stalwart professors in that era was reassuring for a student like me, having come from Sambalpur district in Western Odisha.”

He recalled that highly reputed professors like Amartya Sen, Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri, AM Khusro, KN Raj, Sukhamoy Chakraborty, Dharma Kumar and others were also faculty members at DSE then. “Dr Manmohan Singh had a remarkable ability to explain complex topics in international trade in a way every student could understand, making learning easier for students. He was extremely unassuming and kept a low profile,” Mishra said. He stated that his interaction with Dr Singh continued after he joined the IAS.

“Later I had the privilege of interacting with him when working as secretary to the National Disaster Management Authority and secretary to Government of India in the agriculture ministry during his tenure as the 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,” Mishra said.