Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh died in New Delhi on Thursday. He was 92.

The senior Congress leader, being treated for age-related medical conditions, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Science in the national capital on Thursday evening after he had a sudden loss of consciousness. Despite efforts, he could not be revived, the hospital said.

He is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters.

The Union government declared a seven-day mourning in honour of Singh. He will be accorded a state funeral. The Congress also cancelled its programmes for a week.

Born in the village of Gah, now in Pakistan, Singh’s family migrated to Amritsar during the Partition. He studied economics at Panjab University and completed his Economics Tripos at the University of Cambridge. This was followed by a DPhil in economics at Oxford University.

Singh returned to India and taught at Panjab University, and subsequently at the Delhi School of Economics.

In 1972, Singh became the chief economic adviser in the finance ministry. He went on to become the finance secretary and the governor of the Reserve Bank of India between 1982 and 1985.

As the Union finance minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government between 1991 and 1996, Singh is considered the architect of several structural reforms that liberalised the Indian economy.

Singh became the prime minister in 2004 after Sonia Gandhi, the Congress president at the time, turned down the post. For 10 years, he led a coalition government that introduced legislations such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Right to Information Act and signed the civil nuclear agreement with the United States.

He was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha between 1998 and 2004, and remained a member of the Upper House of Parliament until April.

He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, in 1987.

On Thursday night, President Droupadi Murmu said that Singh was a rare politician who “straddled the worlds of academia and administration with equal ease”.

Singh had made critical contributions to reforming the Indian economy, the president said.

Murmu added: “He will always be remembered for his service to the nation, his unblemished political life and his utmost humility. His passing is a great loss to all of us. I pay my respectful homage to one of the greatest sons of Bharat...”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that with the death of Singh, India was mourning the loss of “one of its most distinguished leaders”.

“Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist,” Modi said. “He served in various government positions as well, including as finance minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he had lost a mentor and a guide. “Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi added.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that few people in politics “inspire the kind of respect” that Singh did.

Vadra added: “His honesty will always be an inspiration for us and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment to serve the nation despite being subjected to unfair and deeply personal attacks by his opponents.”