Manmohan Singh was one of the longest-serving prime ministers India has had and was the first Sikh to hold the role.

Authorities in India have declared a seven-day mourning period to honor Manmohan Singh, officials said Friday, as politicians and public paid tributes to the country’s former prime minister widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program.

India on Friday announced seven days of state mourning after the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, one of the architects of the country's economic liberalisation in the early 1990s."As a mark of respect for the departed dignitary,