Manmohan Singh: Reformer & Great Leader - Kaushik Basu

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, admired for his sharp intellect, innate modesty, and personal integrity— qualities rarely found in politics— will be remembered as one of the greatest political leaders not only in India but also globally, former World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu said on Friday.

Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died here at the age of 92 late on Thursday. He served as prime minister for two terms from 2004 to 2014.

Basu, who was Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) to the government of India from 2009-12, further said Manmohan Singh's modesty came from a deep sense of courage and self-confidence.

"I have no doubt that he will go down in history as one of the great political leaders not just of India but of the world.

"He was a combination of sharp intellect, innate modesty and personal integrity, which is rare in politics," the former CEA told PTI.

Basu said that the reforms that Singh initiated in the early 1990s transformed India from a struggling developing nation to one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

"The talent and creativity that we see today spilling out from India to the United States and Europe, in the fields of corporate leadership, science, research and policymaking owe a lot to this transformation of the 90s," he said.

Working closely with Singh from 2009 to 2012, Basu said he saw an intellectual capaciousness that enabled him to grasp the big picture and simultaneously the minute details of policymaking.

" He (Singh) had little time for political intrigue. And that made all the difference for India," the former CEA said.