India announces state funeral for former PM Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: India announced seven days of state mourning on Friday after the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, one of the architects of the country´s economic liberalisation in the early 1990s.

Singh, who held office from 2004 to 2014, died at the age of 92 late on Thursday evening at a hospital in New Delhi. He will also be accorded a state funeral.

“As a mark of respect for the departed dignitary, it has been decided that seven days of state mourning will be observed throughout India,” the Indian government said in a statement on Friday, with mourning running until January 1.

“It has also been decided that the state funeral will be accorded to late Dr Manmohan Singh,” it said, with the national flag fluttering at half-mast on official buildings across the country.

India´s cricket team battling hosts Australia in the fourth Test took to the ground in Melbourne on Friday with black armbands to show respect for Singh.

The official date for the state funeral was not announced immediately but a senior member of the Congress party suggested it would be held on Saturday.