Former Foriegn Minister Natwar Singh passes away at the age of 93

Veteran Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister, K Natwar Singh, passed away on Saturday night at the age of 93. Singh had been battling a prolonged illness and was receiving treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, near Delhi, where he took his last breath, according to family sources.

Born in 1931 in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district, Natwar Singh had a distinguished career both as a diplomat and a politician. Before transitioning into politics, he served as a diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), which he joined in 1953 at the young age of 22. His diplomatic career was marked by key postings, including serving as India’s Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1973 to 1977 and as High Commissioner to Zambia in 1977. He later served as India’s Ambassador to Pakistan from 1980 to 1982, a particularly challenging period in Indo-Pakistani relations.

Natwar Singh made his foray into politics in 1984 when he was elected as the Member of Parliament from Bharatpur, Rajasthan. He quickly rose through the ranks and held several significant positions in the Indian government. He served as the Union Minister of State for Steel, Mines, and Coal, and Agriculture from 1985 to 1986 during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as Prime Minister. He was later appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs from 1986 to 1989.

In 2004, Natwar Singh was appointed as the External Affairs Minister in the Manmohan Singh government, where he served until 2005. His contributions to Indian diplomacy and politics were recognized with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.