BENGALURU, 3 JAN

Senior IAS officer LK Atheeq, Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, reflected on his experiences working with former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh at an event titled Legacy of Dr. Manmohan Singh: The Present and Future of India, held at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru on Friday.

Sharing anecdotes from his tenure at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) between 2007 and 2012, Atheeq lauded Singh as a visionary leader and a paragon of humility.

“Singh’s leadership was marked by intellectual rigor, dignity, and evidence-based policymaking. He demanded meticulous preparation and respect for institutional processes, refusing to bypass ministerial autonomy even when expedient,” Atheeq noted.

Atheeq recalled Singh’s unwavering composure in high-pressure situations, his insistence on well-reasoned policies, and his respect for diplomacy, citing a firm stand during bilateral talks with the Maldives. —Salar News