On the near anniversary of the death of Dr Manmohan Singh (1955), St John’s College hosted a virtual event to honour the life, achievements and enduring legacy of one of its most distinguished alumni. In December 2025, we welcomed attendees from all over the world, bringing together alumni, current college members, scholarship recipients and the Singh family, to reflect on the global impact of Dr Singh’s journey from humble beginnings to international statesmanship.
We began with reflections from two key members of staff: Dr Matthias Dörrzapf, Fellow and former Senior Tutor at St John’s, and Dr Sue Colwell, Fellow and former Tutor for Graduate Affairs, who were instrumental in the launch of the Manmohan Singh Scholarship in 2007. Dr Singh was described as “the most impressive, intelligent and humble person”. His remarkable journey began in rural Punjab and led him to St John’s College in 1955, where he distinguished himself in Economics, earning the Adam Smith Prize and graduating with first-class honours. His career would go on to span academia, economic policy and a decade as Prime Minister of India, during which he spearheaded transformative reforms that shaped the nation’s future. In recognition of these achievements, the Manmohan Singh Scholarship was launched, designed to enable outstanding Indian students to pursue postgraduate study at St John’s and, as Dr Dörrzapf noted, “give many talented individuals the amazing opportunity to experience Cambridge just as Dr Manmohan Singh had experienced it.”
The administration and evolution of the scholarship were detailed by Dr Colwell. She recounted its launch at the Indian Prime Minister’s residence and its mission to strengthen academic links between India and Cambridge, attract top scholars and contribute to India’s future leadership. Supported by major sponsors and later administered directly from Cambridge, the scholarship has seen 24 scholars elected up to 2019, many of whom have excelled in academia, technology and entrepreneurship, with several returning to India in line with the original aims.
We then heard from one of Dr Singh’s daughters, Professor Amrit Singh (1989), who followed in her father’s footsteps after being offered a scholarship to St John’s. Amrit expanded on the connection the family has built with College, and the significance the scholarship has had on them.
Dr Singh loved learning and his years at St John’s were described as the most enjoyable years of his life. He spent his time punting on the Cam, watching cricket, making lifelong friends, but most importantly pursued intellectual inquiry relentlessly. Amrit shared that Dr Singh looked back on his days at Cambridge “with great nostalgia and affection”, and though he went on to do a DPhil at the University of Oxford, St John’s always held a special place in his heart.
Amrit also shared how thankful the family was for the scholarship, iterating that it was deeply meaningful to him to be honoured in such a way. Dr Singh once said, “My life is a living example of what scholarships can do for those who come from less privileged sections of society. That a person like me with my modest background and means was able to study at all, not to mention at Cambridge, is testimony to the role scholarships can play in social and economic empowerment of individual and society.” Dr Singh’s first-hand experience of the transformative value of education made him want that experience for other Indians.
We were grateful to be joined by five past recipients of the Manmohan Singh Scholarship who shared their own personal journeys, each illustrating the profound impact that award has had for them:
Niladri Banerjee (2008) is now Associate Professor at Imperial College London. He shared how the scholarship made his Cambridge education possible, providing not just financial support but a sense of belonging and inspiration.
Shri Padwar (2009) reflected on how the scholarship opened the only door to higher studies, enabling a journey from engineering in India to research, entrepreneurship and global impact. She emphasised Dr Singh’s vision of expanding opportunity for all.
Rohit Chikkaraddy (2014), who is now Assistant Professor at University of Birmingham, highlighted the scholarship’s role in providing focus, freedom and dignity, enabling academic excellence and international collaboration.
Aryia Arya (2015) spoke of the scholarship as a lifelong dream realised, enabling her to join a world-class research group and later shape academic publishing and research ethics.
And finally Karthik Murukesan (2017) shared how the scholarship allowed him to pursue a PhD at Cambridge with his family, leading to a career in Silicon Valley and ongoing contributions to India’s semiconductor policy.
Each scholar expressed deep gratitude to St John’s, the Singh family and the scholarship’s supporters, crediting the award with opening doors that would otherwise have remained closed.
The stories and reflections exchanged throughout the afternoon illuminated Dr Singh’s legacy, not only as a statesman and economist, but as a true champion of opportunity, integrity and education. The Manmohan Singh Scholarship stands as a living tribute to his vision, continuing to open doors for talented individuals and inspiring new generations to pursue excellence, give back to their communities, and carry forward the spirit of generosity and hope that defined Dr Singh’s life.
A recording of the session can be viewed here.
