Dr.Manmohan Singh: The demise of India’s former Prime Minister and globally renowned economist has left the entire nation in shock. During his tenure as Prime Minister, India’s economy reached milestones that remain exemplary. Consequently, his passing has cast a shadow of mourning not only across India but around the world.
Interestingly, Manmohan Singh had both political and familial connections with Odisha. This is because he had an Odia son-in-law, Ashok Patnaik. Among Manmohan Singh’s four daughters, his second daughter, Daman Singh, is married to Ashok Patnaik. Ashok, a 1983 Gujarat-cadre IPS officer, hails from Cuttack, although his family currently resides in Bhubaneswar’s Kharavela Nagar.
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After Manmohan Singh stepped down as Prime Minister, Ashok served as the CEO of the National Intelligence Grid from 2016 to 2018. During his tenure, Ashok brought significant reforms to national security. In 2007, he received the President’s Police Medal from his father-in-law, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Ashok’s wife, Daman Singh, is an author. She completed her undergraduate studies at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, and later pursued postgraduate studies in Rural Management at IRMA, Gujarat. In 1991, she married Odia IPS officer Ashok Pattnaik. Known affectionately as “Nonu” in her husband’s family, Daman’s mother-in-law used to call her by this nickname.
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During Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister, whenever he visited Odisha, he often met Ashok’s mother, Ratnamala Pattnaik, at the Raj Bhavan and even shared meals with her. Manmohan Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur, also visited her son-in-law’s house in Bhubaneswar.
Despite being Manmohan Singh’s son-in-law, Ashok Pattnaik always stayed away from publicity. Many in Odisha, including Congress leaders, were unaware of this connection. Today, following Manmohan Singh’s passing, his son-in-law, IPS officer Ashok Pattnaik, has come into the limelight.
