New Delhi (India), Dec. 27 (LaPresse) – India has declared seven days of mourning for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away at the age of 92. Authorities have canceled all cultural and entertainment events for the week, and government buildings across the country are flying the national flag at half-mast. Singh, who died on Thursday, will be cremated on Saturday. His body has been placed in a glass coffin, adorned with flowers and wrapped in the Indian flag. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the former premier’s home to offer condolences to the family. Widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a mild-mannered technocrat, Singh served as Prime Minister for 10 years and was the leader of the Congress Party in the Upper House of Parliament, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen for the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, widow of the assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and was re-elected in 2009. However, his second term as Prime Minister was marred by financial scandals and corruption allegations, including those related to the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This contributed to the Congress Party's heavy defeat in the 2014 national elections by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Narendra Modi.