A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, Krishna served as Karnataka's chief minister from 1999 to 2004 and as India's external affairs minister from 2009 to 2012 as part of a six-decade-long political career.
Krishna transitioned from an impressive academic career to politics when he won the assembly elections as an independent candidate from Maddur in 1962, stunning then Congress veteran and sitting minister HK Veeranna Gowda.
The former Maharashtra governor breathed his last at 2.45am on Tuesday. The Karnataka government announced a three-day state mourning as a mark of respect to the veteran leader. His last rites will be performed with full state honours at his native village in Mandya district on Wednesday.
The state mourning is from December 10 to 12, an official notification said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet colleagues S Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders paid rich tributes to Krishna, who left the Congress in 2017 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Shri SM Krishna Ji was a remarkable leader, admired by people from all walks of life. He always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others," Modi said on X. "He is fondly remembered for his tenure as Karnataka's chief minister, particularly for his focus on infrastructural development. Shri SM Krishna Ji was also a prolific reader and thinker," the PM said.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Krishna left behind a rich legacy of statesmanship and public service.
Kharge hailed Krishna as a true champion of development who made significant contributions to the state and the nation.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
China building villages near Doklam in Bhutan: Sat data
NEW DELHI: China has built at least 22 villages and settlements over the past eight years within territory that has traditionally been part of Bhutan, with eight villages coming up in areas in proximity to the strategic Doklam plateau since 2020, according to satellite imagery.
'Our dreams are shattered': Deaths in Georgia wreck homes in Punjab
MEA OFFICIALS SAID THEY WERE WORKING TO BRING THE BODIES BACK TO INDIA
67% sanitation workers from SC communities: Centre to LS
NEW DELHI: Two-thirds of sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) in urban local bodies across India, surveyed by the Union government, come from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, the Centre informed Parliament on Tuesday.
ONOP will test govt's ability to muster up two-thirds majority
NEW DELHI: The NDA government's ambitious plan for simultaneous national and state polls could be a test of its ability to muster the requisite numbers as it doesn't have a two-thirds majority needed to push through a Constitution amendment under Article 368 in the Lok Sabha.
MOVE AGAINST FEDERALISM, WILL ALTER BASIC STRUCTURE: OPPN
Opposition leaders on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the bills introduced in the Lok Sabha that propose simultaneous elections to the Lower House and state assemblies, arguing that the legislation undermines federalism, violates the Constitution's basic structure, was introduced without adequate consultation with states and envisions an impractical scenario.
BJP govts to soon bring UCC in every state: Shah
NEW DELHI: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implemented by Uttarakhand is a model law that will be debated widely and then the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments will bring a common civil code in all states, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday as he accused the Congress of undermining the Constitution and promoting appeasement politics.
From 2025, NTA not to hold recruitment tests
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will, from 2025, conduct only entrance exams for higher education institutions and not recruitment exams, a move aimed at improving its functioning and in keeping with the recommendations of a high-level committee set up in June 2024.
'Like Tendulkar is for cricket, Zakir Hussain was for classical music'
As the world of Indian classical music mourns Ustad Zakir Hussain, who died on December 15, few feel the loss as deeply as musician Aditya Kalyanpur.
WHY INDIA LOVES BRAND AYUSHMANN KHURRANA
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is considered one of India's most relatable youth icons, something that is reflected in the diverse brands he endorses.
When Chay flew to Mumbai
Following their wedding on December 4, actor-couple Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala have opened up about their relationship for the first time.
