PM turns 77, cuts cake mid-air

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today celebrated his 77th birthday mid-air by cutting a huge cake on Air India One on his way to Geneva from Pittsburgh.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today celebrated his 77th birthday mid-air by cutting a huge cake on Air India One on his way to Geneva from Pittsburgh.

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There was clapping and a round of cheers as his wife Gursharan Kaur sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

His daughter Upinder Singh, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan, Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla and SPG Director B B Wanchoo joined the cheering in the Prime Minister's cabin.

Later Singh came to journalists who greeted him on the occasion. The journalists and others also shared the cake.

When a journalist asked him how he felt, the Prime Minister said he would pray to God to give him strength to serve the people well.

This was not the first time Singh was celebrating his birthday mid-air. During his first term also, on a similar flight to New York, he cut the birthday cake on the aircraft a few years ago.

Earlier in Pittsburg, Singh said he was grateful to the people of India that he has been given a "unique opportunity" to serve and that he can never repay this "debt."

Born on September 26, 1932 at Gah in Punjab, which is now in the Chakwal district of Pakistan, Singh was responding to a question during a press conference at the conclusion of the third G-20 Summit when a correspondent reminded him of his birthday and wished him on the occasion.