Nearly two years after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s demise triggered a political debate over his final resting place and a memorial in the national capital, the proposed memorial at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal near Rajghat has cleared another major stage, with the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) approving the architectural proposal subject to a series of conditions.The approval, recorded in the minutes of DUAC’s August 25 meeting, takes the project significantly closer to execution. The commission has, however, made it clear that the memorial cannot be designed as an isolated structure and must remain in harmony with the established architectural and landscape character of the national memorial complex.The formal acceptance cleared the way for the next stage. The Centre confirmed receipt of the family’s letter, while officials said formal allotment would follow the creation of the trust. The proposed memorial was to be developed in accordance with the character of the existing samadhis at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.That design has now come under the scrutiny of DUAC.The commission has directed that the memorial’s architecture, landscape, materials, colour palette, paving, boundary treatment and other external elements be coordinated with the existing samadhis. It has specifically observed that Rashtriya Smriti Sthal has an established vocabulary of restrained memorial architecture and an open landscaped setting. The new structure, therefore, can have its own identity but cannot appear visually disconnected from the precinct.DUAC has also sought consideration of white marble or white granite in relation to the materials used in existing memorials. Landscaping has been given particular attention, with lawns, plantations, flower beds, paving and peripheral landscaping required to form part of a coordinated plan.An existing tree on the proposed site is to be protected and incorporated into the design without affecting its health, root system or future growth. The commission has additionally prescribed coordinated treatment of pathways, railings, signage, plaques and other peripheral elements. Seating benches have been sought on both sides of the pathway leading to the memorial, while provision has also been made for visitors to remove and protect their footwear from rain.The DUAC clearance, however, is not the final statutory clearance. The commission has made it clear that its approval is limited to architectural, urban-design and aesthetic considerations. The project will still have to comply with conditions imposed by the Land and Development Office under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and with other applicable statutory requirements. Any significant change affecting the memorial’s external appearance will also have to be brought before the commission.The question is no longer where Singh’s memorial should be located. The family has accepted the 900-square-metre site, the trust-based allotment framework has been established as the basis for the project, and the architectural proposal has now received DUAC approval subject to conditions.The journey to this point began soon after Singh died on December 26, 2024, aged 92. The question of a memorial quickly became politically contentious after his cremation at Nigam Bodh Ghat, with the Congress accusing the Centre of not according the former Prime Minister an appropriate site and the BJP rejecting the criticism.But back then, the government had already begun the process of finding land.In the first days of January 2025, officials of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) inspected possible sites around Rajghat, Rashtriya Smriti Sthal and Kisan Ghat. At that stage, three or four options were reportedly being discussed with Singh’s family and no location had been finalised. The Centre’s plan was to first establish a trust and then allot the selected land to it under the prevailing policy.The choice was gradually narrowed down to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal. By mid-January, a CPWD architect had inspected two pieces of land identified for mapping at the complex. Site measurements were carried out and discussions followed with senior officials on the proposed design, estimates and other modalities. The family, however, had yet to give its approval at that stage.By February 2025, the location had become clearer. The Centre had offered a plot next to the site earmarked for former President Pranab Mukherjee’s memorial. But the land could not simply be transferred to the family. Under the government’s memorial policy, the land had to be allotted to a trust, making the creation of a trust a prerequisite. The proposed arrangement also envisaged a one-time government grant of Rs 25 lakh for construction, with the trust subsequently working with CPWD for the memorial.The question of location was finally settled in March 2025.After members of Singh’s family visited the complex and surveyed the proposed site, his wife, Gursharan Kaur, sent a formal letter accepting the government’s offer. The selected plot measured 900 square metres and was located towards the centre of Rashtriya Smriti Sthal. The family said the land would be allotted to a trust that it would establish and that it could apply for a one-time grant of up to Rs 25 lakh for construction.The location itself places Singh’s future memorial within a tightly packed cluster of national memorials. According to the family’s account reported at the time, the proposed plot has former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s samadhi in front, former President R Venkataraman’s behind it, and those of former Presidents Giani Zail Singh and Pranab Mukherjee on either side. The Indian Express also reported that only two vacant plots remained in the samadhi complex at that point, with one having been offered to the Pranab Mukherjee family.The remaining process is therefore increasingly about execution, building a memorial for the economist and former Prime Minister within one of Delhi’s most closely regulated and symbolically significant national memorial precincts.