Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said he had no asset, except for education, when he was young.
"As a young adult, I had no other asset or advantage other than the benefit of a good education," he told a conference on Dalits and minorities.
The prime minister said he owed his rise to his family's commitment to give him good education. "I would not have been what I am today and could not have done what I have been able to do in my life but for the light of education that my family lit for me," Dr Singh remarked.
He also referred to state scholarships that he secured for higher studies. "I was able to earn as my education progressed," the prime minister said.