A P J ABDUL KALAM-MISSILE MAN OF INDIA

A.P.J Abdul Kalam:

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, had contributed a lot in the field of Science. He was the man behind the development of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). SLV injected the Rohini satellite into earth's orbit in July 1980 which made India an exclusive Space Club member. He was responsible for the development and operationalization of AGNI and PRITHVI missiles, this earned him the title “Missile man of India”.

Early Life of APJ Abdul Kalam:

When APJ Kalam was in school he was an average student but he was described as a bright and hardworking student who always wants to learn. He used to spend hours on his studies especially mathematics. After finishing his education at Schwartz Higher Secondary School Ramanathapuram, Kalam Sir went to Saint Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli and later he graduated in Physics in 1954 from the University of Madras. He studied Aerospace Engineering at Madras Institute of Technology. After graduating from Madras Institute of Technology he joined the Aeronautical Development Organisation as a scientist. He designed a Hover Craft in his first job.

Abdul Kalam Image:

APJ Abdul Kalam Biography:

India became a nuclear weapon state because of him. From 1992 to 1999 when he was the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister of India when India went ahead with the nuclear explosions as the CEO of Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO). While camping in the Thar Desert for over a fortnight, he said “The testing was a ‘defining moment’ in the country’s history, next only to adopting the path of economic liberalisation in 1991.”

He collaborated with cardiologist B. Soma Raju and helped in designing ‘Kalam-Raju-Stent’ for coronary heart disease. In 1994 the device was introduced in India and it brought down the cost and made it affordable to the common man. In July 2002 he became the 11th President of India by succeeding Kocheril Raman Narayanan.  He served India from 25th July 2002 to 25th July 2007 as the 11th President. He was popularly known as the “People’s President”. In 2007, Kalam Sir completed their tenure and was succeeded by India’s first woman President Pratibha Patel. 

After leaving the office, he joined the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Management Indore as visiting professors. He also joined the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as an honorary fellow, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram as Chancellor, Aerospace Engineering at Anna University as professor and an adjunct at many other academic and research institutions across India.

He launched a programme “What Can I Give Movement” in May 2012, for the youth of India with the central theme of defeating corruption.

Abdul Kalam Image: 

Image Source: Google Image Search

In 1981, the Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan, in 1990 he was honoured with Padma Vibhushan and in 1997 he was honoured with Bharat Ratna for his contributions to science and engineering and service to the government and many other awards from the international community. He was full of wisdom and full of life. He was down to earth and loved and praised by not only Indians but throughout the world. He wrote several books in his lifetime. These books are an inspiration for the youth and provide them with a direction in times of difficulty. 

APJ Abdul Kalam's Poetry:
The Vision
I climbed and climbed
Where is the peak, my Lord?
I ploughed and ploughed,
Where is the knowledge treasure, my Lord?
I sailed and sailed,
Where is the island of peace, my Lord?
Almighty, bless my nation
With vision and sweat resulting in happiness

Books by APJ Abdul Kalam:

• Developments in Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology  

• India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium  

• Wings of Fire: An Autobiography 

• Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India  

• The Luminous Sparks 

• Mission India  

• Inspiring Thoughts 

• Indomitable Spirit

• Envisioning an Empowered Nation 

• You Are Born To Blossom: Take My Journey Beyond  

• Turning Points: A journey through challenges 

• Target 3 Billion  

• Forge your Future 

• Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future  

• Advantage India: From Challenge to Opportunity  

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Achievements of APJ Abdul Kalam:

• Padma Bhusan in 1981 and Padma Vibhushan in 1990 by the Government of India for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Government of India. 
• Dr Kalam was awarded the highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to scientific research and modernization of defence technology in India. 
• He was awarded Von Barun Award from the National Space Society “to recognize excellence in the management and leadership of a space-related project” 
• Dr Kalam received 7 honorary doctorates from 40 universities. 
• Wheeler Island in Odisha renamed Abdul Kalam Island in September 2015.
• Aurangzeb Road in New Delhi was renamed Dr APJ Adbul Kalam Road in August 2015.
• Botanical Survey of India named a newly found plant species as Drypetes Kalamii in honour of Dr Kalam in February 2018. 

Death of APJ Abdul Kalam:

On July 27th 2015, when Dr Kalam was delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, during this lecture he suddenly collapsed and died due to cardiac arrest, Thousands of people attended his funeral which was held in his hometown Rameswaram. He will always remain the peoples' President in our hearts. 

APJ Abdul Kalam Quotes for Students:

• Ultimately, Education In Its Real Sense is that the Pursuit Of Truth. It Is An Endless Journey Through Knowledge And Enlightenment.
• One Best Book Is adequate to 100 Best Friends. One Good Friend Is adequate to A Library.
• Books Enable the youngsters to look at The Past, Use The Experience For this And Dream For the longer term.
• Books Are My Favourite Friends, which I Consider My Home Library, With Many Thousand Books, To Be My Greatest Wealth.
• Man Needs Difficulties In Life Because they're Necessary To Enjoy Success.
• If You Get Ignored Once, Take The Hint And Never Bother That Person Again. Self-respect Is More Important Than Someone’s Reply Or Attraction.
• Don’t Lose Your Dignity And Self-respect Trying to form People Accept, Love, And Appreciate You once they Just Aren’t Capable.
• Lovely Thing to find out From Water, Adjust Yourself In Every Situation And In Any Shape. But most significantly, Find Your Own thanks to Flow.
• Education is that the Most Powerful Weapon Which you'll Use to vary the planet.
• Learning Gives Creativity, Creativity leads to Thinking, Thinking Provides Knowledge, And Knowledge causes you to Great.
• The Best Brains Of The Country could also be Found On The Last Benches Of The Classroom.
• Real Education Enhances The Dignity Of a person's Being And Increases His Or Her Self Respect.
• You Have To Dream Before Your Dreams Can Come True.
• Dream, Dream, Dream. Dreams Transform Into Thoughts And Thoughts end in Action.
• Great Dreams Of Dreamers Are Always Transcended.
• Look At The Sky. We Are Not Alone. The Whole Universe Is Friendly To Us And Conspires Only to offer the simplest To those that Dream And Work.
• Dreams isn't That Which You See In Your Sleep. It Is Something That Doesn’t allow you to sleep.
• Don’t Read Success Stories, you'll Only Get A Message. Read Failure Stories, you'll Find Some Ideas to urge Success.
• Confidence And Hardwork is that the simplest Medicine To Kill The Disease Called Failure. It Will causes you to A Successful Person.
• If you would like To Shine sort of a Sun, First Burn Like A-Sun.
• Failure Will Never Overtake Me If My Desire To Succeed is strong Enough.
• Don’t Lower Your Standards For Anyone Or Anything. Self-respect Is Everything.
• Never Explain Yourself To Anyone. Because The one that Likes You Doesn’t Need It, and therefore the one that Dislikes You Won’t Believe It.