Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, was a great leader as well as an exceptional scientist. He was honoured with the prestigious Bharat Ratna award for his outstanding contribution to science and space research. Unfortunately, Dr. Kalam tragically passed away on July 27, 2015 due to a heart attack while delivering a speech in Shillong.
Born on October 15, 1931, in the temple town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Kalam was the youngest of five siblings, the second being Jainulabdeen, a boat owner, and his mother Ashiamma. He supported his struggling family by walking long distances to pay for his education and by delivering newspapers in his town during his student days. Kalam showed early signs of a keen interest in space, rockets and aeroplanes. After completing the eighth grade at Rameswaram Primary School, he attended Schwartz Higher Secondary School in Ramanathapuram. Later, he joined St. Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli to pursue a degree in physics and graduated in 1954. Inspired by his love for aircraft, he studied aeronautical engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in Madras (now Chennai).
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s visit
The Missile Man of India – Abdul Kalam began working as a senior scientific assistant at DTD&P (Air), now called DGAQA, in 1958. Later that year, he moved to DRDO and began contributing to the design of hovercraft. His distinguished career in rocket and missile technologies began when he joined ISRO as a rocket engineer in 1969. He built four missiles at ISRO (1969-1982): Agni, Trishul, Akash and Nag. Known as the “Missile Man of India”, he participated in the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in May 1998 while serving as the chief scientific adviser.
people’s president – Dr Kalam led India as its 11th President from 2002 to 2007. He was known for his passion for connecting with people, especially the younger generation. He welcomed school children at Rashtrapati Bhavan with warmth and genuine enthusiasm and aroused their curiosity.
Achievements and awards – In an effort to provide urban amenities to rural communities, Dr Kalam unveiled the PURA model in 2013. He and Dr Soma Raju worked together to develop a medical pill and the “Kalam-Raju Stent” in 2012. He created lightweight prosthetic calipers for children suffering from polio and launched the ‘What Can I Give’ initiative to fight corruption. Apart from being a professor at Anna University, he also held positions at IIST and IIM. Apart from receiving major honours like the Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, he also received honorary doctorates from 40 universities.
Author – Notable publications written by Dr. Kalam include “India 2020,” “Wings of Fire,” “Ignited Minds,” “Turning Points,” “My Journey,” and “Failure is a Teacher.”
Death – Dr. Kalam continued to inspire the youth till his last breath. He died on 27 July 2015 at the age of 83 after falling unconscious during a presentation at IIM Shillong.
