Abdul Kalam, A. P. J.
Rameswaram India, October 15, 1931,
Shillong, India (2002-2007) Title/Office President, India
Political Affiliation (National Democratic Alliance)
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in full Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, (born October 15, 1931, Rameswaram, India—died July 27, 2015, Shillong), an Indian scientist and politician who played a leading role in the development of India’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. He was president of India from 2002 to 2007.
Kalam earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology and, in 1958, joined the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). In 1969, he moved to the Indian Space Research Organization, where he was project director of the SLV-III, the first satellite launch vehicle that was both designed and produced in India. Rejoining DRDO in 1982, Kalam planned the program that produced a number of successful missiles, which helped earn him the nickname "Missile Man." Among those successes was Agni, India’s first intermediate-range ballistic missile, which incorporated aspects of the SLV-III and was launched in 1989.
The Missile Man of India: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Greats do not appear every day; they appear once every century and are remembered for millennia. One such great, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, was born in Rameswaram, Madras Presidency, on October 15th, 1931, to a poor Tamil Muslim family. He lived with his family in the temple city of Tamil Nadu, Rameswaram, where his father, Jainulabdeen, had a boat and was an imam of a local mosque. At the same time, his mother, Ashiamma, was a housewife. Kalam had four brothers and one sister in his family, of which he was the youngest. Kalam's ancestors were wealthy traders and landowners and had vast land and property tracts. But with time, their business of ferrying pilgrims and trading groceries suffered huge losses due to the opening of the Pam ban Bridge. As a result, Kalam's family had become inadequate and struggled hard to make a living. At a tender age, Kalam had to sell newspapers to supplement his family's income.
The Educational Background of Abdul Kalam
Although Kalam had average grades in school, he was very hard-working and had an immense desire to learn. He spent a lot of time studying and had developed a particular interest in mathematics. Kalam left Schwartz Higher Secondary School after completing his early education and went to Saint Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli. From Saint Joseph's College, he graduated in physics in 1954. He moved to Madras in 1955 to study aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology.
Kalam as a scientist
After graduation, Kalam worked as a scientist in the DRDO's aeronautical development establishment. His career started with him designing a small hovercraft. However, he was not convinced by his choice of a job at the DRDO. Kalam was transferred to ISRO in 1969, where he was the project director of India's first satellite vehicle launch. The satellite vehicle deployed the Rohini satellite successfully into near-Earth orbit in July 1980. Kalam received the government's LV and SV projects between the 1970s and 1990s. He directed two projects, like Project Devil and Project Valiant, which were aimed at developing ballistic missiles from the successful SLV program's technology. Kalam somehow convinced Indira Gandhi and sought secret funds for these aerospace projects. His research and immense knowledge brought him and the nation great laurels in the 1980s.
Kalam then went on to become the scientific advisor to the defense minister in 1992 and served in the same post for five years before getting promoted to the post of principal scientific advisor to the government. His immense role in the country's 1998 nuclear weapons tests solidified India's status as a nuclear power. Kamal had now become a national hero, to be remembered for ages to come. However, the tests he conducted caused a huge uproar in the international community. Kamal put forward a nationwide plan called Technology Vision 2020, which according to him, was a fantastic way to transform the stature of India in 20 years, taking it from a developing to a developed nation. The plan envisioned the progress of the nation by adopting advanced technology, expanding healthcare facilities, and emphasizing education of the masses.
Presidency
Sir Kalam was entitled to be the 11th president of India. His term period of July 25th, 2002 to July 25th, 2007 was achieved by winning a presidential election in 2002 with a massive margin of votes. The National Democratic Alliance nominated him to be president, and it was supported by the Samajwadi Party and the National Congress Party. He was affectionately referred to as the People's President because of his numerous contributions to the welfare of the people and the entire country.
He was brave and courageous enough to take decisions and implement them, no matter if they were tough or sensitive or highly controversial. The "office of profit" is perhaps the hardest act that he had to sign. The "office of profit," according to the English Act of Settlement in 1701, explains that no single individual who has a professional set up under the royal family, who has some kind of provision with or who is taking a pension from the prince, has the right to work for the "House of Commons". This will allow the royal family to have zero influence on the administrative conditions.
He also became one of the most talked-about presidents' rules in 2005 for imposing the Presidents’ rule in Bihar. Kalam expressed his wish to take up the position one more time, but later changed his mind.
After taking farewell from the office, he shifted and commenced his career as a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong. He served as an Aerospace Engineering professor at Anna University, Tamil Nadu. He also lit up educational institutions like the Indian Institute of Indore and the Indian Institute of Bangalore with his presence and knowledge. Sir Kalam served as chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram.
In 2012, he introduced a programme called "What Can I Give?" focusing on the theme of eradicating corruption from the country.
The Demise of Abdul Kalam
As we know, everyone who takes birth on the Earth has to die one day. But some people remain immortal in the hearts of millions of people because of their contribution to the country. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was one such personality who died at 83. It was shocking news for the entire country as a pure soul left us forever. Abdul Kalam while delivering a speech for the youth at an event at IIM Shillong. During the middle of the speech, he suffered from a cardiac arrest and collapsed. Although he was admitted to the best hospital in Shillong, the doctors could not save him.
Then his body was airlifted to Gugati, and from there, it was taken to New Delhi in an army plane. Their president, vice president, and some other leaders prayed for his soul. His body was then covered in the Indian National flag and brought to his hometown. About 35,000 people attended his funeral event and prayed for such a great soul. The Writings
of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Dr. Abdul Kalam was a person who was not only a great political leader but also a good teacher and a writer. He had many delicate qualities and visions. He always had an excellent dream for the country's development and realised that the youth could bring revolution. During his university career, he inspired many of the students through his inspirational speeches and tremendous visions. Apart from this, Dr. Kalam was a great writer. He has written several books, which are mainly meant for the nation's empowerment. His creation of India 2020 was like a gift for us, and he had all the strategies to make India a superpower. In this book, he has primarily focused on some factors like food and development in the agriculture sector, improved health care facilities, advanced information and communication systems, good infrastructure, sufficiency in electricity production, and self-reliance in some advanced technologies.
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