Sir APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931. Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam went on to pursue aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. Moreover, in his childhood, he sold newspapers and saw difficulties throughout his life. Eventually, he became the eleventh president of India and was one of the key contributors to India’s space tech.
Kalam was born in Rameswaram, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. He had a vision of transforming India and making it a developed nation by 2020. He visited many institutions, such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM). While delivering a lecture in Shillong, Meghalaya, Kalam passed away on 27 July 2015. Hence, today marks the sixth death anniversary of APJ Abdul Kalam.
Science and Governance: Ideals Given by APJ Abdul Kalam
He comes under India’s distinguished scientists. As a scientist, he contributed to the development of the first Indian satellite launch vehicle known as the SLV-3. He was also behind the development of several strategic missiles and the 1998 nuclear tests. Kalam had served the nation while being in positions of responsibility in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was elevated to the rank of a cabinet minister as he became the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India.
Sir APJ Abdul Kalam held the position of the President of India from 2002 to 2007. He appealed to the masses and always tried to bridge the gap between different religious and social communities. He distinctly received honorary doctorates from about 45 institutions worldwide. Kalam has been awarded India’s highest civilian honours, Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and Bharat Ratna in 1997.
Kalam has written about fifteen books in his lifetime, all of them being translated to various languages. However, his most famous works are ‘Wings of Fire’ and ‘India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium’.
His teachings will continue to guide people.