President Dr A.P.J.

Abdul Kalam
"Dreams float on an impatient wind, A wind that wants to create a new order. An order of strength and
thundering of fire." -- from a poem written by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is the undisputed father of India's missile program. He has breathed life into ballistic
missiles like the Agni and Prithvi, which put China and Pakistan well under India's missile range. It is too
exhausting to track Dr Abdul Kalam's achievements to date. In the '60s and '70s he was a trail blazer in the
space department. In the '80s he transformed the moribund Defence Research and Development
Laboratory in Hyderabad into a highly motivated team. By the '90s Kalam emerged as the czar of Indian
science and technology and was awarded the Bharat Ratna. His life and mission is a vindication of what a
determined person can achieve against extraordinary odds. Even at 71, he is indefatigable and dreams of
making India into a technological superpower. More importantly, he is still capable of acting on it.

Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam studied
at Schwartz High School in Ramanathapuram. After graduating in science from St. Joseph's College in
Tiruchi, he did his DMIT in Aeronautical Engineering at the MIT, Madras, during 1954-57.

After completing his third year at MIT, Kalam joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL), Bangalore as a
trainee. Here, he worked on piston and turbine engines examining as part of a team. He also received
training on radial engine-cum-drum operations. Here he also learnt how to check a crankshaft for wear and
tear, and a connecting rod and crankshaft for twist.

In 1958, when he came out of HAL as a graduate of aeronautical engineering, he had his long-standing
dream of flying, as two alternative opportunities for employment. One was the job at Directorate of
Technical Development and Production(DTD&P) of the Ministry of Defence and another was a career in the
Indian Air Force. He applied at both the places, and the interview calls came simultaneously from both.

He went to Delhi for an interview with DTD&P, which did not challenge his knowledge of the subject. Then
he went to Dehra Dun for interview with the Air Force Selection Board. Here too, the interview was more on
personality test, rather than testing his knowledge. He stood ninth in the batch of 25, and eight officers
were selected to be commissioned in the Air Force. Kalam could feel the opportunity to join the Air Force
slipping from his hands.

Dissapointed at his rejection by the IAF, Kalam visited Rishikesh where he bathed in the Ganga and met
Swami Sivananda – "a man who looked like Buddha". He introduced himself to the Swamiji, who did not
react to his Muslim identity. He asked Kalam about the reason for his sorrow. Kalam told him about his
unsuccessful attempt to join the Indian Air Force and his long-cherished desire to fly. Sivananda guided him
saying: "Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot.
What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was
essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become
one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God."

After returning to Delhi, Kalam received an appointment letter from DTD&P. On the next day he joined as
Senior Scientific Assistant, with a basic salary of Rs. 250/- per month. Here, he was posted at the Technical
Center(Civil Aviation). He lost his resentment of failure, thinking he would be able to make aeroplanes
airworthy if not fly aeroplanes. During his first year in the Directorate, he carried out a design assignment
on supersonic target aircraft with the help of his officer-in-charge, R. Varadharajan, and won praise from
the Director, Dr Neelakantan. Then he was sent to the Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit(A & ATU) at
Kanpur to get shop-floor exposure to aircraft maintenance.

Upon his return to Delhi, he was informed that the design of a DART target had been taken up at the DTD&P
and he was included in the design team. After that, he undertook a preliminary design study on Human
Centrifuge. He designed and developed a vertical takeoff and landing platform, and Hot Cockpit. Three
years later, the Aeronautical Development Establishment(ADE) was formed in Bangalore and he was posted
there.

At ADE, Kalam served as a senior scientific assistant, heading a small team that developed a prototype
hovercraft. Defence Minister Krishna Menon rode in India's first indigenous hovercraft with Kalam at the
controls. But for reasons never explained, the project which would have been a considerable international
achievement in those days, was not encouraged. This was probably one of the reasons why he moved out of
ADE in 1962 and joined India's space program.

During 1963-82, he served the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) in various capacities. Here
Kalam initiated Fibre Reinforced Plastics(FRP) activities, then after a stint with the aerodynamics and
design group, he joined the satellite launch vehicle team at Thumba, near Trivandram and soon became
Project Director for SLV-3. As Project Director, he was responsible for carrying out the design,
development, qualification and flight testing of 44 major sub systems. The project managed to put Rohini, a
scientific satellite, into orbit in July 1980. He was honoured with a Padma Bhushan in 1981.

Agni intermediate range ballistic missile

Born - 15 October 1931
Achievements - This eminent scientist and engineer has also served as the 11th President of India from the
period 2002 to 2007. APJ Abdul Kalam is a man of vision, who is always full of ideas aimed at the development of
the country. He firmly believes that India needs to play a more assertive role in international relations.

Apart from being a notable scientist and engineer, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam served as the 11th President of India
from the period 2002 to 2007. He is a man of vision, who is always full of ideas aimed at the development of the
country and is also often also referred to as the Missile Man of India. People loved and respected Dr APJ Abdul
Kalam so much during his tenure as President that was popularly called the People's President. Read more about
the biography of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam here.

APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 at the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and received honorary
doctorates from about 30 universities globally. In the year 1981, the Government of India presented him the
nation's highest civilian honor, the Padma Bhushan and then again, the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and the Bharat
Ratna in 1997. Before Kalam, there have been only two presidents - Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Zakir Hussain -
to have received the Bharat Ratna before bring appointed to the highest office in India.

Read on about the life history of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who's also the first scientist and bachelor to occupy the
seat of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. His perspectives on important topics have been enunciated by him in the book
'India 2020'. It highlights the action plans that will help develop the country into a knowledge superpower by the
time 2020. One thing for which he received ample kudos is his unambiguous statement that India needs to play a
more assertive role in international relations.

And Dr APJ Abdul Kalam regards his work on India's nuclear weapons program as a way to assert India's place
as a future superpower. Even during his tenure as President, APJ Kalam took avid interest in the spheres of
India's science and technology. He has even put forward a project plan for establishing bio-implants. He is also
an ardent advocate of open source software over proprietary solutions to churn out more profits in the field of
information technology in India.
India's 11th President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam assumed office on July 25, 2002. He was born on 15th October
1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Dr. Kalam has been often referred to as the "Missile Man
of India" and was the Project Director of India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-
III). Career. He graduated in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology
in 1958 and joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In 1962,
Kalam joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In 1982, he rejoined DRDO as
the Chief Executive of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). Dr. Kalam
is credited with the development and operationalisation of India's Agni and Prithvi missiles. He
worked as the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence
Research & Development from 1992 to 1999. During this period , the Pokhran-II nuclear tests
were conducted. Dr. Kalam held the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government
of India from November 1999 to November 2001.

Dr. Kalam took up teaching at Anna University, Chennai from November 2001. He is a prolific
author. His books , "Wings of Fire", "India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium", "My
journey" and "Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India" have become bestsellers. He
is a favourite with children all over the country and has met children all over the country and
has encouraged them with his learned talks.

Dr. Kalam has received a host of awards both in India and abroad. He was awarded the Padma
Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan 1990 and the Bharat Ratna in 1997. He is of the view that
we should work wholeheartedly to make India a developed nation by 2020.Besides being a
bachelor, Kalam is a strict disciplarinian, a complete vegetarian and teetotaler. Among the
many firsts to his credit, he became India's first President to undertake an undersea journey
when he boarded the INS Sindhurakshak, a submarine, from Visakhapatnam. He also became
the first president to undertake a sortie in an fighter aircraft, a Sukhoi-30 MKI. Dr.Abdul
Kalam's term expires this year.

He is the first scientist to head the world's largest democracy. Widely known as the Missile
Man, APJ Abdul Kalam is acknowledged as the driving force behind India's leap in the defence
technology that brought India in the league of nuclear nations. From Rameshwaram to
Rashtrapati Bhawan at Delhi, Kalam's life is literally a story of success trough sheer hardwork
and determination, specially considering that he started life as a boat owner's son, who sold
newspaper as a child. The secret is in positive thinking, for according to kalam, "Thinking
should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your
life." Unlike other political leaders, he retains his humility and accessibility. For Kalam, India's
true assets are its youth and he continues to try and motivate them. As he says, "The nation
requires role models in leadership who can inspire youngsters. There is no dearth of resources
and talent in this country but what we need is more creativity." His dream is to make India a
developed nation by 2020. In his personal life, Kalam observes strict discipline, practicing
vegetarianism, teetotalism and celibacy. He has written many non-fiction books like his
outobiography Wings of Fire as well as several volumes of Tamil poetry.