Apj Abdul Kalam

APJ ABDUL KALAM
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (/ˈæbdəl kəˈlɑːm/ ( listen); 15 October 1931 – 27 July

2015) was an aerospace scientist who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007.
He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace
engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at
the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian space programme and
military missile development efforts.[1] He thus came to be known as the Missile Man of India for
his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology.
Early life :
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 to a Tamil Muslim family in
the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram on Pamban Island, then in the Madras Presidency and
now in the State of Tamil Nadu. His father Jainulabdeen was a boat owner and imam of a local
mosque;[9]his mother Ashiamma was a housewife.
n his school years, Kalam had average grades but was described as a bright and hardworking
student who had a strong desire to learn. He spent hours on his studies, especially mathematics.
[21]
After completing his education at the Schwartz Higher Secondary School, Ramanathapuram,
Kalam went on to attend Saint Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli, then affiliated with the University
of Madras, from where he graduated in physics in 1954.[22]He moved to Madras in 1955 to study
aerospace engineering in Madras Institute of Technology.
Career
 After completing his graduation in 1960, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam joined as a
scientist in Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Aeronautical
Development Establishment.
 At the very start of his career, he designed a small helicopter for the Indian
army.
 He also worked under the renowned scientist Vikram Sarabhai as a part of the
committee of INCOSPAR.
 From 1963 to 1964, he visited the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Maryland, the Wallops Flight Facility located at the Eastern Shore of Virginia and
the Langley Research Center of NASA situated at Hampton, Virginia.
 In 1965, he worked independently in Defence Research and Development
Organisation for the first time on an expandable rocket project. The programme
was expanded in 1969 and more engineers were included after receiving
Government approval.
 He became the Project Director of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (SLV-III) when he was transferred in 1969 to Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO). In July 1980, his team was successful in deploying the
Rohini satellite near the orbit of the Earth.
 Dr. Kalam’s efforts in developing the projects on SLV-III and Polar SLV from
1970s to 1990s proved to be successful.
 Dr. Kalam directed Project Valiant and Project Devil that aimed at developing
ballistic missiles using the technology of the SLV programme that was a success.
It is known that the then
 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, using her discretionary powers, allotted secret
funds when these aerospace projects were disapproved by the Union Cabinet.
 Dr. Kalam and Dr. V.S. Arunachalam, on the proposal of the then Defense
Minister R. Venkataraman, worked on developing a quiver of missiles instead of
one at a time. Dr. Kalam was made the Chief Executive of the programme, which
was named Integrated Guided Missile Development programme.
 From July 1992 to December 1999 he remained the Secretary of the Defence
Research and Development Organisation, and also the Chief Scientific Advisor to
the Prime Minister. This period witnessed the Pokhran II nuclear tests, when Dr.
Kalam played a key technological and political role. At the time of the testing
phase, he, along with R. Chidambaram, was made the Chief Project Coordinator.
 He developed a low-cost Coronary Stent along with Dr. Soma Raju, a
cardiologist, in 1998. It was named “Kalam-Raju Stent” after them. Both of them
also designed a tablet PC called “Kalam-Raju Tablet” for healthcare in rural areas
Kalam’s tenure as the president
 The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on 10 June 2002

proposed Dr. Kalam’s name for the Presidential post to the Leader of Opposition,
Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
 The Nationalist Congress Party and the Samajwadi Party supported his
candidature.
 Dr. Kalam served as the President of India from 25 July 2002 to 25 July 2007.
 He won the election, getting 922,884 votes, thus defeating Lakshmi Sehgal,
who got 107,366 votes.
 Dr. Kalam succeeded K.R. Narayanan as the 11th President of India.
 He was the third President of India to have received the prestigious Bharat
Ratna, the highest civilian honour. It was earlier given to Dr. Sarvapali
Radhakrishnan in 1954 and Dr. Zakir Hussain in 1963.
 He was the first bachelor and scientist to reside in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
 Dr. Kalam was affectionately called the People’s President.
 According to him, the toughest decision taken by him as President was
signing the Bill of Office of Profit.
 He was criticized as a President for his inaction to decide the fate of 20 mercy
petitions out of 21, including that of the Kashmiri Terrorist Afzal Guru, who was
convicted for the Parliament attacks in December 2001.
Books
In his book India 2020, Kalam strongly advocated an action plan to develop India into a
"knowledge superpower" and a developed nation by the year 2020. He regarded his work on
India's nuclear weapons programme as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower.[146]
 Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India

 Inspiring Thoughts
 Indomitable Spirit
 The Luminous Sparks
 Turning Points: A journey through challenges
 My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions
 Developments in Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam and Roddam Narasimha
 India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and
Y.S. Rajan.
 Wings of Fire: An Autobiography, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari.
 Mission India, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
 Envisioning an Empowered Nation, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and A.
Sivathanu Pillai.
 You Are Born To Blossom: Take My Journey Beyond, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam and Arun Tiwari.
 Target 3 Billion, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh
Biographies
 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: The Visionary of India, by K. Bhushan and G. Katyal.
 Eternal Quest: Life and Times of Dr. Kalam, written by S. Chandra.
 President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, written by R.K. Pruthi.
 My Days with Mahatma Abdul Kalam, written by Fr. A.K. George.
 A Little Dream, a documentary film by P. Dhanapal, Minveli Media Works
Private Limited.
 The Kalam Effect: My Years with the President, written by P.M. Nair.
Awards
 The nation honoured Dr Kalam with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award,
in 1997 for his contribution in the field of scientific research, development and
modernisation of technology in the defence sector of India.
 In 1990, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Indian Government for
his work with the DRDO and ISRO and as scientific advisor to the
Government.
 In 1981 he received the Padma Bhushan
 In 1998, the Government of India presented to him the Veer Savarkar Award.
 The Alwar Research Centre, Chennai, bestowed on him the Ramanujan Award
in 2000.
 The University of Wolverhampton in UK bestowed on him the Honorary
Doctorate of Science in 2007.
 California Institute of Technology, USA, honoured him with the International
von Karman Wings Award in 2009.
 In 1997, the Indian National Congress conferred him with the Indira Gandhi
Award for National Integration.
 He received the Hoover Medal from ASME Foundation, U.S.A, in 2009.
 The Royal Society of UK honoured him with the King Charles II Medal in 2007.
 In 2008, he received the Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) from
Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
 In 2010 The University of Waterloo honoured him with the Doctor of
Engineering
 In 2011, he became an honorary member of the IEEE.
 In 2012, the Simon Fraser University conferred on him the Doctor of Laws
(Honoris Causa).
 In 2013, he received the Von Braun Award from National Space Society in
recognition of his excellence in the leadership and management of space-
related projects.
 In 2014, he received an honorary degree in Doctor of Science from Edinburgh
University, UK.
 2015 – The United Nations recognized Dr. Kalam’s birthday as “World
Student’s Day”.
DEATH
On 27 July 2015, Kalam travelled to Shillong to deliver a lecture on "Creating a Livable Planet
Earth" at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong. While climbing a flight of stairs, he
experienced some discomfort, but was able to enter the auditorium after a brief rest.[84] At around
6:35 p.m. IST, only five minutes into his lecture, he collapsed.[85][86] He was rushed to the nearby
Bethany Hospital in a critical condition; upon arrival, he lacked a pulse or any other signs of life.
[85]
Despite being placed in the intensive care unit, Kalam was confirmed dead of a
sudden cardiac arrest at 7:45 p.m IST.[85][87][88] His last words, to his aide Srijan Pal Singh, were
reportedly: "Funny guy! Are you doing well?"

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APJ ABDUL KALAM

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (/ˈæbdəl kəˈlɑːm/ ( listen); 15 October 1931 – 27 July

Kalam’s tenure as the president

 The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on 10 June 2002

 Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India

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