Introduction
Undoubtedly one of the best President that Indian History can boast of. Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was known as “Missile Man of India”. His full name was Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. Born to a Tamil Muslim family at Dhanushkothi which is a famously known temple town of Rameshwaram in the state of Tamil Nadu on 15th October 1931. His birth in an underprivileged family did not stop him to be an extraordinarily brilliant student. His humble background made him the most admired person of Indian History. His father was an Imam at the local mosque and his mother was a housewife. He was the youngest of all his four brothers and one sister and he was fond of his siblings.
Schooling and initial jobs
He completed his schooling from Schwartz Higher secondary school and graduated in science stream from St. Joseph College in Thiruchirapalli and thereafter joined Madras institute of Technology for further studies in the field of Aerospace Engineering. This was in year 1955. In the year 1958, he joined the renowned defense research unit, Defense Research and Development organization (DRDO) in the Aeronautical Development Establishment as a scientist. But he was not very happy here. After a few years he became an indispensable part of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He is known to develop critical and complex technologies which made the Indian Defense more capable. Missiles like Akash, Agni and Prithvi are some of his well-known contributions in the area of Indian Defense. He was the director for the project of India’s first and foremost satellite launch vehicle or SLV. Other than that he had a lot of achievements in the field of Science. He has been extremely resourceful and directed two major projects which were highly classified and the success of these two projects brought prestige to him.
11th President of India
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was the 11th President of India with the support from both the dominant political parties – INC and BJP. His term lasted from the year 2002 to year 2007. He was affectionately called as the “People’s President”. During his entire tenure, he tried his level best to inspire the youth so that they can make breakthrough Innovations and pursue great career for the country. His zest for life is well-known and he was extremely lively. On many occasions he was seen saying “if you want to shine like a sun, you need first burn like a sun”. His life history is very inspiring for the youth of today. He was an avid reader and he loved classical music. He was a poet and also religious.
His Writings
He has also written many books, such as, Ignited Mind, Wings of Fire, India 2012, The Luminous Sparks, My Journey, 2020-A Vision for the New Millennium, The Life Tree, Indomitable Spirit and so many more. These books are truly very inspiring and a must read for all. Also these are now translated into many Indian Languages. He breathed his last on 27th July 2015, due to cardiac arrest. He was 83 and was so active in such an age that he was delivering a lecture in Shillong’s IIM. He will always be remembered for his motivational and inspirational words. And even more than those, his contributions to education and science will never be forgotten.