Biography of Dr. APJ ABDUL KALAM
DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM
APJ Abdul Kalam was born into a poor Tamil Muslim family in the pilgrimage town of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, on October 15, 1931. His mother, Ashiamma, was a housewife and his father, Jainulabdeen, was an imam of a local mosque and a boat owner. He was the youngest in the family with four elder brothers and a sister.
Though, the family was not financially affluent yet all the children were raised in an atmosphere that was full of love and compassion. In order to add to the family’s income, Kalam had to sell newspapers during his early years.
He was an average student during his school, but possessed a strong desire to learn and was very hard working. He loved mathematics and spent hours studying the subject. He pursued his education from ‘Schwartz Higher Secondary School,’ and then graduated from ‘Saint Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli,’ in 1954. He wanted to become a fighter pilot but his dream could not be fulfilled as here were only eight positions available in the IAF and he secured the ninth place.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology and in 1958 joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He soon moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation, where he was project director of the SLV-III, India’s first indigenously designed and produced satellite launch vehicle. Rejoining DRDO in 1982, Kalam planned the program that produced a number of successful missiles, which helped earned him the nickname “Missile Man.”
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam served as president of the Republic of India from 2002 to 2007. As president, Kalam promoted the advancement of the national nuclear weapons program. Kalam also devised a 20-year action plan to achieve economic growth through technological development in India.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam attended the Madras Institute of Technology, where he received a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1960. After graduation he joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)—an Indian military research institute—and later the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Kalam’s associations were not limited to research organizations: he was also associated with political groups, such as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam won many awards, both from the Indian government and from the international community. His most notable awards were the Padma Vibhushan, won in 1990, and the Bharat Ratna, won in 1997, for his contributions to science and engineering and service to the government.
From 1992 to 1997 Kalam was scientific adviser to the defense minister, and he later served as principal scientific adviser (1999–2001) to the government with the rank of cabinet minister. His prominent role in the country’s 1998 nuclear weapons tests established Kalam as a national hero, although the tests caused great concern in the international community. In 1998 Kalam put forward a countrywide plan called Technology Vision 2020, which he described as a road map for transforming India from a less-developed to a developed society in 20 years. The plan called for, among other measures, increasing agricultural productivity, emphasizing technology as a vehicle for economic growth, and widening access to health care and education.
Awards and Achievements
Kalam was honoured with the prestigious ‘Bharat Ratan,’ ‘Padma Vibhushan,’ and ‘Padma Bhushan’ from the Government of India.
He was bestowed upon the ‘Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration’ by the Government of India in 1997.
He was the recipient of Veer Savarkar Award.
In 2000, he was bestowed with ‘Ramanujan Award’ by the ‘Alwars Research Centre.’
In 2007, he received the ‘Kings Charles II Medal’ from the Royal Society.
The ASME Foundation, USA, honoured Kalam with the Hoover Medal.
He also received honorary doctorate from 40 universities.
The United Nations recognized Kalam’s 79th birthday as World Students’ Day.
In 2003 and 2006, he was nominated for the ‘MTV Youth Icon of the Year.’
He left for the heavenly abode on July 27, 2015, while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong. He was laid to rest with full state-honours and his funeral was attended by thousands of people including national-level dignitaries.