Introduction

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, better known as APJ Abdul Kalam, was an illustrious
scientist turned statesman who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Kalam
spent more than forty years as a science administrator and scientist mainly at the Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO) and Defence Research and the Development Organization (DRDO).
He was closely associated with the military missile development efforts and civilian space
programme of India. For his work on launch vehicle technology and development of ballistic
missile, he was given the pseudonym of ‘The Missile Man of India.’ In 1998, he played a prominent
role in Pokhran-II Nuclear Tests.

In 2002, he was elected the 11th President of the country and became widely known as the
‘People’s President.’ After serving his presidential term he pursued what he loved most – teaching,
writing and reading. For his achievements and contributions as a scientist, he was honoured with
the ‘Bharat Ratan Award,’ India’s highest civilian honour.

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.

Early Life

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, Dr. 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.

Career
As A Scientist

In 1960, he graduated from the ‘Madras Institute of Technology,’ and joined as a scientist at the
‘Aeronautical Development Establishment,’ after becoming a member of the ‘Defence Research
and Development Service.’ Dr. Kalam also worked under the eminent space scientist Vikram
Sarabhai while he was a part of ‘INCOSPAR’ committee. Dr. Kalam was transferred to the ‘Indian
Space Research Organization (ISRO)’ in 1969. He became the project head of the country’s
foremost Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III). In July 1980, SLV-III deployed the ‘Rohini’ satellite
successfully near-earth orbit under Dr. Kalam’s leadership.

Dr. Kalam was a part of a number of projects, including ‘Project Devil,’ in 1970. Though the project
was not successful, yet it laid the foundation for the development of the ‘Prithvi Missile,’ in 1980.
He was also associated with ‘Project Valiant.’

In 1983, Dr. Kalam returned to DRDO as its chief as he was asked to lead the ‘Integrated Guided
Missile Development Program’ (IGMDP).

In May 1998, he played a key role in carrying out ‘Pokhran-II’ nuclear tests by India. The success
of these nuclear tests made Dr. Kalam a national hero and his popularity went skyrocketing.
As President

In 2002, Dr. Kalam was chosen the Presidential nominee by the ruling National Democratic
Alliance (NDA), and he was elected the President. He became the 11th President of India on July
25, 2002 and served the position till July 25, 2007.

He also became the third President of India to have received ‘Bharat Ratna’ before assuming the
office of the President. Due to his style of working and interaction with common people, especially
the youth, he was affectionately called ‘The People’s President.’ According to Dr. Kalam, the most
arduous decision he had taken during his tenure was that of signing the ‘Office of Profit Bill.’

During his tenure as President, he faced criticism for his inaction in deciding the fate of mercy
petitions that were submitted to him. Out of the 21 mercy petitions, he acted only on one mercy
plea. In 2005, he recommended for President’s rule in Bihar, which also became a controversial
decision.

As An Academician

After the end of his presidential term, he became a visiting professor at the ‘Indian Institute of
Management (IIM), Ahmedabad,’ ‘Indian Institute of Management ((IIM), Indore,’ and the ‘Indian
Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong.’ He served as a professor of Aerospace Engineering at
Anna University, as chancellor at the ‘Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
Thiruvananthapuram,’ an honorary fellow of ‘Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore,’ and
an adjunct at a number of other research and academic institutes across the country. He also taught
technology at ‘Anna University,’ and ‘Banaras Hindu University,’ and taught information
technology at the ‘International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad.’

With an aim to defeat corruption and bring efficiency, Dr. Kalam launched a program for the youth,
called ‘What Can I Give Movement,’ in 2012. Dr Kalam authored and co-authored a number of
instructional and inspirational books, including ‘India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium,’
‘Wings of Fire,’ ‘The Luminous Sparks: A Biography in Verse and Colours,’ ‘Mission of India: A
Vision of Indian Youth,’ and various others.

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 Dr. Kalam’s 79th birthday as World Students’ Day.
 In 2003 and 2006, he was nominated for the ‘MTV Youth Icon of the Year.’

Death

Dr. Kalam went to IIM Shillong to deliver a lecture on ‘Creating a Livable Planet Earth,’ on July
27, 2015. While climbing a flight of stairs, he expressed some discomfort, but made his way to the
auditorium. Only five minutes into the lecture, around 6:35pm IST, he collapsed in the lecture hall.
He was taken to ‘Bethany Hospital’ in a critical condition. He was kept in the intensive care unit
but lacked signs of life. At 7:45pm IST, he was declared dead due to cardiac arrest.
Dr. Kalam’s body was airlifted in an Indian Air Force helicopter and was flown to New Delhi on
July 28. Numerous dignitaries and masses paid homage to him at his residence. Dr. Kalam’s body,
wrapped in the national flag, was then flown to the town of Mandapam, from where an army truck
took it to his home town of Rameswaram. His body was displayed at Rameswaram in front of a
bus station to allow people to pay their last respect to the departed soul. On July 30, 2015, the
former President was laid to rest with full state honours at Rameswaram’s Pei Karumbu Ground.
Kalam’s last rites were attended by more than 350,000 people.

Contribution to Science and Technology

Dr. Kalam is a pioneer in fibre glass technology and led a young team to initiate this effort in ISRO
from design, development leading to production of composites rocket motor cases. As an aerospace
scientist. Dr. Kalam worked with India’s two major space research organisations- Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO). From satellites to local healthcare, his contribution will always be worthy of mention when
we talk about science and technology in India. Some of his contribution are listed below:

1. He was the Project Director in ISRO to help develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch
Vehicle - At a time when India had hardly dreamt of its own Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV), Dr.
Kalam's efforts and hard work for over a decade, made it possible for us to develop our first
indigenous SLV. SLV III injected Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 making India
an exclusive Space Club member.

2. He took up the responsibility of developing Indigenous Guided Missiles at DRDO - After

working for two decades in ISRO, Dr. Kalam was appointed as the CEO of Integrated Guided
Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). He was responsible for the development and
operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI missiles. This also earned him the title of 'Missile Man
of India'.

3. He was the brain behind multiple nuclear tests carried out at Pokhran in 1998 which made India
a nuclear weapon state - Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister
of India between 1992 and 1999 when India went ahead with the nuclear explosions at Pokhran.
He supervised the Pokhran II explosions as the CEO of DRDO. While camping in the Thar Desert
for over a fortnight, he said:
"The testing was a 'defining moment' in the country's history, next only to adopting the path of
economic liberalisation in 1991."

4. He helped design a cost-effective coronary stent known as 'Kalam-Raju-Stent' making healthcare

accessible to all - Dr. Kalam collaborated with cardiologist B. Soma Raju for the development of
the famed 'Kalam-Raju-Stent' for coronary heart disease. The device was introduced in the market
in 1994, and led to reduction of prices of imported coronary stents in India by more than 50 percent.
The upgraded models of this stent are now available in the market.

5. He was deeply involved in the country's Light Combat Aircraft project - Since passing out of the
Madras Institute of Technology where he specialised in Aeronautical Engineering, President Kalam
had been associated with avionics. In particular, he was deeply involved with the country's Light
Combat Aircraft project. He also became the first Indian Head of State to fly a fighter plane.

6. Dr. Kalam and Dr. Soma Raju, came up with a rugged tablet computer in 2012 to take care of
the health of underprivileged people in rural India - After the success of Kalam- Raju stent, he
along with the cardiologist, Soma Raju developed a tablet that was aimed at arming healthcare
workers at the primary level to respond to emergency medical situations.

7. He was the driving force behind the development of lightweight callipers for patients with motor
disabilities - While India has been declared polio free by the WHO, back in 1995 and 1996, Dr.
APJ Abdul Kalam and his team worked endlessly to produce orthosis callipers that weighed 1/10th
of the weight of those that were available in the market. These floor reaction callipers made
movement and walking less painful and cumbersome, allowing kids to walk more freely and fluidly
without much help.

Contribution to Education

Dr. Kalam is a practical educational thinker and visionary who stands for integrating ancient and
modern educational ideals for the development of a balanced Indian society. Being a top scientist
of international reputation, his direct contribution to the advancement of science and technology
is unique and commendable. Dr Kalam lays great emphasis on education. He believes that the
teachers, particularly school teachers, have tremendous responsibility in shaping the life of an
individual. Childhood is the foundation stone upon which stands the entire life structure. He
states that the seeds sown in childhood blossom into the tree of life. Below are some important
factors of Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, for better Education.
1. Capabilities to be built among students - The primary focus of the students should be to excel
in their studies. The education system should instil in the minds of students capacities of inquiry,
creativity, technology, entrepreneurial and moral leadership. If we develop in all our students
these five capacities, we will produce "Autonomous Learner" a self-directed, self-controlled and
lifelong learner.

2. Planning for good education for children in villages - Every school should have basic amenities
such as a good building equipped with ventilation and lighting. The rooms should be airy and have
spacious classrooms. The school should also have a library, laboratories including the latest
Information Technology tools and infrastructure, safe drinking water, clean toilets and a
playground.

3. Mission of education - Education is the most important element for growth and prosperity of a
nation. India is in the process of transforming itself into a developed nation by 2020. Yet we have
350 million people who need literacy and many more who have to acquire employable skills to suit
the emerging modern India and the globe.

4. Inequality of access to educational resources - It is essential that we enlighten and create

widespread awareness of education among all sections of society particularly in rural areas and
among the urban poor. We should also mobilise necessary resources for providing education to the
underprivileged people.

5. Technology Enhanced Education - Constraints of time and space together with the rapid
obsolescence of knowledge, have created a huge demand for different courses from different
institutions in the distance mode. Technology Enhanced Learning is a solution. As the
communications bandwidth continues to increase and the cost of computer power continues to drop,
Technology Enhanced Learning will become an economically viable solution. Virtual classrooms
of the future will have students from many locations taught by a team of geographically distributed
instructors through the tele-education delivery system.

6. Reducing Dropouts-
It is reported that 39 per cent of children drop out from school after studying 5th Class and 55
percent drop out after studying up to 8th Class. An Act alone cannot achieve the goal, unless
education is delivered in a manner, which will take into account the socio-economic reality and
perception of the people to whom it is addressed.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that the essence of Dr. Kalam’s personal experience, his life, his
educational philosophy and his educational thoughts are a treasure, worthy to be possessed, studied
deeply and implemented. He is the only president- who has a lot of love for children and feels that
the future of India lies in them. Today’s young students want the education system to feed and
challenge their innovative and creative minds. Educational institutions have to year up to evolve a
curriculum that is sensitive to the social and technological needs of a Developed India.