Missile Man of India

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Introduction

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India was born on October 15, 1931, and passed
away on 27 July, 2015. He was an aerospace scientist and also played an instrumental role in
the May 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests.

His involvement in Nuclear Power in India earned him the title "Missile Man of India". Due to his
contribution, the government of India awarded him the highest civilian award.

Early life

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931. His birth anniversary is observed as
World Students' Day. He was the President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was honored with
several prestigious awards including India's highest civilian honour "Bharat Ratna" in 1997. He
was born in Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and studied physics and aerospace
engineering.

Name: Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam)

Nick Name: Missile Man

Nationality: Indian

Occupation: Engineer, Scientist, Author, Professor, Politician

Born: 15-Oct -1931

Place of Birth: Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India

Died: 27 July 2015

Died at the age of 83

Place of Death: Shillong, Meghalaya, India

Famous as: Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam President from 2002 to 2007

He was the 11th president of India and was elected against Lakshmi Sehgal in 2002. Before
becoming the President of India, he worked with the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as an aerospace
engineer.

He was known as the Missile Man of India for his important role in the nation's civilian space
programme and military missile development. Also, in 1998, he made significant contributions to
India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests.

A.P.J Abdul Kalam began his career as a scientist at the Aeronautical Development
Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)? He had also
served as the project director of India's first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) at ISRO.

“FAILURE will never overtake me if my definition to SUCCEED is strong enough”.

In the 1990s he had served as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister before
becoming the President of India in 2002.

A.P.J Abdul Kalam: Family History and Early Life

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October, 1931 to a Tamil Muslim family in Rameswaram,
then in Madras Presidency in British India and now in Tamil Nadu. His father's name was
Jainulabdeen, who was a boat owner and imam of a local mosque. His mother's name was
Ashiamma, who was a housewife.

Abdul Kalam was the youngest of five siblings, the eldest was a sister, namely Asim Zohra and
three elder brothers, namely Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar, Mustafa Kalam and
Kasim Mohammed. He was close to his family and always helped them, though he remained
the bachelor his whole life.

His ancestors had been wealthy traders and landowners, with numerous properties and large
tracts of land. They trade groceries between the mainland and the island to and from Srilanka
and also ferrying the pilgrims from the mainland to the Pamban Island. So, their family got the
title "Mara Kalam Iyakkivar" (wooden boat steerers) and later known as "Marakier."

But by the 1920s, his family had lost most of his fortune; their businesses failed and by the time
Abdul Kalam was born are in the stage of poverty-stricken. To help the family, Kalam started
selling newspapers at an early age.

In his school days, Kalam had average grades but was described as a bright and hardworking
student who had a strong desire to learn. Mathematics was his main interest.

"Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action converts adversity
into prosperity."
"Education gives you wings to fly. Achievement comes out of fire in our subconscious mind that
‘I will win."
He had completed his matriculation from Schwartz Higher Secondary School, Ramanathapuram
and later he went to Saint Joseph's College where he became a physics graduate. In 1955, he
went to Madras to study aerospace engineering at Madras Institute of Technology.

During his third year of graduation, he was assigned a project to design a low-level attack
aircraft together with a few other students. Their teacher had given them a tight deadline for
completing the project, it was very difficult. Kalam worked hard under immense pressure and
finally completed his project within the stipulated deadline. The teacher was impressed by the
dedication of Kalam.

As a result, Kalam wanted to become a fighter pilot but he got 9th position in the qualifiers list
and only eight positions were available in the IAF.

A.P.J Abdul Kalam: Education and Career

A.P.J Abdul Kalam had completed his graduation in 1957 from the Madras Institute of
Technology and in 1958 as a scientist, he had joined the Aeronautical Development
Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

In the early 1960s, he worked with the Indian National Committee for Space Research
(INCOSPAR) under the renowned space scientist Vikram Sarabhai.

He had started his career by designing a small hovercraft at DRDO.

After visiting NASA's Langely Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia; Goddard Space Flight
Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland and Wallops Flight Facility in 1963-64, he had started working on
an expandable rocket project independently in 1965 at DRDO.

He was not much satisfied with his work at DRDO and when he received transfer orders to the
ISRO in 1969 he became happy. There he served as the project director of the SLV-III which
successfully deployed the Rohini satellite in near-earth orbit in July 1980. It is India's first
indigenously designed and produced satellite launch vehicle.

Kalam received the government's approval in 1969 and expanded the programme to include
more engineers. In the 1970s, he had made an effort to develop the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) with an aim to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite into
Sun-Synchronous orbit, PSLV project was successful and on 20 September 1993, it was first
launched.

"Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep."

Raja Ramanna invited Abdul Kalam to witness the country's first nuclear test, Smiling Buddha,
as the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in its development.
In the 1970s, Abdul Kalam directed two projects namely Project Devil and Project Valiant. Do
you know about the Project Devil? It was an early liquid-fuelled missile project aimed at
producing a short-range surface-to-air missile. This project was not successful and was
discontinued in the 1980s and later it led to the development of the Prithvi missile. On the other
hand Project Valiant aimed at the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. This was
also not successful.

An Indian Ministry of Defence programme managed by DRDO in partnership with other

government organisations launched the Integrated Guided Missile Development programme
(IGMDP) in the early 1980s. Abdul Kalam was asked to lead the project and in 1983 he returned
to DRDO as Chief Executive of IGMDP 1983.

The programme led to the development of four projects namely Short range surface-to-surface
missile (Prithvi), Short range low-level surface-to-air missile (Trishul), Medium range
surface-to-air missile (Akash) and Third-generation anti-tank missile (Nag).

"The world today is integrally connected through four rapid connectivities. They are the
environment, people, economy, and ideas."

Under the leadership of Abdul Kalam, the project of IGMDP proved to be successful by
producing missiles like the first Prithvi missile in 1988 and then the Agni missile in 1989. Due to
his contribution, he was known as the "Missile Man of India."

In 1992, he was appointed as the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister. With the rank of a
cabinet minister, in 1999, he was appointed as the Principal Scientific Adviser to the
Government of India.

APJ Abdul Kalam Azad the name is enough to give goosebumps to any Indian coming from any
region, religion, cast, creed, color etc. The amount of respect and gratitude India holds for this
person is beyond anything. One may, can forget any scientific theory or formula but can never
forget Dr. Kalam’s contribution in science, space and technology. What he did for the country is
the reason why today India stands as a tough competition in the world state of nuclear power,
space technology and many others.

Ask any Indian what they think about Dr. Kalam and the reply will leave you overwhelmed, as he
is more than just a missile man of India. From taking the responsibility of India’s presidential
position to spearheading the development of Indian missiles, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has
contributed in different sectors of science and technology in the country. During his working
period he worked with 2 significant space research organizations. The first one is DRDO -
Defense research and development organization and the second one is ISRO- Indian space
research organization.

Contribution of Dr. Kalam in the field of science and technology:

India's first indigenous Satellite launch vehicle
At the time, India barely talked about launching satellite and developing in the field of Space
and technology, a man came and changed the future of space organization. APJ Abdul Kalam
was appointed as the project director in ISRO and his leadership made it feasible for the country
to construct own SLV from ground zero. In July 1980, the SLV III injected the Rohini satellite into
near-Earth orbit, making The country an exclusive Space Club member.

Development of Ballistic missiles:

Another milestone was created when Dr. kalam headed the directorial position of Devila and
Valiant. It aimed to produce ballistic missiles based on the successful SLV program's
technology. It was only then when missiles like AGNI-(intermediate range ballistic missile) and
PRITHVI (surface to surface missile) along with many powerful missiles were created and that’s
why Dr. Kalam earned the title of the missile man of India.

Pokhran nuclear test:

This one was the unforgettable moment for India when the country finally emerged as a nuclear
power. Dr. Kalam was then serving as a chief Scientific adviser to the then prime Minister, and
he was the brain behind the multiple nuclear testing in Pokhran which left the whole world
shocked. As the CEO of the DRDO from July 1992 to July 1999, he directed the Pokhran II
explosions. India is now on the list of nuclear-armed states as a result of his efforts and
dedication.

Dr. Kalam’s contribution in medical and health care:

He collaborated with cardiologist Soma Raju and created a budget friendly coronary stent. It is
also widely called Kalam-Raju stent. The duo went on to design a tablet computer for better
health administration in rural areas of India in year 2012 known as Kalam-Raju tablet.

Light combat Aircraft project:

Dr. Kalam became the first Indian in a leadership position to fly a fighter plane. After specializing
in Aeronautical engineering from Madras institute of technology, he engrossed himself deeply
with India’s light combat Aircraft project.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 1998 proposed a countrywide plan called Technology Vision 2020 to
make India a developed nation by the year 2020 and suggested nuclear empowerment, various
technological innovations, improvement of agricultural productivity, etc.

In 2002, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was in power and nominate Dr. A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam for the post of the President of India. Being a popular national figure, he won the
presidential election easily.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as a President of India (2002 to 2007)

On 10 June 2002, the NDA government proposed Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's name for the
presidential post to the Leader of Opposition, Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Dr. Abdul Kalam served as the President of India from 25 July 2002 to 25 July 2007. He was the
first scientist and the first bachelor to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

"A Leader must have a 'Vision' for an organisation, 'Passion' to work for achieving the goals,
'Curiosity' to travel an unexplored path and ‘Courage' to take decisions."

- He became the 11th President of India by succeeding K.R Narayanan.

- He received the prestigious Bharat Ratna and became the third President to receive the
highest civilian honour after Dr. Sarvapali Radhakrishnan in 1954 Dr. Zakir Hussain in 1963.

- Dr. Abdul Kalam was also known as the People's President.

- According to Dr. Kalam, the toughest decision taken by him as the President was signing the
bill of office of Profit.

- Over the course of his five-year term, he remained committed to his vision of transforming
India into a developed nation.

- He was however criticised 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.

- He decided not to contest the Presidential election again in 2007 and stepped down as the
president on 25 July 2007.

CONTRIBUTION OF Dr. APJ ABDUL KALAM 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. His scholarly research publications, articles, books
etc.have opened new avenues for research and studies in the area of aeronautics, ballistics,
andmetallurgy.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. He firmly believes that the education
system should beable to retain the smiles of children. He further states that the education
system has a tremendous responsibility to transform a child into a leader–the transformation
from “What Can you do for me?” to “What can I do for you?” He believes that proper education
would help nurture a sense of dignity and self- respect among the students. He maintains that
the purpose of teaching is to create nation-building capacities in the students and these
capabilities are derived from knowledge, education, own experience and value system inherited
through civilization.

Kalam’s Aims of Education-

According to Dr. Kalam education system should retain the smiles of children. This can happen
if the education system is made creative throughout and full employment is provided to all.
Dr.Kalam lists the main aims of education are as follows:-

To build confidence among children to face the future

To enlighten and empower citizens to contribute towards healthy nation building

To build character and to cultivate human values in students

To encourage creativity and to develop scientific attitude with spiritual foundation

To develop capacity for research and enquiry among students.

To unfold innovating powers and entrepreneurship

To develop moral leadership

To make the country energy independent

To develop the sense of dignity, self-respect and self-reliance among students

Some Crucial Factors for Better Education-

Capacities to be built among students-

The primary focus of the students should be to excel in their studies. This is their first
contribution to the development of the nation. 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, lifelong learner, who will have the capacity to both respect authority
and at the same time is capable of questioning authority, in an appropriate manner.

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. This is possible by earmarking the additional 2
to3 per cent of GDP.

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.

Inequality in access of education:

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 use
technology for this important social purpose. It is possible for NGOs, other social and
philanthropic institutions and the media to focus on this area of creating awareness. We should
also mobilize necessary resources for providing education to the underprivileged people.

Technology Enhanced Education-

Constraints of time and space together with the rapid obsolescence of knowledge in some areas
of science and technology, have created a huge demand for different courses from different
institutions in the distance mode. There is a need for a working digital library system that alone
can, in the long run, provide the kind of access required for a Knowledge Society.Technology
Enhanced Learning is a solution. It attempts to exploit the rapid developments in Information
and Communication Technology. 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 studentsfrom 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. This situation needs remedial action, especially
since assent has been accorded to the 86th Constitution Amendment Act? The Right
toEducation Bill for children between the age group of 5 and 14 years. But, 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.

Some Thoughts of A P J Abdul Kalam Regarding Education-

Dr Kalam believes that education is the pillar of a developed and powerful country, and also the
most important element for growth and prosperity. He trusts that education is the most important
area of the service sector as it provides the required knowledge and skill to do anywork. Some
of his educational thoughts are:
Curriculum:
Dr Kalam maintains that the curriculum and syllabus should be structured in such a manner that
it should meet the changing societal and occupational needs, and
inculcate high moral values among the students in addition to learning skills. Dr Kalamhas
struck a balance between science and spiritualism in his educational philosophy,which he
believes is imperative, and suggested that curriculum must include the teachings and
experiences of our eminent and great leaders.

Schools:
In his educational philosophy, Dr Kalam has also laid due emphasis on schools.He advocates
that there is an urgent need for every school to have basic amenities, suchas good building
equipped with ventilated, lighted, airy and spacious classrooms, safe drinking water, clean
toilets and playgrounds. Fixing the responsibility for the same, he further states that it is the
responsibility of the sponsoring organisation to see that their schools maintain basic minimum
norms both in academics as well as in providing physical facilities on their campus. Certain
safety features must be built in school buildings without which it should not be possible to get
affiliation for these schools.

Children:

Children are our greatest wealth. Each child born in the nation allowed to blossom. It is
particularly important to provide extra care and facilities to the children including those who are
not fortunate to have their families to look after them. This is noble service should be promoted
by all individuals and government organizations,leading to the development of enlightened
citizens who will become an asset for national development.

Imparting moral values:

The right kind of education on moral values will upgrade the society and the country. After every
child is nurtured during the early years with love and affection and when he reaches- a school-
going age he needs a value based education. The prime learning period for a child is from six to
seventeen years of age.Hence, the school hours for children are the best environment and
mission-oriented learning with value based educational system.

Teacher:

Dr Kalam has provided a glorious place to teachers in his educational philosophy. He has
thrown light on the role of teachers, various qualities of teachers and teacher–student
relationship. Dr Kalam believes that teachers have tremendous responsibility in shaping the life
of an individual and their great mission should be to ignite the minds of the young. Dr Kalam
realised that these ignited minds of the young are the most powerful resource on the earth,
above the earth and under the earth. Hevisualises that the role of a teacher is like the proverbial
‘ladder’ which is used by everyone to climb up in life, provided the ladder stays in its place.
Capacity to Use High-End Technology:

All students should learn how to use the latest technologies for aiding their learning process.
Universities should equip themselves with adequate computing equipment, laboratory
equipment, and internet facilities and provide an environment for the students to enhance their
learning ability. In the midst of all the technological innovations and revolutions we cannot think
that the roles of the teachers will. In fact, the teacher will become even more important and the
whole world of education will become teacher assisted as technology would help in tele-porting
the best teacher to every nook and corner of the country to propagate knowledge.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Post Presidency

- After leaving the office, Dr. Abdul Kalam chose the academic field and became a visiting
professor at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, The Indian Institute of Management
Ahmedabad, the Indian Institute of Management Indore, an honorary fellow of the Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore.

- He also served as the chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
Thiruvananthapuram, professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University, and an adjunct at
many other academic and research institutions across India.

"When you speak, speak the truth; perform when you promise; discharge your trust... Withhold
your hands from striking, and from taking that which is unlawful and bad."

- The information technology was also taught by him at the International Institute of Information
Technology, Hyderabad, and technology at Banaras Hindu University and Anna University.

- In 2011, he was criticised by civil groups over his stand on Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant
as he had supported the establishment of the nuclear power plant and was accused of not
speaking with the local people.

- 'What Can I Give Movement' a programme launched by Dr. Abdul Kalam for the youth of India
with a central theme of defeating corruption.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Death

On 27 July 2015, Dr. Abdul Kalam was delivering a lecture at IIM Shillong where he suffered a
heart attack and his condition became critical, so, he was shifted to Bethany Hospital where
thereafter, he died of cardiac arrest. His last words, to Srijan Pal Singh, were "Funny guy! Are
you doing well?"

"It is very easy to defeat someone, but it is very hard to win someone."
On 30 July 2015, the former President was laid to rest at Rameshwaram's Pei Karumbu Ground
with State honours. Do you know that around 350,000 people attended the last ritual of Kalam,
including the Prime Minister of India, the Governor of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Minister of
Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh?

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial

In the memory of late President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, a memorial was built on his name at Pei
Karumbu, in the island town of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. On 27 July, 2017 it was
inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

In the memorial various replica of rockets and missiles are kept which shows the work of Dr.
Abdul Kalam. Also, some acrylic paintings about his life are also displayed along with hundreds
of portraits that depict the life of Dr. Kalam.

At the entrance of the memorial, a statue of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was placed showing him
playing Veena a musical instrument. With these two more statues are there in sitting and
standing posture?

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Awards and Achievements

- In 1981, Dr. Kalam received Padma Bhushan from the Government of India.

- In 1990, Dr. Kalam received Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India.

- In 1994 and 1995, Distinguished Fellow and Honorary Fellow by Institute of Directors India and
National Academy of Medical Sciences.

- In 1997, he had received Bharat Ratna from Government of India and Indira Gandhi Award for
National Integration from the Indian National Congress.

- In 1998, Veer Savarkar Award from the Government of India.

- In 2000, Ramanujan Award from Alwars Research Centre, Chennai.

- In 2007, he was honoured with the King Charles II Medal by the Royal Society, U.K., and
Doctorate of Science from the University of Wolverhampton, UK.

- In 2008, he won the Hoover Medal given by ASME Foundation, USA and received a Doctor of
Engineering from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

- In 2009, The California Institute of Technology, U.S.A, presented Kalam with the International
von Karman Wings Award, Hoover Medal by ASME Foundation, USA and Honorary Doctorate
by Oakland University.
- In 2010, Doctor of Engineering by University of Waterloo.

- In 2011, The IEEE honoured Kalam with IEEE Honorary Membership.

- In 2012, Doctor of Laws by Simon Fraser University.

- In 2013, Von Braun Award by the National Space Society.

- In 2014, Doctor of Science by the Edinburgh University, UK.

"Sometimes, it is better to bunk a class and enjoy with friends, because now, when I look back,
marks never make me laugh, but memories do."

- Dr. Kalam was the recipient of honorary doctorates from 40 universities.

- Also, Dr. Kalam's 79th birthday was recognised as World Student's Day by the United Nations.
He was also nominated for the MTV Youth Icon of the Year in 2003 and in 2006.

- Following his death, he received several tributes like the Tamil Nadu State Government on 15
October that is on his birthday announced to observe across the state as “Youth Renaissance
Day”. Further, the State Government instituted the Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Award constituting an
8 gm gold medal, a certificate, and Rs 500,000.

- On Independence Day, from 2015, the award will be awarded annually to the residents of the
state with the achievements in promoting scientific growth, the humanities, or the welfare of
students.

- Not only this, on 15 October, 2015 the 84th anniversary of Kalam’s birth, Narendra Modi, the
Prime Minister of India also released postage stamps commemorating Kalam at DRDO Bhawan
in New Delhi.

- A new bacterium as the filters of the International Space Station (ISS) named Solibacillus
Kalami to honour the late President Dr. Abdul Kalam was discovered by the Researchers at the
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

List of all Presidents of India from1947 to 2022

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Legacy

As we know that Dr. Abdul Kalam was the youngest child in his family and was close to his
parents and his brothers and sisters. He never married and served his relatives' whole life. No
doubt he was a very simple person with a simple lifestyle. He owned a few possessions
including veena and a collection of books. He was a kind-hearted man, a vegetarian and
consumed simple food.

"For a great men religion is a way of making friends; small people make religion a fighting tool."

According to S.M Khan who was close to Dr. Abdul Kalam wrote a book The Peoples President
on Abdul Kalam says "He lived the life of a true Muslim but had high respect for all other
religions and believed that humanism is the biggest quality of a human being. “He would
perform namaaz every day but also read Bhagwat Gita. Playing the veena has nothing to do
with religion. For him, religion was a personal matter and used to emphasise that one should not
make it a matter of pomp and show. He used to say in your dealings with the society you have
to be a humanist. Dr. Kalam often used to cite the story of how his mentor Vikram Sarabhai
asked for church land for scientific research and got it because the bishop believed that both
science and spirituality seek the Almighty’s blessings for human prosperity, mind and body."

While delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong on 27 July 2015, he
collapsed and was rushed to the Bethany Hospital, where he was confirmed dead of cardiac
arrest and on 30 July 2015 last rituals were performed at Pei Karumbu Island, Rameswaram.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Educational and Scientific Institutions

Various educational, scientific institutions and some locations are named in honour of Dr. Abdul
Kalam? They are as follows:

- On the day of Kalam's funeral, An agricultural college at Kishanganj, Bihar was renamed as
the "Dr. Kalam Agricultural College, Kishanganj" by the Bihar State Government.

- Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) was renamed "A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical
University" by the Uttar Pradesh state government.

- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Memorial Travancore Institute of Digestive Diseases, a new research
institute in Kollam city, Kerala attached to the Travancore Medical College Hospital.

- In September 2014, India and the US have launched the Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship.
The fellowship will be operated by the binational US-India Educational Foundation (USIEF)
under the Fulbright programme.

- Kerala Technological University, headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram where Kalam lived for

years, was renamed A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University after his death.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Books

- India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium (co-authored with Yagnaswami Sundara Rajan,
(1998)
- Wings of Fire: An Autobiography (1999)
- Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India (2002)
- The Luminous Sparks (2004)
- Mission India (2005)
- Inspiring Thoughts (2007)
- You Are Born To Blossom: Take My Journey Beyond (co-authored with Arun Tiwari, 2011)
- Envisioning and Empowered Nation
- Target 3 Billion by A.P.J. Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh (December 2011)
- Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges (2012)
- My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions (2013)
- A Manifesto for Change: A Sequel to India 2020 (co-authored with V. Ponraj, 2014)
- Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh
(2015)
- Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji (co-authored with Arun
Tiwari, 2015)
- Advantage India: From Challenge to Opportunity by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh
(2015)
- Governance for growth in India (2014)

Biographies on A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

- Eternal Quest: Life and Times of Dr. Kalam by S Chandra, 2002

- President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam by R K Pruthi, 2002
- A.P.J.Abdul Kalam: The Visionary of India by K Bhushan and G Katyal, 2002
- The Kalam Effect: My Years with the President by PM Nair, 2008
- A Little Dream (Documentary film) by P. Dhanapal, (2008)
- My Days With Mahatma Abdul Kalam by Fr A K George, 2009
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Famous Quotes
- “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips are waiting to say
that your first victory was just luck.”
- "Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action."
- “If you fail, never give up because FAIL means "First Attempt in Learning".
- “If you want to shine like a sun. First, burn like the sun."
- "All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our
talents."
- "All Birds find shelter during the rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the Clouds.”
- “Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.”
- “Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance?”
- “My 2020 Vision for India is to transform it into a developed nation. That cannot be abstract; it
is a lifeline.”...... etc

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.

Bibliography
www. indiatimes.com
www.careerindia.com
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