Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Biography
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was the eleventh President of India, serving from 2002 to 2007. He was born on May 15, 1931, in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and studied physics as well as aeronautical engineering. In 2002, APJ Abdul Kalam was chosen as India’s 11th President, Having backing from both the ruling Bharatiya Janata as well as the opposing Indian National Congress After his one tenure as President, APJ Abdul Kalam resumed civilian life in teaching, writing, and public service.
Education and Struggles
Kalam was extremely earnest and diligent in his studies, but his teachers recognised him as having a tremendous desire to study. He finished his secondary studies at Ramanathapuram’s Schwartz Secondary School. In 1955, he graduated from Saint Joseph’s College at Tiruchirappalli with a diploma in physics. He subsequently went to Madras to further his education, graduating from the Engineering And Technology Institute with a diploma in aircraft engineering. His dream of becoming a military pilot was crushed when the IAF only had eight slots available, and he finished ninth. Following graduation, he worked as a scientist for the “Defense Research Service” and the “Aeronautical Development Establishment.”
APJ Abdul Kalam as a Scientist
On graduation from the University of Madras in 1960, APJ Abdul Kalam returned to the Defence Research and Development organisation Organisation as a scientist (DRDO). He began his career by creating a tiny hovercraft, however his position with the DRDO did not persuade him. APJ Abdul Kalam was moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969 as the project head of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle, which successfully launched the Rohini satellite into relatively near orbit in July 1980.
Raja Ramanna also invited APJ Abdul Kalam to see the country’s first nuclear test, Laughing Buddha, as the spokesman of TBRL. However, he had never participated in its development.
Presidency
Sir Kalam was the rightful 11th Indian President. His presidency lasted from July 25, 2002, to July 25, 2007. He was elected with a huge margin of victory in a presidential election in 2002. The National Democratic Alliances’ nomination for President was endorsed by the Samajwadi Party and the National Congress Party. He was often referred to as the people’s President because of his numerous contributions to the well-being of the people and the country. He was daring and brave enough to make and implement difficult, delicate, or contentious judgments. Perhaps the most difficult Act he had to sign was the “office of profit.” Under the English Settlement Act of 1701 in 1701, the “office of profit” indicates that no one individual who is a professional setup process underneath the royal family or who has any arrangement with or is receiving a pension from the prince does have the ability to work for the “House of Commons.” This will give the royal family no influence on administrative conditions.
Awards and Achievements
Kalam received several honours during his lifetime. In 1981, he was granted the “Padma Bhusan,” the Republic of India’s third-highest civilian honour. Then, in 1990, he was granted the Padma Vibhushan, the Republic of India’s second-highest civilian honour.
In 1997, the Indian government awarded Abdul Kalam the “Bharat Ratna,” the Republic of India’s highest civilian honour, in addition to the “Indira Gandhi Award of National Integration” even by “Indian National Congress,” which is named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The following year, in 1998, he was given the “Veer Savarkar Award.” The SASTRA “Ramanujan Award” was bestowed to him in 2000. In 2007, he was awarded the “King Charles II Medal” by the United Kingdom for his contributions to scientific advancements in India. In 2009, he was awarded the “Hoover Medal,” an American honour awarded to outstanding persons who make extracurricular efforts.
Books he wrote
In his lifetime, he published several works, including Agni ki Udaan (1999), India 2020 (1998), Ignited Minds (2002), Naa Jeevana Gamanam (2013), Turning Points: A Journey Across Difficulties (2012), Indominate Spirit (2006), and You Are Born To Blossom (2007). (2008). You can include them in the APJ Abdul Kalam Essay and some other writers. They have devoted books to him, including APJ Abdul Kalam by Arun Tiwari and Advantage of India by Srijan Pal Singh.
Death:
Shillong, Meghalaya, on July 27, 2015.
The day we left a man who desired a miracle for India’s youth was a bad day for India. He falls inside the lecture hall only 5 minutes into it, about 6:35 p.m. In critical condition, he was brought to ‘Bethany Hospital.’ He was maintained in the intensive-care unit but showed no signs of life, and he was certified dead at 7:45 p.m. because of cardiac arrest.
APJ Abdul Kalam is a very kind-hearted individual who generously performed many things for India. He is indeed the reason we have nuclear weapons today. He not only became President & did a lot of good for India, but he also made a significant contribution to missile history.
15 Interesting Facts About APJ Abdul Kalam – The Missile Man of India
- Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was his full name
He had a huge name but he is better known as APJ or Abdul Kalam or Kalam or Dr. Kalam or APJ Abdul Kalam.
- Born in a Tamil Muslim family in Rameshwaram
He was born and raised in the town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. His father owned a ferry that transported Hindu pilgrims between Rameswaram and the now-deserted Dhanushkodi.
- Hard Childhood
Kalam’s father, Jainulabudeen, was a boat owner and imam at a local mosque. His forefathers were wealthy, but due to business failures, the former President’s fortunes were lost, and he was forced to work odd jobs. In his family, Kalam was the youngest of four brothers and one sister. To supplement his father’s income, Kalam used to distribute newspapers after school.
- Vegetarian Lifestyle
When he joined Saint Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli in the 1950s, Dr. Kalam became a vegetarian. He was on a student budget and couldn’t afford non-vegetarian meals because he was on a scholarship. “I was forced to become a vegetarian due to financial constraints, but I eventually came to enjoy it.” Today, I am a complete vegetarian.
- Academic Excellence
Abdul Kalam had 7 doctorates, which may surprise you. During his lifetime, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on October 15, 1931, received honorary doctorates from 40 national and international universities.
- Missile Man
If you’ve seen the film Parmanu, you’ll recognize Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as the mastermind behind the initiative to use missiles as a deterrent. He was in charge of the Agni and Prithvi missiles’ development and deployment. It is for this reason that he is known as India’s Missile Man. He was a firm believer in the concept of power commanding respect, and he believed that other nations would only respect India if we were powerful.
- Awards that no one gets more than once in a lifetime
Legends do exist, to be sure. You would agree if you looked at Kalam’s life. Dr. Kalam has been awarded the Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) civilian awards, as well as the highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna (1997).
- President of the children
Indian children are said to have a preference for the two leaders. Prime Minister Nehru was known as Chacha Nehru, but it was President Kalam who was well-known among children. Kalam proposed that the youth be nurtured in order to build a better India. He was completely devoted to science and encouraged young people to pursue it. Many children of his generation recall him showing up at their science fairs or sports days solely to inspire them. His email account was open to all children in India, making him one of India’s most accessible presidents.
- Famous Autobiography
APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography, ‘Wings of Fire,’ was first published in English and has since been translated and published in 13 languages. It was first published in English, but due to its popularity and public demand for information about his life, it was later translated into 13 languages, including French and Chinese. His life has also been documented in six biographies.
- Indian Nuclear Mission
Next on our collection of interesting facts about APJ Abdul Kalam is a popular fact. Kalam made significant contributions to India’s nuclear arsenal. Thanks to his organizational and technical support, the Pokhran -2 nuclear tests (in 1998) were a success.
- Failures
Kalam missed out on a chance to join the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot. He was 9th on the list, and there were only 8 spots available. The first eight candidates on the shortlist were hired.
- The first bachelor and scientist to live in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
On 25th July 2002, when he was sworn in as the 11th President of the Republic of India, he became the first scientist and the first bachelor to occupy the office of Rashtrapati Bhawan.
- Solibacillus kalamii – an aerobic bacteria discovered from the HEPA filter onboard the International Space Station was named after APJ Abdul Kalam
Scientists from NASA had named a new microbe Solibacillus kalamii in honour of Dr. Kalam who had his early training at NASA in 1963.
- New plant species from West Bengal named after APJ Kalam.
Drypetes kalamii, a newly discovered plant species, from two protected National Parks in West Bengal was named after him by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India in February 2018.
- Wheeler Island renamed as Abdul Kalam Island
In September 2015, Wheeler Island, a national missile test site in Odisha, was renamed Abdul Kalam Island as a tribute to the former president of India on his second death anniversary.
- Kalam was well-versed with several Hindu customs.
Kalam was well-versed in Hindu traditions, learning Sanskrit and reading the Bhagavad Gita in addition to his faith in the Quran and Islamic practice. Every day, he used to practise the veena (an Indian string instrument) and listen to Carnatic devotional music.
- His only property at death was his books and personal Clothing
All that Kalam owned at his death was 2,500 books, a veena, CD Player, laptop, a wrist watch, six shirts, four trousers, three suits and a pair of shoes. He used to survive on the royalty received from the books he wrote and the government pension after his tenure as the President was over.
- Died doing what he loved
Dr. Kalam suffered a major heart attack while giving a lecture.
He was giving a lecture at IIM Shillong on his last day. He was standing at the podium, giving his speech to hundreds of students, when he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. He was always enthusiastic about teaching and putting in long hours. And he was doing what he loved when he was taken by death.
The youth icon, Abdul Kalam, desired that every student in the country be educated and then go on to help the country grow.
Inspiring quotes of Abdul Kalam
- “Dream is not what you see in sleep. Dream is something that doesn’t let you sleep.”
- If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.
- You cannot change your future, but, you can change your habits, and surely your habits will change your future.
- The two most important life-goals I would like every youth to have: one – increase the amount of time that you have at your disposal and two – increase what you can achieve in the time available.
- What is the secret of success? Right decisions. How do you make right decisions? Experience. How do you gain experience? Wrong decisions.
- If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means “First Attempt In Learning”. End is not the end, in fact E.N.D. means “Effort Never Dies.” If you get No as an answer, remember N.O. means “Next Opportunity”. So, let’s be positive.
- All birds find shelter during a rain. But an eagle avoids rain by flying above the clouds. Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference.
- A Fool can become a Genius when he understands he is a Fool. But a Genius can become a Fool when he understands he is a Genius.
- In life no one will remember how you looked, walked, talked or what you did. Everyone just remembers you by the way you made them feel when they were with you.
- I’m not a handsome guy, but I can give my Hand to Someone who needs help. Beauty is in the heart, not in the face.
- The best brains of the nation may be found on the last benches of the classroom.
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