Dr.A. P. J. ABDUL KALAM

The century old 'Mugal Gardens" will no more be blessed with visionary verses of Kalam and the breeze moving around 'Raisina Hill' will no more carry away the awe-inspiring thoughts of this great man, as the 'people's president', Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam) gently stepped down from the 'Raisina Hill', leaving a golden history behind him. It is felicitous for each and every proud Indian to pay rich tribute to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the humble 'President of the masses'.

Kalam - the life journey
Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, specialized in Aero Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. He initially worked in DRDO in 1958 and then joined ISRO in 1963. Dr. Kalam has made significant contribution to Indian satellite and launch vehicles of ISRO and also in the missile programme of DRDO. As project Director, SLV-III, he contributed for the design, development and management of India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) to inject Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit. He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicles programme and configurations. He rejoined DRDO in 1982 and conceived the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) for indigenous missiles. He was Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development from July 1992 to December 1999.

	What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful and to remove the wrongs of injured...

As Chairman, Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), he generated the Technology Vision 2020 documents - a road map

for transforming India from Developing India to Developed India. He provided overall guidance to a number of Homegrown Technology Projects and major technology missions such as Sugar, Advanced Composites and Fly Ash utilization.

Dr. Kalam has served as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, in the rank of Cabinet Minister, from November 1999 to November 2001. He was primarily responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for generation of innovations and support systems for multiple applications. Also, generating science and technology task in strategic, economic and social sectors in partnership with Government departments, institutions and industry. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex-officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C).

He planned a program that produced a number of successful missiles, helping earn him the nickname "Missile Man." In 2002 Kalam was nominated to succeed outgoing President K.R. Narayanan. Kalam easily won the elections in 2002 and continued up to 2007. Kalam sought the ways of science and technology to transform India into a developed country. He is considered a leading progressive, mentor, innovator and visionary in India.

Political views
Something of Kalam's probable views on certain issues can be surmised from positions espoused by him in the past. His book "India 2020" strongly advocates an action plan to develop India into a knowledge superpower and into a developed nation by the year 2020. Kalam is credited with the view that India ought to take a more assertive stance in international relations; he regards his work on India's nuclear weapons program as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower.

Kalam's belief in the power of technology to resolve society's problems and his views of these problems as a result of inefficient distribution of resources is modernistic. He also sees science and technology as ideology-free areas and emphasizes the cultivation of scientific temper and entrepreneurial drive. In this, he finds a lot of support among India's new business leaders like the founders of Infosys and Wipro, (leading Indian IT corporations) who began their careers as technology professionals much in the same way Kalam did.

Personal life
Kalam observes strict personal discipline, practicing vegetarianism, teetotalism and celibacy. Kalam is a scholar of Tirukkural; in most of his speeches, he quotes at least one kural. Kalam has written several inspirational books, most notably his autobiography Wings of Fire, aimed at motivating Indian youth. Another of his books, reveals his spiritual side. It has been reported that there is considerable demand in South Korea for translated versions of books authored by him. He is an idol for all, including children.

Kalam, the king of many firsts
On Tuesday, 19 February, 2006, he created history by becoming the country's first President to undertake an undersea journey. Abdul Kalam boarded the INS Sindhurakshak, a Russian-origin kilo class submarine, from the Visakhapatnam Naval dockyard. The duration of the journey was around three-and-half hours during which Kalam had lunch with the crew members.

In April 2004, Kalam took his lectures to the world's highest battlefield - the Siachen glacier. The one-time missile man of India braved the chill and spent time interacting with the troops.

On June 8, 2006, he created history by becoming the first president to undertake a sortie in a fighter aircraft, a Sukhoi-30 MKI, from Lohegaon (Pune) airbase. As a 74-year old, he created a record by becoming the oldest Indian co-pilot to do so. The flight lasted 30 minutes flying at a height of six to eight kilometers in the air at a speed of 1500 Km/h.

As President, he donated his income from his first 10 months in office to the NGO created and managed by Mata Amritanandamayi.

Isn't this interesting?
Kalam begins his day by reading from the Bhagwad Gita
Kalam is leading a remarkable ascetic life
He works for about 18 hours each day
He plays the 'Rudra Veena'
Took leave just twice, when his parents died
He is a self-confessed 'Ram Bhakt'

Kalam: Awards and Honors
Ramanujan Award by Alwars Research Centre, Chennai (2000)
Padma Vibhushan (1990)
Veer Savarkar Award (1998)
Bharat Ratna (1997)
Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration (1997)
Prof Y Nayudamma Memorial Gold Medal (1996)
GM Modi Award for Science (1996)
HK Firodia Award for Excellence in S&T (1996)
Padma Bhushan in (1981)
Dr Biren Roy Space Award
Om Prakash Bhasin Award
National Nehru Award by the Government of MP
Kalam has the unique distinction of having received honorary doctorates from at least thirty universities.
As a sign of his popularity among Indian youth, MTV-India recently nominated him as one of the prospects for its MTV India Youth Icon for the year 2006 Award

Books by Kalam
Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam by A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari (Orient Longman, 1999) ISBN 81-7371-146-1

India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Y.S. Rajan (Penguin Books India, 2003) ISBN 0-14-027833-8

India-my-dream by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Excel Books, 2004) ISBN 81-7446-350-X

Envisioning an Empowered Nation: Technology for Societal Transformation by A.P.J.Abdul Kalam (TATA McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, 2004) ISBN 0-07-053154-4

Inspiring Thoughts by Kalam

• "Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your life."
• "Thinking is progress. Non-thinking is stagnation of the individual, organisation and the country. Thinking leads to action. Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action, converts adversity into prosperity."
• "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..."
• "What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful and to remove the wrongs of injured..."
• "All God's creatures are His family; and he is the most beloved of God who tries to do most good to God's creatures."

"Away! Fond thoughts, and vex my soul no more! Work claimed my wakeful nights, my busy days Albeit brought memories of Rameswaram shore Yet haunt my dreaming gaze!" "I will not be presumptuous enough to say that my life can be a role model for anybody; but some poor child living in an obscure place in an underprivileged social setting may find a little solace in the way my destiny has been shaped. It could perhaps help such children liberate themselves from the bondage of their illusory backwardness and hopelessness?.." "My worthiness is all my doubt His Merit - all my fear- Contrasting which my quality Does however appear " "Be more dedicated to making solid achievements than in running after swift but synthetic happiness". "Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career." "English is necessary as at present original works of science are in English. I believe that in two decades times original works of science will start coming out in our languages. Then we can move over like the Japanese". "Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended". "I have this big library at home and my favourite poets are Milton, Walt Whitman and Rabindranath Tagore. I write poetry too". "Do we not realize that self respect comes with self reliance? " "As a child of God, I am greater than anything that can happen to me". "the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role model". "I was willing to accept what I couldn't change". "If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher". "It means, people who are in high and responsible positions, if they go against righteousness, righteousness itself will get transformed into a destroyer". "Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow".