A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
APJ Abdul Kalam Biography Life
After completing his studies in aeronautical engineering, Kalam joined
India's defence research and development organization, where he played a key
role in the country's missile development program. He became known as the
'Missile Man of India' for his significant contributions to India's defence capabilities, particularly his work on the development of
ballistic missiles like Agni and Prithvi.
Throughout his career, Kalam received numerous awards and honours, including the Bharat
Ratna, India's highest civilian award, for his outstanding contributions to science
and technology.
In 2002, Kalam was elected as the President of India, and during his tenure, he emerged as the 'People President' due to his
down-to-earth nature, accessibility, and focus on inspiring the youth of the
nation.
Beyond his scientific and political achievements, Kalam was a prolific writer and a gifted speaker. He penned several books,
including 'Wings of Fire' and 'Ignited Minds', in which he shared his
experiences, vision, and ideas to inspire the younger generation to dream big
and work toward a better India.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's legacy continues to resonate with people across India and Beyond. he remains an inspirational figure for his humility,
dedication to education, and passion for making India a technologically advanced and prosperous nation. His life and work
serve as a become of hope and encouragement for countless individuals,
especially aspiring scientists and young minds aspiring to make a positive
impact on society.
APJ Abdul Kalam Birth Place
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931, to a Tamil
Muslim family in the pilgrimage centre of
Rameswaram on Pamban Islands, which was formerly part of the Madras
Presidency and is now a state of
Tamil Nadu.
APJ Abdul Kalam Full Name
The Full name of APJ Abdul kalam was ( Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam) .
Scientist in aerospace and statesman Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
led India as its 11th president from 2002 to 2007. He studied physics and
aeronautical engineering and was nurtured in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
APJ Abdul Kalam Early Life and Education
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October1931, to a Tamil Muslim
family in the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram on Pamban Islands,
then in the Madras Presidency and is now a state of Tamil Nadu. His father Jainulabdeen was a boat owner and
imam of a local mosque, and his mother
Ashiamma was a housewife. His father owned
a ferry that took Hindu pilgrims back and forth between Rameswaram and the now-uninhabited Dhanushkodi. Kalam was
the youngest of four brothers and one sister in his family. His
ancestors had been wealthy traders and landowners, with numerous
properties and large tracts of land. Their business involved trading
groceries between
the mainland and the island and to and from Sri Lanka, as well
as ferrying pilgrims between the mainland and Pamban. As a result, the
family acquired
the title of 'Mara Kalam Iyakkivar' (wooden boat steerers),
which over the years
became shortened to 'Marakier.' With the opening of the Pamban
Bridge to the mainland in 1914, however, the businesses failed and the
family fortune and properties were lost over time, apart from the
ancestral home.
By his early Childhood, Kalam's family had become poor at an early age, and
he sold newspapers to supplement his family income.
In his school years, Kalam had average grades but was described as a
bright and hardworking student who had a strong desire
to learn. He spent hours on his studies, especially mathematics.
After completing at the Schwartz Higher Secondary School,
Ramanathapuram, Kalam went on to attend Saint Joseph's College,
Tiruchirappalli, then affiliated with the University of Madras, from
where he graduated in physics in 1954. He moved to Madras in 1955 to
study aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology.
While Kalam was working on a senior class project, the Dean was
dissatisfied with his lack of progress and threatened to revoke his
scholarship unless the project was finished within the next three
days. Kalam met the deadline, impressing the Dean, who later said to
him," I was putting you under stress and asking you to meet a
difficult deadline", He narrowly missed achieving his dream of
becoming a fighter pilot, as he placed ninth in qualifiers, and only
eight positions were available in the IAF.
Career as a scientist
After graduating from the Madras Institute of Technology
in 1960, Kalam joined the Aeronautical
Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (by Press Information Bureau, government of India, )
as a scientist after becoming a member of the Defence Research and
Development Service (DRDS). He started his career by designing a
small hovercraft, but remained unconvinced by his choice of a job
at DRDO. Kalam was also part of the INCOSPAR committee working
under Vikram Sarabhai, the renowned space scientist. In
1969, Kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) where he was the project director of India's first Satellite Launch (SLV-III) which successfully
deployed the Rohini satellite in near-earth orbit in July
1980, Kalam first started work on a expendable rocket project
independently at DRD in 1965. In 1969, Kalam received government approval and expanded the program to
include more engineers.
From 1963 to 1964, he visited NASA's Langley Research Center
in Hampton, Virginia, Goddard Space Flight
Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Wallops
Flight Facility. between 1970 and 1990, Kalam made an effort to develop the polar satellite Launch
vehicle (PSLV) and SLV-III project, both of which proved to be
successful. Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna 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
1970, Kalam also directed two projects, Project
Devil and Project Valiant, which sought to develop ballistic missiles
from the technology of the successful SLV program. Despite
the disapproval of the union cabinet, Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi allotted secret funds
for these aerospace projects through
her discretionary powers under Kalam directorship. Kalam played an integral role in convincing the Union cabinet to
conceal the true nature of these classified aerospace projects.
His research and educational leadership brought him great laurels
and prestige in 1980, which prompted the government to initiate an advanced missile
program under his directorship. Kalam and Dr VS Arunachalam, metallurgist and
scientific adviser to the Defence minister, worked on
the suggestion by the then Defence Minister, R.
Venkataraman on a proposal for simultaneous
development of a quiver of missiles instead of taking planned
missiles one after another. R Venkatraman was
instrumental in getting the cabinet approval for allocating ₹
3.88 billion for the mission, named the
Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and
appointed Kalam as the chief executive.
Kalam played a major part in developing many missiles under the
mission including Agni, an intermediate-range ballistic missile
and Prithvi, the tactical surface-to-surface missile, although
the project has been Criticised for for
mismanagement and cost and time overruns. Kalam served as the chief
scientific adviser to the prime minister and
secretary of the Defence Research and Development Organisation from
July 1992 to December 1999. The Pokhran-II nuclear tests were
conducted during this period in which he played
an intensive political and technological
role. Kalam served as the chief project coordinator, along with
Rajagopala, and Chidambaram, during the tested
phase. Media coverage of Kalam during this period made him the country's best-known nuclear
scientist.
APJ Abdul Kalam Death
Tragically, on July 27, 2015, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam passed away
while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management,
Shillong. His sudden demise was mourned by millions worldwide, and
his loss was deeply felt by the entire nation. However, his legacy
lives on, inspiring generations to dream big, work hard, and
contribute to the progress of society.
