A.P.J Abdul Kalam Biography

Who is A.P.J Abdul kalam?

A.P.J Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 in Rameshwaram District of Tamil Nadu State, India. He completed his schooling at Rameswaram Vidyalaya and graduated in Physics from Presidency College Pune University. In 1954, he received an MSc. degree in Engineering Mechanics from Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai. After that, he worked as a lecturer, then as an assistant professor at Annamalai University, Chidambaram. He became the chief scientist at ISRO in 1972. His interest lies in the fields of aerospace engineering, space science, astronomy, technology, education, and culture. He held many positions including the President of India (2002-2007), Minister for Defence Production (July 2001-May 2002), and the Union Science & Technology minister (August 1998 - May 2000). He was awarded Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and Doctorate honoris causa from IIT Kharagpur, Indian National Science Academy, BHU Lucknow, and Giri Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

 The early life of A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

He was born on 15 October 1931 in Dhanushkodi village (Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu) in a middle-class Muslim Ansar family.  His father Jainulabdeen was neither positively apprised or rich.  Abdul Kalam lived in a joint family.  The number of members of the family can be estimated from the fact that it was itself five brothers and five sisters and there used to be three families in the house.  Even though he was not educated, his dedication and the values ​​given by him were of great use to Abdul Kalam.  His trainer Iyadurai Solomon had told him that in order to perform successfully and encouraging results in life, these three forces should be well understood and dominated by strong desire, faith, and expectation.  While studying in the fifth class, his teacher was giving him information about the way birds fly, but when the students did not understand, the teacher took them to the beach, where they explained them well by showing them flying birds and seeing birds, Kalam decided.  He decided that he has to go to flight science in the future.  Kalam's maths teachers used to take tuitions in the morning, so he used to go to maths tuitions at 4 in the morning.

 Abdul Kalam also did the work of distributing newspapers to continue his education. Kalam graduated in space science from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1950.  After graduation, he entered the Indian Defense Research and Development Institute to work on the project 'Hovercraft'.  In 1962, he joined the Indian Space Research Organization where he successfully played his role in several satellite launch projects.  As project director, he was instrumental in the structure of India's first indigenous satellite launch automobile, SLV3, from which the Rohini satellite was successfully launched into space in July 1982.

Books of A.P.J Abdul.Kalam 

Kalam has also incorporated his ideas into literary form in four books, which are as follows: 'India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, 'My Journey' and 'Ignited Minds - Unleashing the Power Within India'.[5  These books have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages.  Thus he was a distinguished scientist in India, having received honorary doctorates from more than 40 universities and institutions.

 "What is the best thing to do? To make a man's heart happy, to feed the hungry, to help the needy, to lighten the sorrow of the poor and to serve the injured..." -Abdul Kalam[53]

 The main books of Kalam Sahib are as follows: 

 reflective works

 Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India : (Penguin Books, 2003) ISBN 0-14-302982-7

 India-My-Dream : (Excel Books, 2004) ISBN 81-7446-350-X

 Envisioning an Empowered Nation: Technology for Social Transformation : (Tata McGraw-Hill Publications, 2004) ISBN 0-07-053154-4

 autobiographical works

 Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam: Co-authored by - Arun Tiwari, (Orient Longman, 1999)   ISBN 81-7371-146-1

 Scientist to President : (Gyan Publishing House, 2003) ISBN 81-212-0807-6

 My Journey, Prabhat Paperbacks, New Delhi

Scientist life of A.P.J Abdul Kalam

In 1972, he joined the Indian Space Research Organisation.  Abdul Kalam got the credit for making India's first indigenous satellite (SLV III) missile as the Director General of Projects.  In 1980, he placed the Rohini satellite near the Earth's orbit.  Thus India also became a member of the International Space Club. He is also credited with starting the ISRO launch vehicle program.  Kalam designed the indigenously designed guided missiles.  They made missiles like Agni and Prithvi with indigenous technology.  Kalam was the Science Adviser to the Defense Minister and Secretary, Department of Security Research and Development, from July 1992 to December 1999.  He used the Strategic Missile System as a firearm.  Similarly, the second nuclear test in Pokhran was also done by mixing it with nuclear energy.  In this way, India succeeded in achieving the ability to build nuclear arms.  Kalam provided a unique vision to make India's development level state-of-the-art in the field of science by 2020. He was also the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.   He owes a lot to the successful test of the Agni missile and Prithvi missile.  In July 1992, he was appointed Scientific Adviser in the Indian Ministry of Defence.  Under his supervision, India conducted its second successful nuclear test at Pokhran in 1998 and joined the list of nations with nuclear power.

  What did he do before being elected as president of India?

 He contributed greatly to the field of engineering and the development of missile technologies at the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). In fact, DRDO was the first organization in the world to make a successful launch of a rocket carrying a human being. His name and influence have been strongly associated with the Indian space program. Between 1977 and 1984, he chaired the National Advisory Council (NAC), which advised the government on policy matters concerning scientific research. From 1999 to 2001, he was the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India. As per biographical details put together by him himself, he was a graduate in physics and mathematics from Presidency College, Madras University. After graduating, he worked as a lecturer in Physics at Maharaja's Science College, Coimbatore, and then joined the Department of Physical Sciences at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, where he stayed till 1967. He later moved to BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) and held various positions. In 1974, he was nominated Chairman of NCCR(National Center for Complex Systems), IISc Bangalore. In 1982, he held the position of Director General of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). In 1987, he retired from the post of Director General ISRO. Thereafter, he became the chief adviser to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, in 2003.

FAQ  

How did he die?

 On 27th July 2015, Dr. Kalam died while traveling in Bengaluru after suffering from cardiac arrest. The former President was on their way to attend a function and was admitted to Sri Ramachandra Medical Hospital around 9 pm. However, due to treatment delays, he suffered a cardiac arrest at around 6 am and was declared dead on arrival. He was cremated on 28th July 2015.

  When was he elected as President of India?

 In 2002, he was elected as the 10th President of the Republic of India. He was sworn in as the 12th Vice President of India on 26th May 2002.

  What were his achievements as the President of India?

 As President of India, he focused on strengthening the country's education system, improving its infrastructure, and addressing various issues related to poverty alleviation. He laid emphasis on promoting science and technology, especially among rural communities. He oversaw the establishment of the Bharat Innovation Corridor near Mumbai, which aims to develop industries in southern India.

  What was his contribution to India's space program?

 During his tenure as the President of India, India successfully launched several indigenous satellites. These included the INSAT 2D and INSAT 3E series, RISAT 2A, and Cartosat 1 and Cartosat 2 series satellites.