Apj abdul kalam biography for school project

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, famously known as Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) was a pre-eminent Indian aerospace scientist and the 11th President of India who took the course of Indian technological advancement to unprecedented heights. Born and brought up in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Dr. Kalam worked closely at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the two most prestigious space research centres in India. His contribution to nation-building through his unique technological envision made him earn the title ‘The Missile Man of India’. As a Statesman, he was popular as ‘The People’s President’ for his humble and easily reachable attitude toward the common people. Recipient of all the three highest civilian honours of India, Kalam, in his later years, worked as a teacher and took his last breath on 27 July 2015, while delivering a lecture at IIM (Indian Institute of Management) in Shillong, Meghalaya. He died of cardiac arrest.

Wiki/Biography

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on Thursday, 15 October 1931 (age 83 years; at the time of death) in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu (then in the Madras Presidency of British India). His zodiac sign is Libra. He grew up in a poverty-stricken Tamil Muslim family in Rameswaram, even though his ancestors were wealthy traders who were in ferry business before the construction of the Pamban bridge in 1914 which was responsible for the failure of the fortune of Kalam’s family business.

After completing his secondary education at Schwartz Higher Secondary School Rameswaram, he pursued a Physics degree at St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli, and graduated in 1954. Later, he moved to Madras in 1955 and proceeded to an Aerospace Engineering degree at Madras Institute of Technology (MIT), which he completed in 1960. Meanwhile, he prepared for the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the position of fighter pilot, his childhood dream that was lost by a narrow margin of one rank. With the attitude of turning this disappointment into glory, he decided to make planes if not fly them, and became a member of DRDS (Defence Research & Development Service), finally launching his career as a rocket engineer.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 4″

Hair Colour: Grey

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Dr. Kalam belonged to a Tamil Muslim family with his ancestors being Marakayar traders, having descended from the Arab traders and inhabiting the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

Parents & Siblings

Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma was a homemaker, and his father, Jainulabdeen Marakayar, was an imam (an Islamic leadership position) at a local mosque and a boat owner which he used as a ferry business, taking up the Hindu pilgrims who visited Rameshwaram to the famous uninhabited Dhanushkodi, a spot mentioned in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He had four siblings, three brothers and one sister. He was the youngest of all. Sister Asim Zohra (d.1997) was the eldest, followed by Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar (5 November 1916- 7 March 2021), Mustafa Kalam (d.1999), and Kasim Mohammed (d.1995).

Wife & Children

Kalam was never married and had no children.

Religion/Religious Views

Kalam was very deeply connected to spirituality, and his concept of God was deprived of religious biases. Despite being born into a Muslim family and offering daily namaz (prayers performed by Muslims), Kalam used to visit the holy Ramanathaswamy temple. ((TOI)) He had read the holy books of many religions to conclude that every religion’s ultimate essence is faith in the divine power that resides in freedom and compassion towards all. In his autobiographical book ‘Wings of Fire’, he talked about his views on religion and said,

I have always been a religious person in the sense that I maintain a working partnership with God. I was aware that the best work required more ability than I possessed and therefore I needed help that only God could give me. I made a true estimate of my ability, then raised it by 50 percent and put myself in God’s hands. In this partnership, I have always received all the power I needed, and have felt it flowing through me. Today, I can affirm that the kingdom of God is within you in the form of this power, to achieve your goals and realize your dreams.”

Caste

Some sources claim that Kalam belonged to the Maracair caste, the fishermen caste in the Muslim community. ((The Wire))

Kalam’s House

12/7 Mosque Street, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu 623526

Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house is now turned into a Museum where his books, souvenirs, medals, and pictures of his journey are displayed. There is also a shop on the second floor for visitors to buy books, keyrings, etcetera, as souvenirs. Rs. 5 is charged to access the House of Kalam. His last residing residence was in Delhi at 10 Rajaji Marg.

Signature/Autograph

Career

Scientist

After completing his Aerospace Engineering degree at MIT, Dr. Kalam became a member of DRDS in 1960, right after which he joined as a scientist in DRDO’s (Defence Research & Development Organisation) Aeronautical Development Establishment, where he designed a hovercraft. Since he wasn’t satisfied with his work at DRDS, he joined INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) as a rocket engineer and also worked setting up a rocket launching station at Thumba (now TERLS). In 1969, he was recruited to ISRO after being interviewed by the first director, H. G. S. Murthy, of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), the Indian spaceport operated by ISRO. He was one of the members of the team led by Vikram Sarabhai whose vision was to build indigenous rockets and launch vehicles.

Contribution to the Development of Satellite Launch Vehicles

Doctor Kalam gave India its first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). In the very first year of ISRO’s establishment, Kalam was selected as the project director to develop indigenous rockets and Satellite Launch Vehicles, and after putting in hard work for more than 10 years, he met with success on 18 July 1980 when SLV-III was successfully launched from Sriharikota range, placing Rohini satellite into the low earth orbit. ((ISRO)). Until the late 1990s, he actively participated in making the SLVs better and successfully developed PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and SLV-III projects. In an interview with The New York Times, he mentioned,

I am completely indigenous!” ((The New York Times))

Contribution to the Development of Ballistic Missiles

Doctor Kalam’s fame as the ‘Missile Man of India’ rests upon his dedicated efforts to build ballistic missiles. Initially, he directed Project Devil and Project Valiant in the 1970s. He led the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) mission in 1982-83 with the support of R. Venkataraman (then defence minister), which paved the way for a series of missiles beginning with Agni (Agni I, II, III) and Prithvi (Prithvi I, II, III). ((The Hindu)) He is also actively associated with the development of the Nag Missile, which started in 1988 and was successfully tested in 1997, 2000, and 2008. ((The Times Of India)) Akash, Trishul, and BrahMos added more fame to his name in his later years as a scientist. Trishul made its first successful flight in 1989. Akash was first tested in 1990 and is active today. BrahMos was first tested in 2001 and continues to empower the nation’s defence technology with enhanced testing even today. ((The Economic Times)). Later, he created a Research Centre Imarat in 1988, a DRDO lab researching and developing advanced technologies for guided weapons, missile systems, and avionics.

Contribution to Nuclear Development

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam had a vision of transforming India into a nuclear weapon state because he believed that ”strength respects strength” and strength and peace go together. Unless we are strong we cannot bring peace.”((The Economic Times)). He wanted to make India a nuclear-powered nation so that it could defend itself from external threats. He did not intend to support destruction with its use by any means. This can be sensed in his famous speech” My Vision For India” in which he said,

In 3000 years of our history people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, and conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards, the Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation…We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, and their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others.” ((My Vision for India Speech))”

Kalam’s desire to make India a full-fledged nuclear power bore fruits just after he was appointed as the Secretary of DRDO and the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Indian Prime Minister in July 1992. The nuclear testing of PokhranII between 1992 and 1999 made him a national hero. In 1998, the detonation of five nuclear devices in Pokhran’s northwestern desert made him an international celebrity. Many nations, especially the superpowers, condemned this secret nuclear testing by India, making it an issue of international concern. The 2018 Indian movie Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran is based on this event.

Contribution to Health Department

With the help of cardiologist Soma Raju, he made two remarkable contributions to the Indian health department. First, by making a coronary stent, known as the ‘Kalam-Raju stent,’ that came under a cost-effective price for patients. Second, by designing a rugged tablet (computers designed for rough use and have better performance) that administers health care much faster and better. This became famous as the ‘Kalam-Raju tablet.’

President of India

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was the first scientist-turned-President of India who took the Presidency on 25 July 2002 as the 11th President of India and held this position until the completion of the five-year tenure on 25 July 2007. Nominated by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on 10 June 2002, his aura was so powerful that he was fully supported by opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Indian National Congress. His win was marked by a huge difference of 815,518 electoral votes from his competitor Lakshmi Sahgal. His electoral votes were 922,884, while Lakshmi’s was 107,366. He succeeded Kocheril Raman Narayanan and was preceded by Pratibha Patil, the first woman President of India.

He was a man of utmost modesty and compassion, which made him earn the popular nickname ‘The People’s President.’ It is believed that during his tenure, any common man could easily meet Kalam, and he would empathetically listen to solve the problems of the public to his utmost capacity with his vision to create a perfect country.

Contributions as President

• He promoted India’s technological advancement, and nuclear development program and launched programs to promote scientific research as the head of the state.

• He empowered women by highlighting their importance in his various speeches. In his first speech as President, he said,
  

  When the women are empowered, society with stability gets assured” ((Speech))

• In 2006, he became the first President to use the power of Suspension Veto under Article 111, rejecting the ‘Office-of-Profit’ or (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill 2006. ((Business Standard)) However, he had to ultimately sign it when returned. He mentioned signing this Bill as one of his toughest decisions. The Bill exempted 56 posts from the list of offices of profit which led to disqualification of those who held these offices.

• He worked to diminish the rural-urban divide by starting PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas).

Teacher

Post his presidential tenure, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam returned to civil life as a teacher. Continuing to ignite the flame of transforming India through science and technology, he interacted the most with the youth of the country in his later years. He once mentioned that if people remember him as a teacher, that would be the greatest honour for him. His interactions with the students at various schools and universities remain among the most-searched videos on YouTube for motivation. He was dearly called ‘Kalam Chacha’ by students, showing his close association with the hearts of the children of India. He died while delivering a lecture at IIM, Shillong. His famous call to the young ones in his poem ‘Song of Youth’ expresses his spirit as a teacher.

Author

Kalam was a huge fan of art and literature. He wrote many books and used to give 2 hours daily to writing his thoughts. During his tenure, he has authored various poems and books. His famous books are-

1. Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
2. India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium
3. Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India
4. The Luminous Sparks: A Biography in Verse and Colours
5. Guiding Souls: Dialogues on the Purpose of Life
6. Mission of India: A Vision of Indian Youth
7. Inspiring Thoughts: Quotation Series
8. You Are Born to Blossom: Take My Journey Beyond
9. The Scientific India: A Twenty-First Century Guide to the World Around Us
10. Failure to Success: Legendry Lives
11. Target 3 Billion
12. You are Unique: Scale New Heights by Thoughts and Actions
13. Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges
14. Indomitable Spirit
15. Spirit of India
16. Thoughts for Change: We Can Do It
17. My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions
18. Governance for Growth in India
19. Manifesto for Change
20. Forge Your Future: Candid, Forthright, Inspiring
21. Beyond 2020: A Vision for Tomorrow’s India
22. The Guiding Light: A Selection of Quotations from My Favourite Books
23. Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future
24. The Family and the Nation
25. Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji

Kalam’s Quotes

Some of his famous quotes are:

“Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.”

“If you salute your duty, you need not salute anybody. But if you pollute your duty, you have to salute everybody”

“Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place – the unique you. Have an aim in life, continuously acquire knowledge, work hard, and have perseverance to realise the great life.”

“Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in the second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.”

Controversy

Criticism of Pokhran II

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was criticised by K Santhanam, the site director of Pokaran II, for calling the tests a ‘failure’ because Kalam gave a false report of them. This was also backed by Homi Sethna, a former top atomic boss.

Awards

• • • Padma Bhushan – 1981

      APJ Abdul Kalam was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1981 by the President of India

• Padma Vibhushan – 1990

  A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, receiving Padma Vibhushan in 1990 by the President of India

• Bharat Ratna – 1997

  Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam received the Bharat Ratna from the President of India in 1997

• Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration – 1997

• Veer Savarkar Award – 1998

• Von Braun Award by National Space Society – 2013

Honours

Dr. Kalam has been honoured by more than 30 universities. Some of the famous ones are-

• King Charles II Medal by Royal Society – 2007

• Hoover Medal by ASME Foundation, USA – 2009

• Doctor of Science by Edinburgh University (U.K.) – 2014

Assets & Properties

No Will was left by him. All he possessed was his books, veena, a CD player, a laptop and a few pairs of clothes, all of which went to his eldest brother, Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar.

Death

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam died of cardiac arrest on 27th July 2015 in Shillong (Meghalaya), where at the Indian Institute of Management, he was scheduled to deliver a lecture on ‘Creating a Livable Planet Earth’. He felt a slight ache while climbing the stairs but overcame it and reached the auditorium. Five minutes after the beginning of the lecture at around 6:35 p.m., he fainted and was declared dead at the nearby Bethany hospital at around 7:45 p.m. His last words were “Funny guy!! Are you doing well?,” which he uttered to Srijan Pal Singh, his Officer-on-Special-Duty and a leading youth activist in India.

His body was carried by an IAF helicopter on 28 July to Delhi’s Palam Air Base, where wreaths were laid on his body by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Chief Minister of Delhi and the three chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces. His body was then carried to his then-Delhi residence at 10 Rajaji Marg, where many dignitaries offered him homage. His body, wrapped in the Indian National Flag was taken to Mandapam from Palam Air Base on 29th July 2015 in a C-130J aircraft and was then shifted in an army vehicle to Rameswaram, where his body was displayed opposite the local bus stand of Rameswaram for the public to pay their last respect till 8 p.m. It was then handed over to his family members to conduct some ceremonies at his ancestral house in Pallivasal Street, and a few in the local mosque. His funeral ceremony was held on 30 July 2015 at Pei Karumbu which is 1 km away from his hometown Rameshwaram. A memorial has been built at this burial site.

Favourites

• Food: Sambar Rice cooked by his mother along with coconut chutney

• Books: Light From Many Lamps edited by Lillian Eichler Watson, Thirukural written by Thiruvalluvar, Man the Unknown by Alexis Carrel

• Poets: T.S. Eliot, Lewis Carroll, William Butler Yeats

• Music: Indian classical music

Facts/Trivia

• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s birth anniversary, 15 October, is celebrated as the World Students’Day.
• Many prestigious awards and institutions are named after him to promote research and technology in India.
• As a young 10-year-old boy, Kalam worked as a newspaper vendor in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, to financially support his family. He used to do this before his school hours. ((PIB))

• His love for literature and mathematics was right from his childhood when he would borrow books from his brother’s friends. His main possessions also included books.

• As a schoolboy, he was once asked to sit at the backbench by his teacher who held hatred for the Muslim community. Abdul, who used to wear ‘Taqiyah,’ and his Hindu friend, Ramanadha, who used to wear the sacred Hindu thread, used to sit together. A teacher once asked Abdul to sit on the last bench. This teacher was later condemned by Ramanadha’s father who was the highest priest of Rameswaram temple and Abdul’s father’s best friend. ((The Times Of India))

• In 1958, when he failed to qualify for the interview for IAF in Dehradun, shattered Kalam took a bus to Rishikesh, where he met a Sadhu who told him that he was predestined for something bigger than this. Kalam later referred to the Sadhu as his ‘Guru.’ ((The Times Of India))

• Kalam had a taste for music, and he used to play the Veena for relaxation. His Veena is now displayed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

  A. P. J. Abdul Kalam playing the Veena for relaxation in the Family Wing of Rashtrapati Bhavan

• He did not like India to be known as a developing nation.’

• Kalam had two special Manipuri-styled huts constructed under a banyan tree in the Mughal Gardens of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, which were demolished in 2010. Popularly known as ‘The Thinking Hut,’ Kalam referred to them as ‘The Immortal Hut.’ Most of his creative thoughts were penned down here. His book ‘Indomitable Spirit’ was entirely written here. He once mentioned,
  

  Whenever a complex national decision was to be made, these two huts were where I sat and thought. Of course, the inspiration for many poems also came while I was there,”

• As a representative of Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Abdul Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness “Operation Smiling Buddha,” India’s first nuclear test in Pokhran in 1974.
• He played a pioneering role in developing fibreglass technology and was also closely associated with the functioning of the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment(SASE).

• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was one of the members of the first team of rocket engineers that formed INCOSPAR. He joined this after not being satisfied with his job at DRDO.
• To show his transparency in public life, he paid the bill of  Rs. 9.52 lakh for the 9-day stay of his 52 family members at Rashtrapati Bhawan who visited during his tenure.
• A huge controversy was spurred when a Bhagavad Gita’s copy was placed next to his statue at the Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial in Rameswaram. Kalam’s relatives kept other holy books, the Koran and Bible next to the Hindu Gita arguing that Dr. Kalam had no biases for any religion. This enraged the Hindu Makka Katchi nationalist party.
• Doctor Kalam expressed his dream of flying the Indian fighter aircraft just after he became President, which made him the ex-officio Commander-in-Chief of the Indian armed forces. He was the first Indian President to fly a supersonic Su-30MKI multi-role combat fighter jet, after six months of training.

  A.P.J. Abdul Kalam undertaking a historic sortie in Su-30MKI on 9 June 2006

• Kalam believed that science education should be conducted in the mother tongue of the students. ((The Hindu)).