Born on May 15, 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was India’s 11th President from 2002 to 2007 and had a background in physics and aeronautical engineering.
India’s 11th President in 2002 with support from both BJP and Congress. Following his presidency, he returned to civilian life and pursued teaching, writing, and public service.
Educated at Schwartz Secondary School in Ramanathapuram. He obtained a diploma in physics from Saint Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli in 1955.
Kalam aspired to become a military pilot but ended up working as a scientist at the Defense Research Service and Aeronautical Development Establishment.
Kalam was nominated by the National Democratic Alliance and endorsed by the Samajwadi Party and the National Congress Party, earning him the moniker “people’s President” for his contributions to the country.
Kalam faced a challenging decision when he signed the “office of profit” act, which prohibited individuals working under the royal family or receiving a pension from the prince from working for the House of Commons under the English Settlement Act of 1701.
Kalam was honored with India’s third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhusan , in 1981, and the second-highest, the Padma Vibhushan, in 1990.
Abdul Kalam was awarded India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1997, as well as the Indira Gandhi Award of National Integration.
Working as the project director at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Dr Kalam put in over 10-year-long hard work for the development of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). His immense contributions ultimately resulted in one of the greatest scientific achievements of the country.
Working as the project director at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Dr Kalam put in over 10-year-long hard work for the development of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). His immense contributions ultimately resulted in one of the greatest scientific achievements of the country.
Dr Kalam was responsible for the development of Indigenous Guided Missiles at DRDO after having worked for 20 years at ISRO. He conceived the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) where he played a major role in the development and operationalisation of Agni and Prithvi missiles. After achieving the goal of making India self-reliant in missile technology, the DRDO formally announced the successful completion of the IGMDP.
Dr Kalam contributed immensely to the health sector, as well. He along with cardiologist Soma Raju developed a cost-effective coronary stent called ‘Kalam-Raju-Stent’ to save the lives of people who could not afford expensive alternatives.
“Science is a beautiful gift to humanity :
we should not distort it.”
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