APJ Abdul Kalam, full name – Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam – The Missile Man of India, (born October 15, 1931, Rameswaram, India—died July 27, 2015, Shillong). APJ Abdul Kalam was a great Indian scientist who worked miraculously for India’s missile Technology and nuclear weapons programs and politician who played a leading role in the development of India. He served as a president of India from 2002 to 2007.
Life of APJ Abdul Kalam:
After graduating from Madras Institute of Technology with a degree in aeronautical engineering, Kalam joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 1958. He joined the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1969 as project director of the SLV-III, the country’s first satellite launch vehicle. When he returned to the DRDO in 1982, he oversaw a programme that resulted in a number of successful missiles, earning him the moniker Missile Man.
From 1992 to 1997, Kalam was the defence minister’s scientific adviser, and from 1999 to 2001, he was the government’s principal scientific adviser with the title of cabinet minister. Although the tests raised worldwide alarm, Kalam’s important role in the country’s 1998 nuclear weapons testing cemented India’s status as a nuclear power and elevated him as a national hero. In 1998, Kalam proposed Technology Vision 2020, a statewide strategy that he described as a road map for converting India from a developing to a developed society in 20 years. Increasing agricultural productivity, prioritising technology as an engine for economic growth, and expanding access to health care and education were among the goals outlined in the plan.
Kalam was nominated by India’s ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to succeed outgoing President Kocheril Raman Narayanan in 2002. Despite being Muslim, Kalam was nominated by the Hindu nationalist (Hindutva) NDA, and his status and popularity were such that the Indian National Congress, the main opposition party, also proposed his candidacy. Kalam easily won the election, and in July 2002, he was sworn in as India’s 11th president, a purely ceremonial position. He was succeeded by Pratibha Patil, the country’s first female president, when his term expired in 2007.
Post President Life of APJ:
Following his return to civilian life, Kalam remained committed to utilising science and technology to help India become a developed country, lecturing at a number of universities. He fell while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong on July 27, 2015, and was pronounced dead shortly after from cardiac arrest. Kalam wrote several books, including Wings of Fire, an autobiography (1999). Two of the country’s highest honours, the Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the Bharat Ratna (2001), were among his many accolades (1997).
Famous Quotes by APJ:
- 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.
- We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us.
- If four things are followed – having a great aim, acquiring knowledge, hard work, and perseverance – then anything can be achieved.
- Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.
- Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.
- Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. In this world, fear has no place. Only strength respects strength.
- The purpose of education is to make good human beings with skill and expertise… Enlightened human beings can be created by teachers.
- Let me define a leader. He must have vision and passion and not be afraid of any problem. Instead, he should know how to defeat it. Most importantly, he must work with integrity.
- Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career.
- My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people.
FAQs
Ques. Why APJ Abdul Kalam is famous?
Ans. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen is Abdul Kalam’s full name. Abdul Kalam was an Indian scientist and politician who played a key role in the creation of India’s missile and nuclear weapons programmes. He was born on October 15, 1931, in Rameswaram, India, and died on July 27, 2015, in Shillong. From 2002 until 2007, he served as India’s president.
Ques. Who is APJ Abdul Kalam wife?
Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam was unmarried throughout his life. Jainulabiddin Marakayar (Imam) and Ashiamma Jainulabiddin Jainulabiddin Jainulabiddin Jainulabiddin Jainulabiddin Jainulabiddin Jainulabiddin Jainulabiddin Jain (Housewife). Kasim Mohammed, Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar, and Mustafa Kamal were his three brothers, while Asim Zohra was his oldest sister. He remained single for the whole of his life.
Ques. Why is Dr APJ Abdul Kalam called missile Man?
Ans. As a result of his contributions to the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology, he became known as India’s Missile Man. In 1998, he also had a key organisational, technical, and political role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear testing, the first since the country’s first nuclear test in 1974.
Ques. Who is the missile Man of India?
Ans. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is known as the Missile man of India due to his contributions to the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. When he returned to the DRDO in 1982, he oversaw a programme that resulted in a number of successful missiles, earning him the moniker Missile Man.
Ques. Did Abdul Kalam ever receive a Nobel Prize?
Ans. Abdul Kalam is not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, he has received numerous prizes, including the Bharat Ratna and numerous more.
