APJ Abdul Kalam birthday: India pays tribute to its Missile Man, people’s President
Monday, October 15, 2018 IST
APJ Abdul Kalam birthday: was born on October 15, 1931 at Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram and went on to get a degree in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology.
India is today remembering Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam or APJ Abdul Kalam – the person we know as the “Missile Man” of India, on his birth-anniversary. Kalam, who had an illustrious scientific career with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), was the 11th and by far the most popular President of the country.
Kalam was born on October 15, 1931 at Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram and went on to get a degree in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. In 1958, he joined the DRDO. Subsequently, he joined ISRO in 1963. In ISRO, he introduced major changes such as fibre reinforced plastics activities. A strong advocate of self-reliance in defence technology, Kalam rejoined DRDO in 1982.
Kalam played a pivotal role Pokhran-II nuclear test In 1998. Kalam was appointed as the Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Secretary (1992 to 1997) and Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (1999-2001). He was also the Vice President of Astronautical Society of India. Kalam was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and Bharat Ratna in 1997.
A different self of Kalam can be seen through his astute sense of lietrature. An aesthete and an exponent of Karnatak or Carnatic music, Kalam could play veena and had written poetry in Tamil. In 1994, Kalam’s book “My Journey” was published. The book comprises translation of seventeen of his poems in English. He also penned two books, titled India 2020: A Vision for the new Millennium and Wings of Fire: An Autobiography that went on to become bestsellers.
Kalam had envisaged Technology Vision 2020, through which he laid out a road map for transforming India from a less-developed to a developed society in 20 years.
Kalam suffered a massive heart attack during a lecture session at the IIM-Shillong and breathed his last at a city hospital on July 27, 2015. Several of his quotes continue to inspire and one such “An indomitable spirit stands on two feet.. vision and firm thought” is apt to describe the man with the ocean of knowledge.
Related Topics
Related News & Articles
Kannauj: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday captured a tantric who was on the pursued sexually assaulting and killing a 14-year-old girl in what has ended up bein...
Recently posted . 737 views . 26 min read
A day after Noida police issued a notice banning namaz in public spaces, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted that UP cops showered petals on kanwariyas, but told...
Recently posted . 542 views . 2 min read
The suspects were handed over to Sindh Police. The deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Ghotki visited the families of the girls and informed them of...
Recently posted . 610 views . 2 min read
NEW DELHI: Mayawati, chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party that lost out to the ruling BJP in Friday's Rajya Sabha elections, has promised t...
Recently posted . 612 views . 4 min read
LUDHIANA: When the Congress party had mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark that selling ‘pakodas’ too was a form of self...
Recently posted . 695 views . 3 min read
Trending News & Articles
While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content.
...
Recently posted . 61K views . 1 min read
The four boys as well as five school officials, including the director and principal, were arrested after the incident. The minors were presented before the Juvenil...
Recently posted . 8K views . 1 min read
Rahul was having an Italian passport and was carrying suitcase full of dollars. Some say it was about was it $2 million.
Rahul and his girl friend was th...
Recently posted . 7K views . 7 min read
True – Tr...
Recently posted . 6K views . 83 min read
More in National
According to the CBI, Takla and his brother, Mohmad Ahmad Mansoor, provided logistical support to some of the 1993 Mumbai blasts accused in Dubai, from where they...
Recently posted. 511 views . 1 min read
He is not just the oldest voter in India, Shyam Saran Negi (102-years-old) also happens to be the first voter of Independent India. Negi exercised his voting rights...
Recently posted. 756 views . 1 min read
NEW DELHI: There is a need to recognise the role of woman in a household and regardless of her financial contribution, she should get an equal part...
Recently posted. 571 views . 1 min read
Recently posted . 484 views
Recently posted . 689 views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 1K views . 19 min read
Recently posted . 1K views . 31 min read
Anger and fear continue to swell in the desperately poor village hit hard by the epidemic, which authorities say could be linked to either gross negligence or malic...
Recently posted. 461 views . 1 min read
Virat Kohli posted a video of himself doing 20 spider planks and tagged PM Narendra Modi for the fitness challenge, which was originally started by Union Minister...
Recently posted. 674 views . 1 min read