‘Missile Man’ Dr. Abdul Kalam: The Greatest Student India Ever Had

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam – the missile man of India and the man with an ever-smiling face, took his last launch and vanished in the heavens above leaving us with a void that can never be filled. May his divine soul rest in peace, and his blessings be with the nation always.

• Full Name: Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
• Date of Birth: October 15, 1931
• Died on: July 27, 2015

“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.” – A.P.J.

Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11th president of India from 2002-2007, and also popularly known as “the missile man” is renowned the world over for his contribution to science and aerospace. But in India, he was also known as a great teacher, who would always encourage students to excel and work towards making a powerful India.

Born and raised in Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), Kalam studied physics and aerospace engineering. Later, he spent several decades working as a scientist and scientific administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and was later involved in India’s civilian space program and military missile development efforts. This is why he came to be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile technology and its launch.

He continued giving lectures and speeches at many educational institutions till he died. He had once stated during an interview that he would like to die while teaching his students abstract that was exactly how he went.

He was extremely popular among children especially, and an inspiration to all. Below are some of his most inspiring words and details of his life.

Reading an article on the Supermarine spitfire aircraft changed Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s life. It took him from being a newspaper delivery boy to being a rocket scientist, to becoming the President of India.

Achievements

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a brilliant scientist and has in his life time been confered by many prestigious awards and titles but the most popular is probably the unofficial title of “The People’s President” that best described him.

Here is a list of some of his titles and honours:

• 1981: Parma Bhushan (Government of India)
• 1990: Padma Vibhushan (Government of India)
• 1994: Distinguished Fellow (Institute of Directors India)
• 1997: Bharat Ratna (Government of India)
• 1997: Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration (Indian National Congress)
• 1998: Veer Savarkar Award (Government of India)
• 2000: Ramanujan Award (Alwares Research Centre,Chennai)
• 2007:Honorary Doctorate of Science (University of Wolverhampton,UK)
• 2007: King Charles II Medal (Royal Society, UK)
• 2007: Honorary Doctorate of Science and Technology (Carnegie Mellon University)
• 2008: Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) (Aligarh Muslim University,Aligarh)
• 2008:Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) (Nanyang Technological University,Singapore)
• 2009: International Von Karman Wings Award (California Institute of Technology, USA)
• 2009:Hoover Medal (ASME Foundation, USA)
• 2009:Honorary Doctorate (Oakland University)
• 2010:Doctor of Engineering (University of Waterloo)
• 2011:IEEE Honorary Membership (IEEE)
• 2012:Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) (Simon Fraser University)
• 2014:Doctor of Science (Edinburgh University,UK)

Apart from all the above prestigious titles and awards, in 2013, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the recipient of the Von Braun Award from National Space Society recognizing excellence in management and leadership of a space related project. Switzerland declared May 26th 2005 as Science Day” in celebration of Kalam’s visit to the country. On his 79th birthday, the United Nations recognized and declared it as World Students Day which is probably a great honor accorded to any Indian. He was truly a highly distinguished personality recognized not only in India but world over.

Sr. APJ Abdul Kalam: Bestselling Books on Amazon

Some Memorable Quotes

A.P.J Abdul Kalam was an inspiration to every Indian. He was a favorite among children especially. He would often give lectures to students in schools and colleges and children and youngsters would turn up in huge numbers to listen to him speak. He was inspirational and some of his quotes were widely revered.

Here are some of his very famous and memorable quotes:

• “Failure will never overtake me if my definition to succeed is strong enough”
• “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck”
• “All birds find shelter during a rain but eagle avoids rain by flying above the clouds”
• “Man needs difficulties in life because they are necessary to enjoy the success”
• “If you want to shine like a sun first burn like a sun”
• “It is very easy to defeat someone, but it is very hard to win someone”
• “Don’t read success stories, you will only get a message. Read failure stories, you will get some ideas to get success.”
• “Don’t declare holiday on my death. Instead work an extra day, if you love me
• “Dream is not what you see In sleep, is the thing that doesn’t let you sleep”
• “Love your job but don’t love your company, because you may not know when your company stops loving you”
• Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us in the world. Fear has no place. Only strength respects strength”
• When our signature changes to autograph, this marks the success
• One best book is equal to a hundred good friends, but one good friend is equal to a library.
  I am not a handsome guy, but I can give my hand-to-some one who needs help. Beauty is in the heart not in the face.
• You have to dream before the dreams come true.
• You cannot change your future, but you can change your habits, and surely your habits will change your future.
  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.
• Life and Time are the world’s best teachers. Life teaches us to make good use of time and time teaches us the value of life.
• Confidence and hard-work is the best medicines to kill the disease called failure, it will make you a successful person.
• The essence of a happy life and a peaceful society lies in one sentence “What can I give”?
• You were born with wings. Don’t crawl. Learn to use them to fly and fly.
• We should not give up and we should not allow the problems to defeat us.

Some other Interesting Facts of Kalam

Here are some interesting facts about A.P.J Abdul Kalam,some you may have already known,some you may have not heard of.Nevertheless it makes for an interesting read:

• A.P.J.Abdul Kalam was born on October 15,1931 in Rameshwaram, in south India.
• He is known as “Father of Indian Missile Technology” of India
• Some of his work includes missiles like-Agni, Prithvi,Akash,Trishul and Nag
• Popularly known as “The Missile Man” of India for his work on development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology
• As a child,he used to distribute newspapers after school to support his father financially
• He was mentored and guided by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
• As a student, Kalam loved mathematics and physics and went on to take up aerospace engineering later in life
• Kalam was the key scientist behind Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998
• He has been a recipient of 40 honorary doctorates from 40 universities across the globe
• He has authored around 15 books on various topics ranging from nuclear physics to spirituality

Apart from being such a distinguished personality, he was known for being a wonderful human being. He has left behind a legacy for all the younger generation to follow.It is no wonder that he was called “people’s president”. He will be missed by all especially his students and the youth of this country.

Sr. APJ Abdul Kalam: Bestselling Books on Amazon

Conclusion

Here’s a sample conclusion for your project on Abdul Kalam.

Dr. APJ Kalam was a visionary. He has a dream of a better India, a safer India and a more successful India. He believed that India would become an economic superpower in the very next 10 years and the growth of India can make his dream come true. He dedicated his entire life to improving the country’s missile technology, and was a perfect role model for everyone to portray.

Working on this project was very exciting and interesting. I am satisfied with this project because I learned about the life of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, his traits and his character.

Academic Questions

Topic: Life sketch and contributions of Dr. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Indian scientist and politician who played a leading role in the development of India’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. He was president of India from 2002 to 2007. Kalam wrote several books, including an autobiography, Wings of Fire (1999). Kalam has also won the prestigious Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan for his contributions to ISRO and DRDO, as well
as for his role as a scientific advisor to the Government of India. He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna (1997).

Learning Objectives:
The basic teaching of Dr. Kalam can help us in wiping off the malaise that exists in our present system of education. It may be said that the study of educational philosophy and thoughts of Dr. Kalam will illuminate the path and enlarge the scope of free thinking along new and unexplored lines.

Scope: Early life and education, Career as a scientist, Presidency, Writings, Awards and honours, Religious and spiritual views, Death, Legacy.

Learning outcomes:
The principle and philosophy of “High thinking, simple living ” can be learnt from his life. The study of thinking on education system of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will help effectively the present education system.

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