End of an era!

The "Missile man" Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam passes away...

Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen "A. P. J." Abdul Kalam born in 15 October 1931 was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. During his term as president, he was affectionately known as the People's President! A career scientist turned reluctant politician, Dr. Kalam was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian space program and military missile development efforts. He thus came to be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organizational, technical and political role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974.

 He came from a poor background and started working at an early age to supplement his family's income. After completing school, Kalam distributed newspapers to contribute to his father's income. In his school years he had average grades but was described as a bright and hardworking student who had a strong desire to learn and spend hours on his studies, especially mathematics

After graduating from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1960, Kalam joined the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as a scientist. He started his career by designing a small helicopter for the Indian Army. 

Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country's first nuclear test Smiling Buddha as the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in its development. In the 1970s, Kalam also directed two projects, Project Devil and Project Valiant, which sought to develop ballistic missiles from the technology of the successful SLV programme.

Kalam served as the 11th President of India, succeeding K. R. Narayanan. He won the 2002 presidential election with an electoral vote of 922,884, surpassing the 107,366 votes won by Lakshmi Sahgal. 

Kalam was the third President of India to have been honoured with a Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, before becoming the President. He was also the first scientist and the first bachelor to occupy Rashtrapati Bhawan. 

On 18 June 2012, Kalam declined to contest the 2012 presidential poll. He said of his decision not to do so:

Many, many citizens have also expressed the same wish. It only reflects their love and affection for me and the aspiration of the people. I am really overwhelmed by this support. This being their wish, I respect it. I want to thank them for the trust they have in me.

 He also enjoyed writing Tamil poetry and playing the veena, a South Indian string instrument. Kalam listened to Carnatic devotional music every day and believed in the Hindu culture. Kalam used to read Bhagavad Gita and was a vegetarian. He was nominated for the MTV Youth Icon of the Year award in 2003 and 2006. 

In his book India 2020, Kalam strongly advocated an action plan to develop India into a "knowledge superpower" and adeveloped nation by the year 2020. He regarded his work on India's nuclear weapons programme as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower. 

I have identified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action:

(1) agriculture and food processing;

(2) education and healthcare;

(3) information and communication technology;

(4) infrastructure, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country; and

(5) self-reliance in critical technologies.

These five areas are closely inter-related and if advanced in a coordinated way, will lead to food, economic and national security.

 Kalam set a target of interacting with 100,000 students during the two years after his resignation from the post of scientific adviser in 1999. He explained, 

"I feel comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school students. Henceforth, I intend to share with them experiences, helping them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India for which the road map is already available."

On the evening of 27 July 2015, Kalam collapsed at around 6:30 p.m. while delivering a lecture on "The Livable Planet Earth" at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong. The Government of India declared a seven-day state mourning period as a mark of respect to the former President.