The Missile Man Of India: A.P.J Abdul Kalam

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born on 15th october , 1931 at Dhanushkodi in Rameshwaram district of Tamilnadu. Dr. APJ abdul Kalam’s full name was Avul PakirJainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. He was born in a Tamil Muslim family. He completed his school education from Schwartz higher secondary school at Ramanathapuram. After that he studied his B.Sc Degree education from Saint Joseph College in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. He finally graduated from college in the year 1954. Then he moved to Madras in 1955 to study aerospace engineering in Madras Institute of Technology. Dr Kalam joined Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as a scientist. In 1969, he was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

He is popularly known as the ‘Missile Man of India’ for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. He achieved a lot and his contribution to the Indian Space Research Organization was incredible. Dr. Kalam was elected the President of India in 2002. During his term as the President, from 25 July 2002 to 25 July 2007, he was affectionately known as the People’s President.

Abdul Kalam held innumerable awards and honors for the service he has rendered to our nation. Few among them are Bharat Ratna, Ramanujan Award, Veer Savarkar Award, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. Kalam as an author is an inspiration to the youngsters. His books are very inspirational and most famous among them were “India 2012”, “Ignited Minds”, “Mission India”, “Wings of Fire” and “The Luminous Sparks”. This great personality had his last breath while giving a lecture at IIM, Meghalaya on 27th July 2015. He had a sudden cardiac arrest and he died on the spot. We have lost a great son of India who dedicated his entire life to the welfare of his motherland. His life and work proved to be an inspiration for millions of people across the world.