Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam – Essay 1.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was among the most popular presidents that India has ever had. He became the 11th Indian President, serving the country from the year 2002 to 2007.
Dr. Kalam was also a scientist who was responsible for India joining the Nuclear club of a few selected countries. India took leaps in space programs under him.
Abdul was born in the town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on 15th October 1931. His contributions to the people of India are massive, and countless people derive inspiration from his works and life. He studied aerospace engineering and physics and his work in this field has been quite notable and popular, not just in India but across the globe.
Early Life
His family, once wealthy, lost its fortune and so Kalam grew up in straitened circumstances. Kalam went to the Schwartz Higher Secondary school and was known to have a special interest in mathematics.
He later graduated from St. Joseph College in Physics in 1954. In 1955 he moved to Madras Institute of Technology to study Aerospace engineering.
Kalam as a scientist
Kalam started working at the Defence Research and Development Organisation as a scientist in 1960 where he designed a hovercraft. In 1969 he was transferred to Indian Space Research Organisation as a project director for India’s first Satellite Program. He was working with the best scientists in the field. He successfully developed indigenous Polar Satellite Vehicles.
In the 1980s he undertook the advanced missiles program of the government as a director. Over the years the Indigenous missiles like Agni and Prithvi have been developed under his direction.
He served as a Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister from 1992 to 1999 during which period India conducted the nuclear tests which made India the sixth country to do so.
President Kalam
On 25th July 2002, Kalam was sworn in as the 11th President of India. Kalam was a people’s president. He was committed to education for children. A deeply spiritual person, rooted in the Indian culture, he set an ideal for all Indians.
His greatest achievements include:
- Bharat Ratna (1997)
- Padma Bhushan (1981)
- Padma Vibhushan (1990)
- Ramanujan Award (2000)
- Hoover Medal (2009)
- IEEE Honorary Membership (2011)
- Veer Savarkar Award (1998)
He also played an integral role in organization, politics, and technology in the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in India in 1998.
Death of The Iconic Indian President
Sadly, Kalam died at the age of 83 in Shillong, Meghalaya while delivering a lecture in an institute from cardiac arrest.
Conclusion
During his lifetime and even after his death, he was celebrated and honored with countless awards such as the Bharat Ratna, Hoover Medal, and Padma Bhushan. He was not just a renowned aerospace scientist and an influential political personality but also an author and a professor. He also went on to become the 11th Indian President from the year 2002 till 2007. He was also intimately involved in the military missile development and civilian space program of India. This is probably why he also came to be known lovingly as the missile man of India. People also affectionately called him People’s President as he devoted his life to the people of India and returned in many ways including education, public service, and writing.
By Teamwork (2018)
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam – Essay 2.
Introduction
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a person who gained international recognition around the world due to him not only being a former President of India but also for being a re-known scientist. Kalam has made many achievements during his tenure as president and also during his career as a scientist.
Life
Dr. Kalam was born on the 15th of October 1931 in a family of Muslim faith. His father whose name was Jainulabdeen owned a boat and was also an Imam of a mosque in his local area. He came from a family of five siblings with him being the youngest. Kalam’s family was poor and he had to sell newspapers to add to his family’s income. While in school, Kalam was an average student. He attended Saint Joseph’s College from where he graduated in Physics.
Career
APJ Abdul Kalam graduated from the Madras Institute of Technology in the year 1960 after which he went to the Aeronautical Development establishment where he worked as a scientist. At the start of his career, he was able to design a small hovercraft. He also had the opportunity of working under the famous space scientist Vikram Sarabhai. In the year 1969, he joined the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) where he gained the position of project director in the first Satellite Launch vehicle in India. In the 1970’s, Kalam was able to direct two projects namely the Project Valiant and the Project Devil. These two projects were aimed at coming up with ballistic missiles. His scientific career led him to becoming a Chief scientific adviser to the Prime Minister and to the secretary of Defence Research and Development Organization. This was from the year 1992 to the year 1999. He played a critical role in the nuclear tests that were carried out during this period. His career path then took a turn when he was elected as the eleventh President of India in the year 2002.
Why is Kalam known as Missile Man?
Abdul Kalam is known as the missile man since he was involved in the development of the ballistic missile and also for the launch vehicle technology. He also played an active role in the testing of various nuclear weapons in India.
Virtues inherited by Parents
- Abdul Kalam in one of his speeches said that he inherited the virtue of honesty from his father.
- Abdul also recognizes his father from whom he learnt the virtue of self discipline. This is a virtue that could have helped him rise form a poor background to becoming a successful scientist and also the president of India.
- Kalam also said that he got the virtue of faith in goodness from his mother.
- Abdul also noted how his mother taught him on how to have deep kindness. All these inherited virtues helped Kalam to become the person that he is today.
Awards and Recognitions
Abdul Kalam received a lot of awards during his time as a scientist and also during his term as the President. Some of the few notable awards include;
- In the year 1981, he received the Padma Bhushan award from the Indian Government.
- In 1997, he received the Bharat Ratna award which is the highest civilian award in India.
- He also received the Veer Savarkar award in the year 1998.
- He was honored with the International Von Karman Wings award in 2009 from the California Institute of technology.
- He received the King Charles II medal in 2007 from the Royal Society of UK.
- The IEEE association bestowed upon him the honorary award in 2011 due to his engineering contributions.
- In 2015, the UN recognized Kalam’s contributions by declaring his birthday to be the World’s student day.
- In the year 2009, he received the Hoover Medal from the ASME foundation from the USA.
Conclusion
APJ Abdul Kalam is a notable person who has gained national and global prestige due to his work. From a poor background, Kalam rose up the ranks to become one of the most respected scientists in the world and also to become the eleventh President of India. Due to his achievements, Kalam won many national and international awards.
By Mary (2019)
Last updated: June 20, 2019.