Essay on APJ Abdul Kalam

Introduction:

APJ Abdul Kalam was a renowned scientist who became India’s 11th President from the year 2002 to 2007. His full name was Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. He worked as a scientist and science administrator at the Defence Research and the Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for more than 40 years.

APJ Abdul Kalam was also associated with the civilian space programme as well as the military missile development efforts in India. He was known as the “Missile man of India” owing to his participation on development of ballistic missile and launching of vehicle technology.

Early Life of APJ Abdul Kalam:

APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15.10.1931 in a Tamil Muslim family of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The name of his mother was Ashiamma and the name of his father was Jainulabdeen. His mother was a housewife whereas his father was a local mosque’s imam. APJ Abdul Kalam has one elder sister and 4 elder brothers.

Since the family of APJ Abdul Kalam was not so financially strong, during his early years he had to sell newspapers to support the family. In school, APJ Abdul Kalam was not a bright student; however, he had a strong aspiration for learning and working hard. His favorite subject was mathematics in which he spent numerous hours while studying.

APJ Abdul Kalam did his schooling from ‘Schwartz Higher Secondary School,’ and did his graduation from ‘Saint Joseph’s College’ of Tiruchirappalli. He always desired to become a fighter pilot.

APJ Abdul Kalam as a Scientist:

APJ Abdul Kalam completed his graduation from ‘Madras Institute of Technology,’ in the year 1960. After becoming ‘Defence Research and Development Service’ (DRDS)’s member, he became an Aeronautical Development Establishment’s scientist.

In 1969, APJ Abdul Kalam was shifted to the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) and there he was appointed as the project head of the nation’s leading Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III). APJ Abdul Kalam returned to DRDO in 1983 as the chief for leading the IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program).

In the year 1998, APJ Abdul Kalam also played an important role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests. He was awarded India’s highest civilian honor called ‘Bharat Ratan Award’ owing to his contributions and achievements as a scientist.

APJ Abdul Kalam as President:

APJ Abdul Kalam was selected as the presidential candidate by the ruling party i.e., NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and became the eleventh president of India in the year 2002. He served for a period of 5 years from 25.07.2002 to 25.07 2007.

APJ Abdul Kalam was the 3rd Indian who got ‘Bharat Ratna’ award before becoming the country’s President. Citizens of India, especially youth, called him ‘The People’s President’ due to his unique working and interaction style. One of the difficult verdicts that he had taken during his presidency was the passing of ‘Office of Profit Bill.’

APJ Abdul Kalam was also criticized by the people for his delay in concluding the destiny of mercy pleas which were deferred to him during his tenure as a president. Actually, he took action on only single mercy appeal out of 21 mercy appeals. One more debatable decision that APJ Abdul Kalam took was the approval for President’s rule in the state of Bihar.

APJ Abdul Kalam as an Academician:

APJ Abdul Kalam became the visiting lecturer at the ‘Indian Institute of Management (IIM) of Shillong, ‘Indian Institute of Management (IIM) of Indore’ and the ‘Indian Institute of Management (IIM) of Ahmedabad after the completion of his presidential tenure.

He worked at different positions in different institutions like as a voluntary fellow of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, as head at the ‘Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology’ (IISST) of Thiruvananthapuram, as a lecturer of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University and as an assistant at numerous academic and research institutes all over India. APJ Abdul Kalam also taught at ‘Banaras Hindu University,’ and ‘International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Hyderabad.’

In the year 2012, APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated a youth’s program known as ‘What Can I Give Movement’ for overcoming the problem of corruption and increasing the proficiency.

Motivating Quotes by APJ Abdul Kalam:

The below are few motivating quotes by APJ Abdul Kalam:

i. “Thinking is progress. Non-thinking is stagnation of the individual, organization and the country. Thinking leads to action. Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action converts adversity into prosperity.”

ii. “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.”

iii. “Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career”.

Death of APJ Abdul Kalam:

On 27.07.2015, APJ Abdul Kalam visited IIM Shillong for delivering the lecture but after a few minutes i.e., at 6:35 pm he collapsed in the auditorium. Thereafter, people took him to the ‘Bethany Hospital’ where his condition became very critical. At 7:45 pm, the death of APJ Abdul Kalam was confirmed by the hospital officials owing to cardiac arrest.

On July 28, the body of APJ Abdul Kalam was airlifted by the helicopter of Indian Air Force and was taken to New Delhi. His body was wrapped in the Indian flag and lots of VIPs and crowds paid their tribute to APJ Abdul Kalam at his residence. After that, his body was taken to home town in Rameswaram.

On 30.07.2015, the last rites of APJ Abdul Kalam were performed along with the state honors at Pei Karumbu Ground of Rameswaram. Over 360,000 people were present at this event.

Conclusion:

APJ Abdul Kalam is an impeccable example for the nation’s youth. Now, he might not be present amongst us but his extraordinary contributions, influential words, and hard work will inspire us always.

APJ Abdul Kalam always said that youth are the true asset of India and we should always inspire and motivate them. He was famous for his inspirational words.