Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen
Abdul Kala usually referred to as Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is an Indian scientist
and administrator who served as the 11th President of India. Kalam was born and raised
in Rameswaram,
Tamil Nadu,
studied physics at the St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli,
and aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology
(MIT), Chennai.
Before his term as President, he worked as an
aerospace engineer with Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO).
Kalam is popularly known as the Missile Man of India for his work on
the development of ballistic missile and launch
vehicle technology.
Kalam was elected the President of India in 2002,
defeating Lakshmi Sahgal and was supported by both the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 to Jainulabdeen, a
boat owner and Ashiamma, a housewife, at Rameswaram,
located in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
He came from a poor background and started working
at an early age to supplement his family's income. He was brought up in a
multi-religious environment but did follow a religious routine.
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.
"I inherited honesty and
self-discipline from my father; from my mother, I inherited faith in goodness
and deep kindness as did my three brothers and sisters."
—A quote from Kalam's autobiography
wards the end of the course, he was not enthusiastic
about the subject and would later regret the four years he studied it
He then moved to Madras in 1955
to study aerospace engineering,
at the MIT Madras, India where he obtained his masters degree.
Kalam has a several honorary doctorates, but
completed his formal education with the Master's degree from MIT, Madras.
After graduating from Madras Institute of Technology
(MIT – Chennai) in 1960, Kalam joined Aeronautical Development
Establishment of Defense Research and Development
Organization (DRDO) as a chief scientist.
Kalam started his career by designing a small helicopter
for the Indian Army,
but remained unconvinced with the choice of his job at DRDO.
Kalam was also part of the INCOSPAR committee working
under Vikram Sarabhai, the renowned space scientist.
Quotes by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Thinking is progress. Non-thinking is stagnation of the individual, organisation and the country. Thinking leads to action. Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action, converts adversity into prosperity."
"When you speak, speak the truth; perform when you promise; discharge your trust... Withhold your hands from striking, and from taking that which is unlawful and bad..."
"What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful and to remove the wrongs of injured..."
"Away! Fond thoughts, and vex my soul no more! Work claimed my wakeful nights, my busy days Albeit brought memories of Rameswaram shore Yet haunt my dreaming gaze!"
"I will not be presumptuous enough to say that my life can be a role model for anybody; but some poor child living in an obscure place in an underprivileged social setting may find a little solace in the way my destiny has been shaped. It could perhaps help such children liberate themselves from the bondage of their illusory backwardness and hopelessness?.."
"My worthiness is all my doubt His Merit- all my fear- Contrasting which my quality Does however appear "
