Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Born On: October 15,1931
Tenure Order: 11th President
Took office: July 25, 2002
Predecessor: K. R. Narayanan
Biography
"Dreams float on an impatient wind,
A wind that wants to create a new order. An order of strength and thundering
of fire." -- from a poem written by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is the undisputed father of India's missile
program. He has breathed life into ballistic missiles like the Agni and
Prithvi, which put China and Pakistan well under India's missile range. It
is too exhausting to track Dr Abdul Kalam's achievements to date. In the
'60s and '70s he was a trail blazer in the space department. In the '80s he
transformed the moribund Defence Research and Development Laboratory in
Hyderabad into a highly motivated team. By the '90s Kalam emerged as the
czar of Indian science and technology and was awarded the Bharat Ratna. His
life and mission is a vindication of what a determined person can achieve
against extraordinary odds.
Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, Avul Pakir
Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam studied at Schwartz High School in Ramanathapuram.
After graduating in science from St. Joseph's College in Tiruchi, he did his
DMIT in Aeronautical
Engineering at the MIT, Madras, during 1954-57.
After completing his third year at MIT, Kalam joined Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore as a trainee. Here, he worked on piston
and turbine engines examining as part of a team. He also received training
on radial engine-cum-drum operations.
In 1958, when he came out of HAL as a graduate of aeronautical
engineering, he had his long-standing dream of flying, as two alternative
opportunities for employment. One was the job at Directorate of Technical
Development and Production (DTD & P) of the Ministry of Defence and another
was a career in the Indian Air Force. He applied at both the places, and the
interview calls came simultaneously from both.
He went to Delhi for an interview with DTD & P, which did not challenge his
knowledge of the subject. Then he went to Dehra Dun for interview with the
Air Force Selection Board. Here too, the interview was more on personality
test, rather than testing his knowledge. He stood ninth in the batch of 25,
and eight officers were selected to be commissioned in the Air Force. Kalam
could feel the opportunity to join the Air Force slipping from his hands.
Dissapointed at his rejection by the IAF, Kalam visited Rishikesh where he
bathed in the Ganga and met Swami Sivananda "a man who looked like
Buddha". He introduced himself to the Swamiji, who did not react to his
Muslim identity. He asked Kalam about the reason for his sorrow. Kalam told
him about his unsuccessful attempt to join the Indian Air Force and his
long-cherished desire to fly. Sivananda guided him saying: "Accept your
destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air
Force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is
predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your
destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence.
Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God."
After returning to Delhi, Kalam received an appointment letter from DTD & P.
On the next day he joined as Senior Scientific Assistant, with a basic
salary of Rs. 250/- per month. Here, he was posted at the Technical Center
(Civil Aviation). He lost his resentment of failure, thinking he would be
able to make aeroplanes airworthy if not fly aeroplanes. During his first
year in the Directorate, he carried out a design assignment on supersonic
target aircraft with the help of his officer-in-charge, R. Varadharajan, and
won praise from the Director, Dr. Neelakantan. Then he was sent to the
Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit(A & ATU) at Kanpur to get shop-floor
exposure to aircraft maintenance.
Upon his return to Delhi, he was informed that the design of a DART target
had been taken up at the DTD & P and he was included in the design team.
After that, he undertook a preliminary design study on Human Centrifuge. He
designed and developed a vertical takeoff and landing platform, and Hot
Cockpit. Three years later, the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE)
was formed in Bangalore and he was posted there.
At ADE, Kalam served as a senior scientific assistant, heading a small team
that developed a prototype hovercraft. Defence Minister Krishna Menon rode
in India's first indigenous hovercraft with Kalam at the controls. But for
reasons never explained, the project which would have been a considerable
international achievement in those days, was not encouraged. This was
probably one of the reasons why he moved out of ADE in 1962 and joined
India's space program.
During 1963-82, he served the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) in
various capacities. Here Kalam initiated Fibre Reinforced Plastics (FRP)
activities, then after a stint with the aerodynamics and design group, he
joined the satellite launch vehicle team at Thumba, near Trivandram and soon
became Project Director for SLV-3. As Project Director, he was responsible
for carrying out the design, development, qualification and flight testing
of 44 major sub systems. The project managed to put Rohini, a scientific
satellite, into orbit in July 1980. He was honoured with a Padma Bhushan in
1981.
In 1982, as Director of DRDO, Kalam was entrusted with the Integrated
Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), India's most successful
military research task to date. The programme constituted of 5 major
projects for meeting the requirements of the defence services and for
establishing re-entry technology.
The 5 projects were scheduled to be completed in a time frame of only 10
years and consisted of:
- Nag - an anti-tank guided missile
- Prithvi - a surface-to-surface battlefield missile
- Akash - a swift, medium-range surface-to-air missile.
- Trishul - a quick-reaction surface-to-air missile with a shorter
range.
- Agni - an intermediate range ballistic missile, the mightiest of
them all
From his SLV-3 experience, Kalam had learned the advantages of team work
and of sharing the tasks with partners in private and public sector
industries. In the new management structure of the missile program, Kalam,
as the Chairman of the Programme Management Board, delegated almost all
executive and financial powers to five carefully selected Project Directors
and kept himself free to address the core technology issues. His task was to
inspire and monitor over 20 institutions and partners outside - ranging from
large public and private sector suppliers to small specialist firms that
needed seed money to take up the precision tasks.
The missiles went up more or less on schedule: Trishul in 1985, Prithvi
in 1988, Agni in 1989 and the others in 1990. 
The
development and successful flight test of Prithvi, Trishul, Akash, Nag, and
Agni established the indigeneous capability towards self reliance in defence
preparedness. The successful launching of 'Agni' surface-to-surface missile
was a unique achievement which made India a member of an exclusive club of
highly developed countries. The Trishul has the unique distinction of being
capable of serving all three services.
The establishment of the Research Centre Imarat(RCI), a campus 8km from DRDL,
in 1988 was perhaps the most satisfying achievement for Kalam during the
missile years. He received generous funding from the Government to build the
futuristic centre, which is totally geared for work in advanced missile
technologies. Its state-of-the-art facilities are set in a unique ambience
and the level of comfort accorded to the individual worker is matched by few
R&D institutions. And Kalam's interest in the environment saw RCI emerge as
an oasis in a rocky wasteland. It has a small farm that meets the food
requirements of those who stay in the RCI quarters. Kalam was awarded the
Padma Vibhushan in 1990.
On 25th November 1997, in appreciation of his contributions to Indian
defence and science, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was awarded India's highest
civilian honour- the "Bharat Ratna". In October 1998, he bagged the
prestigious Indira Gandhi award for national integration(for 1997).
After 10 years in DRDL, he went to New Delhi to take over from Arunachalam
as Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister - reluctantly, many in DRDL
felt. But the system created by Kalam had taken a firm hold in that decade
and the missile programme passed on smoothly into its final phase of
production and induction.
In Delhi, Kalam as head of the DRDO had to deliver other prestigious
projects, such as the Arjun MBT and the Light Combat Aircraft(LCA) projects.
"Strength respects strength", this is Kalam's usual response to the question
why India needs its own missiles or a battle tank or a combat aircraft.
While management practices he adopted for the missile program have
inevitably rubbed off on these projects, there are no miracles to be had in
strategic development areas. There have been technical problems. Even in the
missile program, work on the SAMs and the ATM is slower than anticipated.
But Trishul's recent multiple test flights have demonstrated that the system
Kalam put in place has inherent strengths.
Kalam is by no means a miracle man. As the head of a vast network of
laboratories - whose products include avalanche-controlling structures in
Kashmir, water desalination kits for the Thar desert, a world class sonar
submarine finder for the latest warship - INS Delhi, and infra-red night
vision goggles for the Indian Army - Kalam's attention is necessarily a bit
diffused. His self-effacing persona cloaks a formidable catalyst who can
make people work.
Kalam is happiest at the drawing board, in discussion with his scientists
on how their dreams for the next millennium can be fulfilled. The projects
envisaged include an air breathing hyperplane spacecraft that draws oxygen
from the atmosphere rather than carry it all the way from the ground,
reusable missiles and stealth technology. Kalam has shown that with adequate
funding, freedom from procedural holdups and a people-oriented management,
India can make products of internationally acceptable technical standards in
a demanding arena like defence.
Science, according to Kalam, is a global phenomenon. He feels there are a
few areas where India can develop its core competence. These areas are
software engineering, computer products and design, agriculture and food,
aviation, defence research and space technology and chemical engineering.
"This will lead to a highly beneficial economic and social progress for the
nation."
Kalam's advice to the youngsters of the nation is to "dream, dream and dream
and convert these into thoughts and later into actions." Also to "think
big". "We are a nation of a billion people and we must think like a nation
of a billion people. Only then can we become big."
On 25th November 1999, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was appointed Principal
Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and accorded the rank of a
Cabinet Minister. His role was to advise on overall scientific development
in the country on issues relating to scientific and technical policy in
different sectors. Kalam also advised on matters relating to achieving
technological self-reliance and foreign collaboration.
On December 8, 2000, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Shri K.C.
Pant conferred the "Life-time Contribution Award in Engineering 2000" on Dr
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the annual function of the Indian National Academy of
Engineering in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Kalam said that
Engineering and technology should be used for the upliftment of the people
living below the poverty line.
On November 10, 2001, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam quit as principal scientific
advisor to the government. Sources close to Kalam, said he quit because of
"lack of executive authority". However Kalam had been for quite some time
keen on pursuing academic interests and helping scientists across the
country in developing their research capabilities. That's why after quitting
he took over the job as distinguished professor at Anna University.
Dr Kalam has spent the past few years developing the concept of "India
Millennium Missions 2020" - a blueprint for transforming India into a
developed nation. He calls it "the second vision of the nation" and says he
wants to focus on the children of India to ignite in their minds a love for
science and the nation's mission: a developed India.
On July 25, 2002, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was sworn in as the 11th President
of India by Chief Justice of India B.N. Kirpal in the Central Hall of
Parliament at an impressive function telecast live across the country. Kalam
took the oath in the name of God as a 21-gun salute boomed in the
background.
Things You Didn't Know About Kalam
- That Dr. Abdul Kalam is a bachelor and a teetotaler?
- That he recites the Holy Quran and the Bhagvad Gita daily and is equally at
home with both Holy Scriptures?
- That as a young boy, he sold newspapers to enhance his family's income?
- That he is so modest about his achievements that at every felicitation
ceremony he gives full credit for India's success to his colleagues?
Abdul
Kalam Quotes
- Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry,
creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and
become their role model.
- 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.
- English is necessary as at present original works of science are in
English. I believe that in two decades times original works of science
will start coming out in our languages. Then we can move over like the
Japanese.
- Humanity will require mega-missions for harnessing solar energy,
drinking water from seawater through the desalination process and
bringing minerals from other planets. In such a situation, the present
reasons for conflict will become insignificant and unwarranted.
- I have this big library at home and my favorite poets are Milton,
Walt Whitman and Rabindranath Tagore. I write poetry too.
- God has not promised Skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways All
our life through; God has not promised Sun without rain, Joy without
sorrow, Peace without pain
- If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of
beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members
who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the
teacher.
- If we are not free, no one will respect us.
- In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.
- It means, people who are in high and responsible positions, if they
go against righteousness, righteousness itself will get transformed into
a destroyer.
- Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better
tomorrow.
- 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
- Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to
us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.
- My view is that at a younger age your optimism is more and you have
more imagination etc. You have less bias.
- No religion has mandated killing others as a requirement for its
sustenance or promotion.
- Tell me, why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so
embarrassed to recognise our own strengths, our achievements? We are
such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we
refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
- Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. In this
world, fear has no place. Only strength respects strength.
- We have not invaded anyone. We have not conquered anyone. We have
not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and tried to
enforce our way of life on them.
- We must think and act like a nation of a billion people and not like
that of a million people. Dream, dream, dream!
- We will be remembered only if we give to our younger generation a
prosperous and safe India, resulting out of economic prosperity coupled
with civilizational heritage.
- Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? Is it a
legacy of our colonial years? We want foreign television sets. We want
foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with
everything imported?
- Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups
and downs you come across in your life.