On the 90th birth anniversary of former president APJ Abdul Kalam‘s, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to him.
In a recent tweet, PM Modi described Kalam as “a source of inspiration for countrymen.”The Missile Man, according to PM Modi, devoted his life to making India powerful, prosperous, and competent.
“Tributes to former President of the country, known as Missile Man, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Ji on his birth anniversary. He dedicated his life to making India strong, prosperous and capable. He will always remain a source of inspiration for the countrymen,”, according to a tweet Prime Minister Modi sent out on friday.
About Abdul Kalam
Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, who was born on October 15, 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, earned a bachelor’s degree in science from St Joseph’s College in Trichy in 1954 and a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957.
Dr. Kalam is a fibreglass pioneer who commanded a young team at ISRO to start this work from concept to development to manufacturing of composite rocket engine cases.
As Project Manager for India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), the former President made a substantial contribution to the development of India’s 1st indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), which efficaciously launched the Rohini satellite into near-Earth orbit in July in the year 1980, which lead to India being an exclusive member of the Space Club.
Dr. Kalam took on the job of producing indigenous guided missiles at DRDO
He oversaw the development of ISRO’s launch vehicle programme, especially the PSLV variant.
Dr. Kalam embarked on the job of producing indigenous guided missiles at the Defence Research and Development Organisation after researching for two decades at ISRO and perfecting launch vehicle technologies (DRDO).
From July 1992 to December 1999, he served as the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and Secretary of the Department of Defense Research and Development.
Throughout this time, he oversaw the weaponization of tactical missile systems as well as the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, which helped make India a nuclear weapon state in partnership with the Department of Atomic Energy.
Kalam held various prestigious positions and won many awards and honours
From November 1999 until November 2001, Dr. Kalam was the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, holding the position of Cabinet Minister, and was in charge of developing policies, plans, and operations for a variety of development applications.
He received the Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) civilian decorations, as well as the highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna (1997).
On July 25, 2002, Dr. Kalam was sworn in as India’s 11th President. He left office on July 25, 2007, after five eventful years.
Dr. Kalam wrote a good number of books, including “Wings of Fire,” “India 2020 – A Vision for the New Millennium,” “My Journey,” “Ignited Minds – Unleashing the Power Within India,” “Indomitable Spirit,” “Guiding Souls,” “Envisioning an Empowered Nation,” “Inspiring Thoughts,” “Children Ask Kalam,” “You Are Born to Blossom,” “Family and the Nation,” “Life Tree,” and “The Luminous Sparks” as a part of his collection.
