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Encyclopedia > A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Date of Birth: October 15, 1931
Place of Birth: Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram,
Tamil Nadu, India
President of India
Tenure Order: 11th President
Took office: July 25, 2002
Predecessor: K. R. Narayanan

Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (Tamil: அ.ப.ஜ. அப்துல் கலாம்; Hindi: अवुल पकिर जैनुलाअबदीन अब्दुल कलाम; Urdu: ابو الفقیر زین العبدین عبدل کلام), born October 15, 1931, Tamil Nadu, India, usually referred to as Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is the President of India. He is also a notable scientist and an engineer. He is often referred to as the Missile Man of India. APJ Abdul Kalam Kalam is my Countries PRESIDENT. He is a great person. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Dhanushkodi was a city at the southern tip of the Rameswaram island, at the eastern coast of the Tamil Nadu state of India. ... Rameswaram is a town in the southern part of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, on an island separated from the mainland by the Pamban channel. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Standard of the President of India The President of India is the ceremonial head of state and first citizen of India and the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... Kocheril Raman Narayanan (Malayalam: കോച്ചേരില് രാമന് നാരായണന്; 4 February 1921 — 9 November 2005), also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of the Republic of India. ... Tamil (தமிழ் ) is a classical language and one of the major languages of the Dravidian language family. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Standard of the President of India The President of India is the ceremonial head of state and first citizen of India and the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces. ... The physicist Albert Einstein is probably historys most widely recognized scientist. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Contents


Career

Abdul Kalam was born at Rameswaram in Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu, to a working class Tamil Muslim family. He received his degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1958. He joined India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) upon graduation to work on a hovercraft project. In 1962, Kalam moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where his team successfully launched several satellites. He made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully placed the Rohini satellite into the near earth orbit in July 1980. Rameswaram is a town in the southern part of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, on an island separated from the mainland by the Pamban channel. ... Dhanushkodi was a city at the southern tip of the Rameswaram island, at the eastern coast of the Tamil Nadu state of India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... The Tamil people are an ethnic group from South Asia with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... Aerospace engineering is the branch of engineering concerning aircraft, spacecraft and related topics. ... Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) is a premier engineering institute located in Chennai, India. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is Indias premier research organisation for defence related matters. ... A U.S. Navy hovercraft attached to the Amphibious assault ship Kearsarge (LHD-3) A Russian Project 1232. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... It has been suggested that Indian space program be merged into this article or section. ... A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Thats somewhere between two hundred and four hundred miles in space. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...


In 1982, Kalam returned to the DRDO as director, focusing on Indigenous guided missiles. He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of the AGNI and PRITHVI missiles. This earned him the sobriquet "India's missile-man". He also helped in building healthcare products using technology developed for missiles. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A guided missile is a military rocket that can be directed in flight to change its flight path. ... Agni is a Hindu deity. ... Prithvi (pṛthivī) is the Hindu earth-god. ...


In July 1992, Kalam became scientific advisor to India's defence minister. As the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Indian government, he held the rank of a Cabinet Minister. His work led to the successful Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, which reiterated India's position as a nuclear weapon state. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex-officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) and piloted India Millennium Mission 2020. 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... A defence minister (Commonwealth English) or defense minister (American English) is a cabinet portfolio (position) which regulates the armed forces in a sovereign nation. ... The Government of India, officially referred to as the Union Government, and commonly as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of 28 states and 7 union territories, collectively called Republic of India. ... Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, by India at Pokhran. ... A nuclear test explosion is an experiment involving the detonation of a nuclear weapon. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... This is a list of countries with nuclear weapons. ...


Dr. Kalam took up academic pursuit as Professor, Technology & Societal Transformation at Anna University, Chennai from November 2001 and was involved in teaching and research tasks. Above all, he took up a mission to ignite the young minds for national development by meeting high school students across the country. Anna University is one of Indias premier universities. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...


Kalam was elected the 11th President of India and took office on July 25, 2002. Standard of the President of India The President of India is the ceremonial head of state and first citizen of India and the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ...


Honours

Dr. Kalam has the unique distinction of having received doctorates from at least thirty universities, as also India's three highest civilian honours - the Padma Bhushan in 1981; the Padma Vibhushan in 1990; and the Bharat Ratna in 1997. He has recently refused a honorary doctorate from a University, claiming he is satisfied with the ones he has earned with his hardwork and determination. The Padma Bhushan is an Indian civilian decoration established on January 2, 1954 by the President of India. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Padma Vibhushan is Indias second highest civilian honour. ... This article is about the year. ... Bharat Ratna is Indias highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Political views

Something of Kalam's probable views on certain issues can be surmised from positions espoused by him in the past. His book "India 2020" strongly advocates an action plan to develop India into a knowledge superpower and into a developed nation by the year 2020. Kalam is credited with the view that India ought to take a more assertive stance in international relations; he apparently regards his work on India's nuclear weapons program as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... A developed country is a country that is technologically advanced and that enjoys a relatively high standard of living. ... 2020 (MMXX) will be a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...


Kalam continues to take an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology as well. He has proposed a research programme to increase intelligence using bio-implants. He is a supporter of Open source software over proprietary solutions and believes that the use of open source software on a large scale will bring more people the benefits of information technology. A Bio-implant may be defined as Artificial organic material that can be surgically implanted into a persons body to replace damaged tissue [1]. The common areas of application include orthopedic (especially maxillofacial) reconstructive Prosthesis, cardiac prostheses (artificial Heart_valves like Chitra heart valve), Skin and Cornea. ... Open source refers to projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the general public. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Information technology (IT) or Information and communication(s) technology (ICT) is a broad subject concerned with technology and other aspects of managing and processing information, especially in large organizations. ...


Personal life

Kalam observes strict personal discipline, practicing vegetarianism, teetotalism and celibacy. Kalam is a scholar of Tirukkural; in most of his speeches, he quotes at least one kural. It is believed that he reads the Qur'an (the main holy text of his family's faith, Islam) regularly and also the Bhagavad Gita at times. Kalam has written several inspirational books, most notably his autobiography Wings of Fire, aimed at motivating Indian youth. Another of his books, Guiding Souls: Dialogues on the Purpose of Life reveals his spiritual side. It has been reported that there is considerable demand in South Korea for translated versions of books authored by him. Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat, including beef, poultry, fish, or their by-products, with or without the use of dairy products or eggs. ... Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. ... Celibacy may refer either to being unmarried or to sexual abstinence. ... Tiruvalluvar statue at Kanyakumari Tirukural (திருக்குறள் in Tamil) is an important work of Tamil literature by Tiruvalluvar written in the form of couplets expounding various aspects of life. ... Kural is one of the most important forms of traditional Tamil poetry. ... The Qurān (Arabic: recitation), also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly as Alcoran, is the holy book of Islam. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...


Submarine Journey

APJ Abdul Kalam on Tuesday, 14th February 2006 created history by becoming the country's first President to undertake an undersea journey. Abdul Kalam boarded the INS Sindhurakshak, a Russian-origin kilo class submarine, from the Vishakapattanam Naval dockyard. The duration of the journey was around three-and-half hours during which Kalam had lunch with the crewmembers.His simplicity and and the childlike determination makes him so dear to everyone he comes across


Books

  • India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Y.S. Rajan (Penguin Books India, 2003) ISBN 0140278338
  • Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Penguin Books, 2003) ISBN 0143029827
  • India-my-dream by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Excel Books, 2004) ISBN 817446350X
  • Envisioning an Empowered Nation: Technology for Societal Transformation by A.P.J.Abdul Kalam (TATA McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, 2004) ISBN 0070531544
  • Guiding Souls: Dialogues on the Purpose of Life by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Arun K Tiwari, (Ocean Books, 2005) ISBN 8188322733
  • Biographies
    • Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam by A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari (Orient Longman, 1999) ISBN 8173711461
    • Scientist to President by Abdul A.P.J. Kalam (Gyan Publishing House, 2003) ISBN 8121208076
    • Eternal Quest: Life and Times of Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam by S. Chandra (Pentagon Publishers, 2002) ISBN 8186830553
    • President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam by R. K. Pruthi (Anmol Publications, 2002) ISBN 8126113448
    • A. P. J. Abdul Kalam: The Visionary of India' by K. Bhushan, G. Katyal (A.P.H. Pub. Corp, 2002) ISBN 817648380X

Ignited Minds Ignited Minds is a book written by A P J Abdul Kalam, presently the President of India. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Preceded by:
K R Narayanan
President of India
July 25, 2002–present
Incumbent


 

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