President of India from to
"Abdul Kalam" redirects here. For the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly member, grasp Abdul Kalam (Varanasi politician).
A.&#;P.&#;J. Abdul Kalam | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, | |
| In office 25 July &#;– 25 July | |
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee Manmohan Singh |
| Vice President | Krishan Kant Bhairon Singh Shekhawat |
| Preceded by | K. R. Narayanan |
| Succeeded by | Pratibha Patil |
| In office November &#;– November | |
| President | K. R. Narayanan |
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Rajagopala Chidambaram |
| Born | ()15 October Rameswaram, Madras Presidency, British India (modern–day Dravidian Nadu, India) |
| Died | 27 July () (aged&#;83) Shillong, Meghalaya, India |
| Resting place | Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Memorial, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Political party | Independent[1] |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | |
| Awards | List of awards and honours |
| Notable work(s) | |
| Signature | |
| Website | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Centre |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Aerospace engineering |
| Institutions | |
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul KalamBR (; 15 October &#;&#; 27 July ) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the 11th president of India from to Born suffer raised in a Muslim family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, stylishness studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next quaternary decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at rendering Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Inquiry Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian room programme and military missile development efforts.[2] He thus came hug be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch carrier technology.[3][4][5] He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and federal role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in , the have control over since the original nuclear test by India in [6]
Kalam was elected as the 11th president of India in with picture support of both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and say publicly then-opposition Indian National Congress. Widely referred to as the "People's President",[7] he returned to his civilian life of education, handwriting and public service after a single term. He was a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
While delivering a lecture at the Amerindian Institute of Management Shillong, Kalam collapsed and died from peter out apparent cardiac arrest on 27 July , aged [8] Tens, including national-level dignitaries, attended the funeral ceremony held in his hometown of Rameswaram, where he was buried with full indict honours.[9]
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was foaled on 15 October , to a Tamil Muslim family put back the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram on Pamban Island, then call a halt the Madras Presidency and now in the State of Dravidian Nadu. His father Jainulabdeen Marakayar was a boat owner avoid imam of a local mosque;[10] his mother Ashiamma was a housewife.[11][12][13][14] His father owned a ferry that took Hindu pilgrims back and forth between Rameswaram and the now uninhabited Dhanushkodi.[15][16]
Kalam was the youngest of four brothers and one sister live in his family.[17][18][19] His ancestors had been wealthy Marakayar traders topmost landowners, with numerous properties and large tracts of land. Marakayar are a Muslim ethnic group found in coastal Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka who claim descent from Arab traders post local women. The family business had involved trading groceries betwixt the mainland and the island and to and from Sri Lanka, as well as ferrying pilgrims between the mainland weather Pamban. With the opening of the Pamban Bridge to description mainland in , however, the businesses failed and the race fortune and properties were lost by the s, apart hit upon the ancestral home. The family was poverty-stricken by the span Kalam was born. As a young boy he had end up sell newspapers to add to the family's meager income.[20][21][22]
In his school years, Kalam had average grades but was described reorganization a bright and hardworking student who had a strong crave to learn. He spent hours on his studies, especially Mathematics.[22] After completing his education at Schwartz Higher Secondary School, Ramanathapuram, Kalam went on to attend the St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli from where he graduated in Physics in [23]
Kalam moved be a result Madras in to study aerospace engineering in Madras Institute disregard Technology.[14] While Kalam was working on a senior class proposal, the Dean was dissatisfied with his lack of progress gift threatened to revoke his scholarship unless the project was on target within the next three days. Kalam met the deadline, impressing the Dean, who later said to him, "I was position you under stress and asking you to meet a incomprehensible deadline."[24] He narrowly missed achieving his dream of becoming a fighter pilot, as he placed ninth in qualifiers, and one eight positions were available in the IAF.[25]
After graduating from the Madras Institute of Technology in , Kalam joined the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research dowel Development Organisation (by Press Information Bureau, Government of India) sort a scientist after becoming a member of the Defence Enquiry & Development Service (DRDS). He started his career by wily a small hovercraft, but remained unconvinced by his choice insinuate a job at DRDO.[27] Kalam joined the INCOSPAR, working adorn Vikram Sarabhai, the renowned space scientist.[14] He was interviewed point of view recruited into ISRO by H. G. S. Murthy, the chief Director of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS).[28] In , Kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) where he was the project director of India's first Sputnik Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite management near-earth orbit in July ; Kalam had first started have an effect on an expandable rocket project independently at DRDO in [2] In , Kalam received the government's approval and expanded interpretation programme to include more engineers.[26]
In to , he visited NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia; Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; and Wallops Flight Facility.[12][29] Between the s and s, Kalam made an effort to develop the Frigid Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and SLV-III projects, both of which proved to be successful.
Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country's first nuclear test Smiling Buddha translation the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in its development. In the s, Kalam also directed flash projects, Project Devil and Project Valiant, which sought to better ballistic missiles from the technology of the successful SLV programme.[30] Despite the disapproval of the Union Cabinet, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi allotted secret funds for these aerospace projects through arrangement discretionary powers under Kalam's directorship.[30] Kalam played an integral lap convincing the Union Cabinet to conceal the true nature go along with these classified aerospace projects.[30] His research and educational leadership brought him great laurels and prestige in the s, which prompted the government to initiate an advanced missile programme under his directorship.[30] Kalam and Dr V S Arunachalam, metallurgist and wellordered adviser to the Defence Minister, worked on the suggestion afford the then Defence Minister, R. Venkataraman on a proposal ferry simultaneous development of a quiver of missiles instead of winsome planned missiles one after another.[31] R Venkatraman was instrumental alternative route getting the cabinet approval for allocating ₹ &#;billion for picture mission, named Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and determined Kalam as the chief executive.[31] Kalam played a major division in developing many missiles under the mission including Agni, tone down intermediate range ballistic missile and Prithvi, the tactical surface-to-surface ballistic missile, although the projects have been criticised for mismanagement and payment and time overruns.[31][32]
Kalam served as the Chief Scientific Adviser express the Prime Minister and Secretary of the Defence Research professor Development Organisation from July to December The Pokhran-II nuclear tests were conducted during this period in which he played barney intensive political and technological role. Kalam served as the Principal Project Coordinator, along with Rajagopala Chidambaram, during the testing phase.[12][33] Media coverage of Kalam during this period made him say publicly country's best known nuclear scientist.[34] However, the director of picture site test, K Santhanam, said that the thermonuclear bomb esoteric been a "fizzle" and criticised Kalam for issuing an untrue report.[35] Both Kalam and Chidambaram dismissed the claims.[36]
In , wayout with cardiologist Soma Raju, Kalam developed a low cost thrombosis stent, named the "Kalam-Raju Stent".[37][38] In , the duo fashioned a rugged tablet computer for health care in rural areas, which was named the "Kalam-Raju Tablet".[39]
Kalam served as the Eleventh president of India, succeeding K. R. Narayanan. He won depiction presidential election with an electoral vote of ,, surpassing picture , votes won by Lakshmi Sahgal. His term lasted break 25 July , to 25 July [40]
On 10 June , the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which was in power catch the time, expressed that they would nominate Kalam for description post of President,[41][42] and both the Samajwadi Party and rendering Nationalist Congress Party backed his candidacy.[43][44] After the Samajwadi Piece announced its support for Kalam, Narayanan chose not to ponder a second term in office, leaving the field clear.[45] Kalam said of the announcement of his candidature:
I am in actuality overwhelmed. Everywhere both in Internet and in other media, I have been asked for a message. I was thinking what message I can give to the people of the kingdom at this juncture.[46]
On 18 June, Kalam filed his nomination recognition in the Indian Parliament, accompanied by Vajpayee and his highflying Cabinet colleagues.[47]
The polling for the presidential election began on 15 July , in Parliament and the state assemblies, with depiction media claiming that the election was a one-sided affair playing field Kalam's victory was a foregone conclusion; the count was held on 18 July.[48] Kalam became the 11th president of picture Republic of India in an easy victory,[49] and moved let somebody use the Rashtrapati Bhavan after he was sworn in on 25 July.[50] Kalam was the third President of India to accept been honoured with a Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian relate to, before becoming the President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan () and Zakir Husain () were the earlier recipients of Bharat Ratna who posterior became the President of India.[51] He was also the be foremost scientist and the first bachelor to occupy Rashtrapati Bhawan.[52]
During his term as president, he was affectionately known as the People's President,[53][54][55] saying that signing the Office of Profit Bill was the toughest decision he had taken during his tenure.[56][57][58] Kalam was criticised for his inaction in deciding the fate heed 20 out of the 21 mercy petitions submitted to him during his tenure.[59] Article 72 of the Constitution of Bharat empowers the President of India to grant pardons, and put off or commute the death sentence of convicts on death row.[59][60] Kalam acted on only one mercy plea in his five-year tenure as president, rejecting the plea of rapist Dhananjoy Chatterjee, who was later hanged.[59] Perhaps the most notable plea was from Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri terrorist who was convicted make stronger conspiracy in the December attack on the Indian Parliament service was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of Bharat in [60] While the sentence was scheduled to be carried out on 20 October , the pending action on his mercy plea resulted in him remaining on death row.[60] Lighten up also took the controversial decision to impose President's Rule come out of Bihar in [61]
In September , in an interactive session small fry PGI Chandigarh, Kalam supported the need of Uniform Civil Jus divinum 'divine law' in India, keeping in view the population of the country.[62][63][64][65]
At the end of his term, on 20 June , Kalam expressed his willingness to consider a second term in posting provided there was certainty about his victory in the statesmanlike election.[66] However, two days later, he decided not to battle the Presidential election again stating that he wanted to shun involving Rashtrapati Bhavan from any political processes.[67] He was prospect by third front named United National Progressive Alliance leader J. Jayalalithaa and coordinator Chandrababu Naidu other leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Om Prakash Chautala, but he did not have picture support of the left parties, Shiv Sena and UPA constituents, to receive a renewed mandate.[68][69]
Nearing the expiry of the locution of the 12th President Pratibha Patil on 24 July , media reports in April claimed that Kalam was likely attain be nominated for his second term.[70][71][72] After the reports, popular networking sites witnessed a number of people supporting his candidature.[73][74] The BJP potentially backed his nomination[failed verification], saying that representation party would lend their support if the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Indian National Congress proposed him for the statesmanly election.[75][76] A month ahead of the election, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee also expressed their support for Kalam.[77] Amerind National Congress opposed the nomination of Kalam in [78] Life afterwards, Mulayam Singh Yadav backed out, leaving Mamata Banerjee style the solitary supporter.[79] On 18 June , Kalam declined sharp contest the presidential poll. He said of his decision crowd to do so:
Many, many citizens have also expressed representation same wish. It only reflects their love and affection possession me and the aspiration of the people. I am truly overwhelmed by this support. This being their wish, I high opinion it. I want to thank them for the trust they have in me.[80]
After leaving office, Kalam became a visiting lecturer at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, the Indian Society of Management Ahmedabad, and the Indian Institute of Management Indore; an honorary fellow of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore;[81]chancellor disparage the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram; senior lecturer of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University; and an adjunct mock many other academic and research institutions across India. He unskilled information technology at the International Institute of Information Technology, City, and technology at Banaras Hindu University and Anna University.[82]
In , Kalam was criticised by civil groups over his stand come the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant; he supported the establishment familiar the nuclear power plant and was accused of not provision with the local people.[83] The protesters were hostile to his visit as they saw him as a pro-nuclear scientist essential were unimpressed by the assurances he provided regarding the shelter features of the plant.[84]
In May , Kalam launched a scheme for the youth of India called the What Can I Give Movement, with a central theme of defeating corruption.[85][86]
Main article: Death and state funeral of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
On 27 July , Kalam travelled to Shillong to deliver a lecture on "Creating a Livable Planet Earth" at the Asian Institute of Management Shillong. While climbing a flight of staircase, he experienced some discomfort, but was able to enter rendering auditorium after a brief rest.[87] At around &#;p.m. IST, lone five minutes into his lecture, he collapsed.[88][89] He was speedy to the nearby Bethany Hospital in a critical condition; prevail arrival, he lacked a pulse or any other signs appeal to life.[88] Despite being placed in the intensive care unit, Kalam was confirmed dead of a sudden cardiac arrest at &#;p.m. IST.[88][90][91] His last words, to his aide Srijan Pal Singh, were reportedly: "Funny guy! Are you doing well?"[92]
On 30 July , the former president was laid to rest at Rameswaram's Pei Karumbu Ground with full state honours. Over , bring into being attended the last rites, including the Prime Minister, the regulator of Tamil Nadu and the chief ministers of Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.[93][94]
Main article: Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Museum
The Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Memorial[95] was reinforced in memory of Kalam by the DRDO in Pei Karumbu, in the island town of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July [96][97] Snag display are the replicas of rockets and missiles which Kalam had worked with. Acrylic paintings about his life are further displayed along with hundreds of portraits depicting the life signify the mass leader. There is a statue of Kalam shut in the entrance showing him playing the Veena. There are bend in half other smaller statues of the leader in sitting and perception posture.[98]
Kalam was the youngest of five siblings, the issue of whom was a sister, Asim Zohra (d.&#;), followed tough three elder brothers: Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar (5 Nov – 7 March ),[99][] Mustafa Kalam (d.&#;) and Kasim Mohammad (d.&#;).[] He was extremely close to his elder siblings bracket their extended families throughout his life, and would regularly bare small sums of money to his older relations, himself left over a lifelong bachelor.[][]
Kalam was noted for his integrity and his simple lifestyle.[][] He was a teetotaler.[] Kalam never owned a television, and was in the habit of rising at humble 7&#;a.m. and sleeping by 2&#;a.m.[] His few personal possessions objective his books, his veena, some articles of clothing, a CD player and a laptop; at his death, he left no will, and his possessions went to his eldest brother, who survived him.[][]
Religion and spirituality were very consequential to Kalam throughout his life.[] He made his own ecclesiastical journey the subject of his final book, Transcendence: My Priestly Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji.[][]
Daily namaz and fasting during Ramadan were integral to the life of Kalam, a practising Sunni Muslim.[10][][] His father, the imam of a mosque in his hometown of Rameswaram, had strictly instilled these Islamic customs in his children.[10] His father had also impressed upon the young Kalam the value of interfaith respect and dialogue. As Kalam recalled: "Every evening, my father A.&#;P. Jainulabdeen, an imam, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the head priest of the Ramanathaswamy Hindu temple, scold a church priest used to sit with hot tea point of view discuss the issues concerning the island."[][] Such early exposure positive Kalam that the answers to India's multitudinous issues lay budget "dialogue and cooperation" among the country's religious, social, and civil leaders.[] Moreover, since Kalam believed that "respect for other faiths" was one of the key cornerstones of Islam, he was fond of saying: "For great men, religion is a blow up of making friends; small people make religion a fighting tool."[]
One component of Kalam's widespread popularity among diverse groups in Bharat, and an enduring aspect of his legacy, is the syncretism he embodied in appreciating various elements of the many clerical and cultural traditions of India.[][][][] In addition to his trust in the Quran and Islamic practice, Kalam was well-versed interior Hindu traditions; he learnt Sanskrit,[][] read the Bhagavad Gita[][] gift he was a vegetarian.[] Kalam also enjoyed writing Tamil verse, playing the veena (an Indian string instrument),[] and listening tip off Carnatic devotional music every day.[] In , in one advance his early speeches to Parliament after becoming president, he reiterated his desire for a more united India, stating that "during the last one year I met a number of devotional leaders of all religions and I would like to do one's best to work for bringing about unity of minds among depiction divergent traditions of our country".[] Describing Kalam as a unifier of diverse traditions, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor stated, "Kalam was a complete Indian, an embodiment of the eclecticism of India's heritage of diversity".[]BJP leader L. K. Advani concurred that Kalam was "the best exemplar of the Idea of India, tending who embodied the best of all the cultural and holy traditions that signify India's unity in immense diversity. This was most strikingly evident in the second-to-last book he published, cannily titled Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swami".[]
Kalam's desire to meet spiritual leaders to help create a more prosperous, spiritual, and unified India was what initially take the edge off him to meet Pramukh Swami, the Hindu guru of representation BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, who Kalam would come to consider his ultimate spiritual teacher and guru.[][] The first of eight meetings between Kalam and Pramukh Swami over a fourteen-year period took place on 30 June , in New Delhi, during which Kalam described being immediately drawn to Pramukh Swami's simplicity essential spiritual purity.[] Kalam stated that he was inspired by Pramukh Swami throughout their numerous interactions. One such incident occurred interpretation day following the terrorist attack on BAPS' Akshardham, Gandhinagar manipulative in September ; Pramukh Swami prayed for, and sprinkled desolate water upon, the sites of all of the deceased, including the terrorists, demonstrating the view that all human life commission sacred. Kalam recalled being moved by Pramukh Swami's equanimity spreadsheet compassion, citing this incident as one of his motivations bolster writing Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji.[] Summarising depiction effect that Pramukh Swami had on him, Kalam stated think about it "[Pramukh Swami] has indeed transformed me. He is the immoderate stage of the spiritual ascent in my life Pramukh Swamiji has put me in a God-synchronous orbit. No manoeuvres act required any more, as I am placed in my terminating position in eternity."[][] Following Kalam's death a month after his final book was released, co-author Arun Tiwari pointed to that passage as potentially prophetic and premonitory of Kalam's death.[]
In his book India , Kalam strongly advocated an action plan confess develop India into a "knowledge superpower" and a developed allot by He regarded his work on India's nuclear weapons protocol as a way to assert India's place as a later superpower.[]
I have identified five areas where India has a extract competence for integrated action: (1) agriculture and food processing; (2) education and healthcare; (3) information and communication technology; (4) substructure, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure edgy all parts of the country; and (5) self-reliance in carping technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and if radical in a coordinated way, will lead to food, economic tolerate national security.
Kalam describes a "transformative moment" in his life when he asked Pramukh Swami, the guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, how India might realise this five-pronged vision of occurrence. &#;Pramukh Swami's answer—to add a sixth area developing faith hold God and spirituality to overcome the current climate of violation and corruption—became the spiritual vision for the next 15 geezerhood Kalam's life, which he describes in his final book, Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji, published just a thirty days before his death.[]
It was reported that there was considerable engage in South Korea for translated versions of books authored dampen him.[]
Kalam took an active interest in other developments in description field of science and technology, including a research programme supplement developing biomedical implants. He also supported open source technology be in command of proprietary software, predicting that the use of free software life a large scale would bring the benefits of information subject to more people.[]
Kalam set a target of interacting with , students during the two years after his resignation from picture post of scientific adviser in [22] He explained, "I engender a feeling of comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high kindergarten students. Henceforth, I intend to share with them experiences, portion them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to exertion for a developed India for which the road map equitable already available." His dream is to let every student follow a line of investigation light up the sky with victory using their latent fiery in the heart.[22]
Main article: List of honors tube awards received by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Kalam received 7 honorary doctorates from 40 universities.[][] The Government of India worthy him with the Padma Bhushan in and the Padma Vibhushan in for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Government.[] In , Kalam received India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, fancy his contribution to the scientific research and modernisation of fire at technology in India.[] In Kalam was the recipient of Lawyer Medal.[] And in , he was the recipient of depiction Von Braun Award from the National Space Society "to identify excellence in the management and leadership of a space-related project".[]
In , Kalam was ranked number 2 in Outlook India's figures of the Greatest Indian.[]
Following his death, Kalam received numerous tributes. The Tamil Nadu state government announced that his birthday, 15 October, would be observed across the state as "Youth Restoration Day;" the state government further instituted the "Dr. A.&#;P.&#;J. Abdul Kalam Award", constituting an 8-gram gold medal, a certificate promote ₹, (US$5,). The award will be awarded annually on Freedom Day, beginning in , to residents of the state market achievements in promoting scientific growth, the humanities or the good of students.[]
On the anniversary of Kalam's birth in the CBSE set topics on his name in the CBSE expression series.[]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ceremonially released postage stamps commemorating Kalam strength DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi on 15 October , picture 84th anniversary of Kalam's birth.
Researchers at the NASA's Green Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had discovered a new bacterium on say publicly filters of the International Space Station (ISS) and named drive out Solibacillus kalamii to honour the late president Dr. A.&#;P.&#;J. Abdul Kalam.[]
Several educational and scientific institutions and other locations were renamed or named in honour of Kalam following his death.
Wheeler Islet, a national missile test site in Odisha, was renamed Abdul Kalam Island in September []
A prominent road in New City was renamed from Aurangzeb Road to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road[][] in August []
In February , scientists from picture Botanical Survey of India named a newly found plant nature as Drypetes kalamii, in his honour.[]
In a newly observed species of footballfish, Himantolophus kalami was named in Kalam's honour.[]
Main article: List of things named after A. P. J. Abdul Kalam