3. ABOUT THE LEGEND
Full name :Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Born on:15th Oct 1931,at Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram District, Tamil
Nadu
Father: Jainulabdeen Marakayar,
Mother:Ashiamma
Has three siblings
4. CHILD HOOD
• A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born to
Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma on October15, 1931.
He came from a family whose financial
conditions weren’t sound enough.As a means
to support his family’s meagre income,Kalam took
up odd jobs in his childhood but
never gave up on his education
5. EDUCATION
• Primary education was from Rameshwaram elementary school.
• Later he settled in schwartz, Ramanathapuram
• In 1950 he joined St Joseph college at Tiruchirapalli to do B.Sc.
• He joined DMIT in Aeronautical Engineering at MIT [Madras
Institute of Technology] ,Madras (1954-1957)
• In 1958,after passing as a graduate, aeronautical engineer,
• He joined Hindustan Aeronautical Limited(HAL),Bangalore as a
trainee.
6. CAREER
• Aftergraduating from MIT, Kalam took up the position of chief scientist at
the Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defense Research
• shifted to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) where he was
the project director of India'sfirst indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle. and
Development Organization(DRDO)
• From1992 until 1999, Kalam was appointed as the Chief Scientific
Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research
and Development Organisation. It was during this time that Kalam
served as the Chief Project Coordinator for Pokhran II nuclear
tests, after which he was fondly called the “Missile Man of
India”.
7. MAJOR MISSLES
• The 5 projects were scheduled to be completed in a time frame of only 10 years and consisted of:
• (1) Nag - an anti-tank guided missile
• (2) Prithvi - a surface-to-surface battlefield missile
• (3) Akash - a swift, medium-range surface-to-air missile
• (4) Trishul - a quick-reaction surface-to-air missile with a shorter range
• (5) Agni - an intermediate range ballistic missile, the mightiest
8. Major Awards
• In 1981, Dr. Kalam received Padma Bhushan from the Government of India.
• - In 1990, Dr. Kalam received Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India.
• - In 1994 and 1995, Distinguished Fellow and Honorary Fellow by Institute of Directors
India and National Academy of Medical Sciences.
• - In 1997, he had received Bharat Ratna from Government of India and Indira Gandhi
Award for National Integration from the Indian National Congress. - In 1998, Veer
Savarkar Award from Government of India.
• - In 2000, Ramanujan Award from Alwars Research Centre, Chennai.
• - In 2007, he was honoured with the King Charles II Medal by the Royal Society, U.K., and
Doctorate of Science from the University of Wolverhampton, UK.
• - In 2008, he won the Hoover Medal given by ASME Foundation, USA and received Doctor
of Engineering by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
9. • In 2009, The California Institute of Technology, U.S.A, presented Kalam with the
International von Karman Wings Award, Hoover Medal by ASME Foundation, USA
and Honorary Doctorate by Oakland University.
• - In 2010, Doctor of Engineering by University of Waterloo.
• - In 2011, The IEEE honoured Kalam with IEEE Honorary Membership.
• - In 2012, Doctor of Laws by Simon Fraser University.
• - In 2013, Von Braun Award by the National Space Society.
• - In 2014, Doctor of Science by the Edinburgh University, UK.
10. Books
• - India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium (co-authored with Yagnaswami Sundara Rajan, (1998)
• - Wings of Fire: An Autobiography (1999)
• - Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India (2002)
• - The Luminous Sparks (2004)
• - Mission India (2005)
• - Inspiring Thoughts (2007)
• - You Are Born To Blossom: Take My Journey Beyond (co-authored with Arun Tiwari, 2011)
• - Envisioning and Empowered Nation
• - Target 3 Billion by A.P.J. Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh (December 2011)
• - Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges (2012)
• - My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions (2013)
• - A Manifesto for Change: A Sequel to India 2020 (co-authored with V. Ponraj, 2014)
• - Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh (2015)
• - Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji (co-authored with Arun Tiwari, 2015)
• - Advantage India: From Challenge to Opportunity by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh (2015)
• - Governance for growth in India (2014)
11. Famous Quotes
• “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips
are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.”
• - "Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in
action."
• - “If you fail, never give up because FAIL means "First Attempt in Learning".
• - “If you want to shine like a sun. First, burn like the sun."
• - "All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to
develop our talents."
• - "All Birds find shelter during the rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the
Clouds.”
• - “Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.”
• - “Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance?”
• - “My 2020 Vision for India is to transform it into a developed nation. That
cannot be abstract; it is a lifeline.”...... etc.
