Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
:-) The pearl of Indian soil
known for his legacy in Indian missile technology
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in full Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, (born October 15, 1931, Rameswaram, India—died July 27, 2015, Shillong), Indian scientist and politician who played a leading role in the development of India’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. He was president of India from 2002 to 2007.
Kalam earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology and in 1958 joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He soon moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation, where he was project director of the SLV-III, India’s first indigenously designed and produced satellite launch vehicle. Rejoining DRDO in 1982, Kalam planned the program that produced a number of successful missiles, which helped earned him the nickname “Missile Man.”
From 1992 to 1997 Kalam was scientific adviser to the defense minister, and he later served as principal scientific adviser (1999–2001) to the government with the rank of cabinet minister. His prominent role in the country’s 1998 nuclear weapons tests established Kalam as a national hero, although the tests caused great concern in the international community. In 1998 Kalam put forward a countrywide plan called Technology Vision 2020, which he described as a road map for transforming India from a less-developed to a developed society in 20 years. The plan called for, among other measures, increasing agricultural productivity, emphasizing technology as a vehicle for economic growth, and widening access to health care and education.
In 2002 India’s ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) put forward Kalam to succeed outgoing President Kocheril Raman Narayanan. Kalam was nominated by the Hindu nationalist (Hindutva) NDA even though he was Muslim, and his stature and popular appeal were such that even the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, also proposed his candidacy. Kalam easily won the election and was sworn in as India’s 11th president, a largely ceremonial post, in July 2002. He remained committed to using science and technology to transform India into a developed country. In 2007 Kalam left office and was succeeded by Pratibha Patil, the country’s first woman president.
Kalam wrote several books, including an autobiography, Wings of Fire (1999). Among his numerous awards were two of the country’s highest honours, the Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the Bharat Ratna (1997).
Other awards and honours
| Year of award or honour | Name of award or honour | Awarding organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Doctor of Science | Edinburgh University, UK |
| 2013 | Von Braun Award | National Space Society |
| 2012 | Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) | Simon Fraser University |
| 2011 | IEEE Honorary Membership | IEEE |
| 2010 | Doctor of Engineering | University of Waterloo |
| 2009 | Honorary Doctorate | Oakland University |
| 2009 | Hoover Medal | ASME Foundation, USA |
| 2009 | International von Kármán Wings Award | California Institute of Technology, USA[174] |
| 2008 | Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore[175] |
| 2008 | Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) | Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh |
| 2007 | Honorary Doctorate of Science and Technology | Carnegie Mellon University |
| 2007 | King Charles II Medal | Royal Society, UK |
| 2007 | Honorary Doctorate of Science | University of Wolverhampton, UK |
| 2000 | Ramanujan Award | Alwars Research Centre, Chennai |
| 1998 | Veer Savarkar Award | Government of India |
| 1997 | Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration | Indian National Congress |
| 1997 | Bharat Ratna | Government of India |
| 1995 | Honorary Fellow | National Academy of Medical Sciences |
| 1994 | Distinguished Fellow | Institute of Directors (India) |
| 1990 | Padma Vibhushan | Government of India |
| 1981 | Padma Bhushan | Government of India |
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