The incredible journey of

People’s President

Dr A P J Abdul KALAM

1931, October 15

Born Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam

Rameswaram - Tamil Nadu

Birth

son of a boat-maker

a paper boy

a young engineer

a missile man

India’s first citizen

Arise! Awake!! Achieve!!!

Paper Boy

“My enthusiasm knew no bounds. I was only eight, but I was going to contribute in a meaningful way to the household income!”

1954: Graduate Physics

St Joseph's College - Trichy

1960: Degree in Aeronautical Engineering

Madras Institute of Technology

Education

His teacher, Subramaniam Iyer, was explaining how seagulls fly.

The little Kalam had “a billion doubts” and Iyer “offered as many clarifications”.

“Wonder-struck, I listened to my teacher — the man who, while teaching me about the flight of birds, gave me a purpose in life — to fly!” Kalam later wrote.

Flying with colours

Engineer

Scientist

President

Writer

Teacher

Multifaceted

Engineer

1980: space club - the Rohini satellite - the stewardship

1998: Pokhran II nuclear tests - Chief Project Coordinator

1999-2001: Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India

1992-1999: Chief Scientific Advisor to the PM and Secretary

Scientist

‘Missile man’ 1980s-1990s: As the chief of

the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme

Responsible for the

development and operationalisation of

AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles.

11th President 2002-2007

Rashtrapati Bhavan & the institution of the Presidency

President who could be with the common man

broke the tradition of unapproachable gap.

Set a model …

Author of as many - 17 books best-sellers

Hundreds of articles

Author

Teacher

“I will not be presumptuous enough to say that my life can be a model for anybody; but some poor child living in an obscure place in an underprivileged social setting may find a little solace in the way my destiny has been shaped.”

Life teacher

He attracted the youth

In the last 15 years, interacted with more than 18 million youngsters

Kalam's 79th birthday - World Students' Day by United Nations.

Youth Icon

ignited young minds

"No other democratic nation has millions of youth. The ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth, under the earth - and we have that" : Dr Kalam

Abdul Kalam was an inspiration for millions of Indians:Obama

Inspiration

artificial limbs - weighed 4 kg - children struggling. He used light materials invented artificial limbs – weighed 300 grams

cardiac stent - which widen Arteries

Medical inventions

Padma Bhushan 1981

Padma Vibhushan 1990

Bharat Ratna 1997

India’s highest civilian awards

Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration 1997

Veer Savarkar Award 1997

Ramanujan Award 2000

King Charles II Medal by the Royal Society 2007

International von Karman Wings Award 2009

Hoover Medal by ASME Foundation 2009

IEEE Honorary Membership 2011

Honorary doctorates from 40 universities

Awards & Achievements

His father has beaten up him for getting gifts after the father became Panchayat Board President.

“a person gave me a gift of two pens. I had to return them with unhappiness,'' - quoting the ancient Hindu code of law 'Manusmriti', that by accepting gifts the divine light in the person gets extinguished.

''It is like touching a snake and getting the poison in turn''

Gift is a dangerous - always accompanied by some purpose.

Kalam and Gifts

nations pride

great thinker

visionary

humble person

vegetarian

extremely soft-spoken and loving

loved children

Dr. Kalam leaves behind an example that many will set out to emulate and achieve.

Set an example

Music Lover

Many Religion – One Kalam

With Dalai Lama

Non Hindu register

Archana ticket – Mother India

In Thiruppathi

His dream of becoming pilot

Failed in

Leader - Dreamer

His House then and now ..

Last minutes

“GREAT DREAMS OF GREAT DREAMERS ARE ALWAYS

TRANSCENDED”

Kalam's dream is to see a Developed India at 2020

His Dream

I like Dr Kalam for three reasons

Education and achievement

Love for young generations

Reading , Writing and Teaching

Graphics : Nana, Maniyam Selvan and Ananda Vikatan , internet

Thank you