LESSONS TO BE LEARNT FROM THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT

It is a well-known fact that Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was a master in his profession – the father of Indian Missile Technology, making Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Trishul and Nag household names and that have raised the nation to the level of a missile power of international reckoning. As a tribute to our very own ‘People’s President’, we will discuss the aspects of his glorious life that inspire the youth of the nation still to revolutionize their lives and follow the example set by Dr Kalam.

Besides professional excellence, he maintained an ascetic rigour of working 18 hours in a day, managing his hobby of playing the Veena alongside. As a child, he would distribute newspapers after school in order to contribute to his father’s income. The flight of the birds captivated him since he was a boy, but it was only years later that he realised what he actually wanted – to fly aircrafts. After finishing school, he took up Physics at St Joseph’s College, Trichi, but towards the end he was dissatisfied. When he came to know about the option of aeronautical engineering, although he had invested three years in Physics, he thought it was better late than never realising his dream, and went on to join the Madras Institute of Technology. Never looking back, Dr Kalam was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Government. He also received India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, for his immensely precious contribution to the modernization of defence technology in India.

Being the MTV Youth Icon 2003, 2006, he has left a legacy for the youth in the form of his books, namely, Wings of Fire, 2020 – A Vision for the New Millennium, Envisioning an Empowered Nation, Ignited Minds, My Journey, Developments in Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology, The Luminous Spark, The Life Tree, Mission India, Children Ask Kalam, Guiding Souls, Indomitable Spirit, and Inspiring Thoughts. These books are a treasure trove of knowledge.

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