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  • Oct 16, 2023
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Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

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  • GS Paper 3 Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology.
  • GS Paper 1 Important Personalities.
  • Tags:#APJ Abdul Kalam, #Contribution of APJ Abdul Kalam.

Why in the news? 

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s association with India’s Space and Missile Development Program gave him the identity of Missile Man of India. The “Missile Man of India” and “People’s President of India” are the nicknames of the former President of India.

About Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

  • Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
  • His birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Innovation Day and World Students’ Day.
  • He graduated in Science from St Joseph’s College, Trichy in 1954 and specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957.
  • He is one of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 48 Universities and institutions from India and abroad.
  • He was sworn in as India’s 11th President in 2002 and completed the full term in 2007.
  • He planned programmes to produce a number of successful missiles, which helped earn him the nickname “Missile Man of India”.

Awards Received

  • He was awarded the coveted civilian awards – Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997).

Literary Works

  • “Wings of Fire”, “India 2020 – A Vision for the New Millennium”, “My journey” and “Ignited Minds – Unleashing the power within India”, “Indomitable Spirit”, “Guiding Souls”, “Envisioning an Empowered Nation”, “Inspiring Thoughts” etc.

Death: 27th July 2015 at Shillong, Meghalaya.

Contribution of Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

His Contribution

Pioneer in Fiberglass Technology

  • He was a pioneer in fiberglass technology and led a young team to initiate this effort in ISRO from design, development leading to the production of composites rocket motor cases.

Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3)

  • He made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into Near-Earth Orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of Space Club.
  • He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO’s launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration.

Indigenous Guided Missiles

  • After working for two decades in ISRO and mastering launch vehicle technologies, he took up the responsibility of developing Indigenous Guided Missiles at the DRDO.
  • He was the Chief Executive of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
  • He led to the weaponization of strategic missile systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in collaboration with the Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon State.

Technology Vision 2020

  • In 1998, he 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, emphasising technology as a vehicle for economic growth, and widening access to health care and education.

Medical and Healthcare

  • APJ Abdul Kalam in collaboratation with cardiologist B. Soma Raju designed a cost-effective coronary stent known as ‘Kalam-Raju-Stent’ for coronary heart disease which made healthcare accessible to all.
  • The device led to reduction of prices of imported coronary stents in India by more than 50%.

Light Combat Aircraft project

  • He was deeply involved in the country’s Light Combat Aircraft project.
  • He had been associated with avionics. He also became the first Indian Head of State to fly a fighter plane. His first aeronautical project led him to designing India’s first indigenous hovercraft ‘Nandi”.
  • A hovercraft is a vehicle that can travel over land, water, mud and ice by lifting itself off the ground with large blowers that create an air cushion beneath the craft.

An Inspiration to The Youth of New India

  • Kalam had always tried to inspire the younger generation through the medium of his powerful speeches.
  • In fact, some of his decisions have also been the result of his own youthful passion.
  • For example, his decision to no longer live a comfortable life as the President of India and take up the very ambitious venture of teaching and imparting his knowledge to students, the younger generation, was clearly a youthful act.

Other interests

  • A vegetarian, Dr. Kalam had the prowess of reciting the holy book Quran and the Bhagavad Gita with equal ease.
  • Through a third person’s view, Dr. Kalam was a man of peace. He loved classical music and used to play the Veena with utmost poise. He used to write Tamil poems which were famed to move the reader.
  • As if it wasn’t already enough, Dr. Kalam was a voracious reader as well. He even authored many books like India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, Wings of Fire, Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India, Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji, A Manifesto for Change: A Sequel to India 2020.

Source: TOI, The Hindu, IE

Mains Question 

“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are father, mother and teacher.” – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.