APJ Abdul Kalam Death Anniversary: Remembering ‘Missile Man Of India’ on his 7th death anniversary
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on October 15, 1931, to a Tamil Muslim family in the pilgrimage town of Rameswaram, used to sell newspapers as a young boy to supplement the family’s little income.
He was an intelligent and diligent student who put in a lot of time studying, particularly in mathematics. He grew up majoring in aerospace engineering and physics. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has served as a scientist and scientific administrator for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) (ISRO). With only eight seats available in the IAF, he almost missed out on achieving his dream of becoming a fighter pilot after placing ninth in the preliminaries.
The Rohini satellite was sent into orbit around the earth by the SLV-III, the first satellite launch vehicle, under the direction of Dr Kalam. As the “Missile Man of India,” he also carried out the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
Under Kalam’s leadership, the nation developed the surface-to-surface Prithvi, surface-to-air Trishul, and anti-tank Nag missiles, among other innovations. Dr Kalam was a key player in India’s 1998 nuclear test, which was overseen by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the country’s prime minister at the time. The Pokhran-II tests in May 1998, which shocked the world community and even led to economic penalties against India, made Dr Kalam a famous name.
The “Kalam-Raju Stent,” a reasonably priced coronary stent, was created in 1998 by Kalam in partnership with physician Soma Raju. The pair created the Kalam-Raju Tablet in 2012, a durable tablet computer for rural health care. In 1990, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, and in 1997, he was given the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian accolade.
In addition, he has published other novels. Numerous of his best-selling works are still being read years after their publication. Wings of Fire, Ignited Minds, India 2020, Turning Points, and Transcendence are a few of his best-selling novels.
Dr Kalam passed unexpectedly from a heart attack on July 27, 2015, while giving a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong. The loss of their beloved president shook the nation. In response to Kalam’s passing, there was a nationwide outpouring of mourning, and several condolences to the former president were made on social media.
