Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: The People’s President

R.N. 70269/98 ISSN : 0972-169X October 2015 a on ati n r e Int r ea lY Postal Registration No.: DL-SW-1/4082/15-17 Date of posting: 26-27 of advance month Date of publication: 24 of advance month Vol. 18 No. 1 Rs. 5.00 o 5 01 t2 h ig fL APJ Abdul Kalam: The People's President Editorial: Some grassroots level engagement with students on biotechnology 35 Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: The People's President 34 Surrogacy: A New Dimension to Motherhood 31 Polio-free India 29 Microbes: The Tiny Friends of Farmers 28 Organic Cultivation of Rice 26 Lactose Intolerance: When your body fails to digest milk 24 Recent developments in science and technology 21 36 Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: The People’s President Dr. Anup Kumar Das E-mail: anupdas2072@gmail.com T he eleventh President of India Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (19312015) was the finest technocrat, who led many high technology missions in taking the country on the path of self-reliance with home-grown technologies. His approaches were simple that led to the development of frugal indigenous solutions, instead of hightechnology acquisitions from the developed nations. Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 in a Tamil Muslim family at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu state (then the Madras Presidency). His father Jainulabudeen was a boat owner and part-time imam at a local mosque while his mother Ashiamma was a caring homemaker. His father had a good rapport with local Hindu and Christian priests that imbibed Kalam with spiritual values and principles. Kalam recalls the nature of his father: “My father Jainulabudeen was not formally educated but was a man of great wisdom and kindness” . Kalam completed his school education from Ramanathapuram Schwartz High School, where he showed the distinction of a hardworking student with special interest in mathematics. He then studied graduation in physics at Saint Joseph’s College at Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, which was then affiliated to the University of Madras, and he completed his first degree in 1954. After his BSc degree, he enrolled in a degree course in aeronautical engineering at Madras Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu. He completed engineering education in 1958. His priority was to join Indian Air Force (IAF) as a fighter pilot soon after completion of his engineering education, but he narrowly missed it. Instead, he joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as a junior scientist at the Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bangalore in 1958, where he was involved in research and development of fighter airplanes Dream 2047, October 2015, Vol. 18 No. 1 for the IAF. In 1963, he was selected to join the Indian Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in a position of a rocket engineer. INCOSPAR was the predecessor President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam addressing the nation on the eve of 58th Republic Day in New Delhi on January 25, 2007 (Credit: Photodivision.gov.in) to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) led by Professor Vikram Sarabhai. Soon after joining at INCOSPAR, Kalam was nominated for a six-month training programme on sounding rocket launching techniques at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States. He joined advanced training programme at NASA in 1963 and received practical training at various R&D centres of Kalam with young dancers in Singapore (Credit: Photodivision.gov.in) NASA such as the Langley Research Centre at Hampton, Virginia, and the Goddard Space Flight Centre at Greenbelt, Maryland. His training at NASA became very fruitful while he served as one of the chief architects of now flourishing Indian space programme. He took a leadership role in development and launching of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), which placed Rohini RS-1 satellite into Earth orbit in July 1980. SLV-3 was a historical achievement for India, as the country entered the elite space club. Kalam was fortunate to received affectionate mentorship during his scientific career from renowned Indian scientists such as Professor Vikram Sarabhai, Professor MGK Menon, Professor Satish Dhawan and Professor Raja Ramanna. After his stint at the ISRO for about two decades, he moved back to DRDO in 1983 as its Chief Executive to lead the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP). Under his leadership, the IGMDP developed and operationalised the Agni and Prithvi missiles during the 1980s for building indigenous capability in critical technologies. After the success of IGMDP programme, Kalam was elevated to the position of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of the DRDO and served te country between July 1992 and December 1999. Subsequently he also served as one of the Chief Project Coordinators in the Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear tests in 1998, which received global attention as India became a full-fledged nuclear state in order to strike a balance to achieve regional stability and peace. Kalam served as Chairman of the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Science and Technology while his co-author of many books Professor YS Rajan was its Executive Director. During 1990s, TIFAC was engaged in Technology Vision 34 Biography 2020 exercise for India with an objective of (The Journal of Business Perspective, 10(3), “Transforming the nation into a developed 11-21, 2006). country, with five areas in combination During his presidency (2002-2007), having been identified based on India’s core Kalam evolved many innovative ideas competence, natural resources and talented for sustainable development and peoples’ manpower for integrated action to double empowerment, to be implemented by the the growth rate of GDP and realise the national and local governments, including Vision of Developed India.” The identified the Providing Urban Amenities in Rural areas were namely: Areas (PURA). PURA became a central • “Agriculture and food processing, scheme titled ‘Provision of Urban Amenities with a target of doubling the present in Rural Areas’ in 2010 led by Ministry of production of food and agricultural Rural Development and implemented on products by 2020. Agro food pilot basis under a public-private partnership processing industry would lead to (PPP) framework during the 11th Five Year the prosperity of rural people, food Plan. security and speed up the economic He was bestowed Bharat Ratna, growth; the highest civilian honour, in 1997 by • Infrastructure with reliable and quality Government of India for his leadership electric power including solar farming roles in attaining the country’s scientific and for all parts of the country, providing technological competencies. He was earlier A Poster of the Film “I Am Kalam” urban amenities in rural areas and awarded two other coveted civilian honours inspired by life of AJP Abdul Kalam interlinking of rivers; the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma • Education and healthcare, to provide acknowledges: “He became known as the Vibhushan in 1990. He became an elected social security and eradication of “People’s President” because he welcomed Fellow of the national academies such as the illiteracy and health for all; and the public into the palace in New Delhi Indian National Academy of Engineering • Information and communication (built for the last of the viceroys by the (INAE), the Indian Academy of Sciences technology: This is one of our core British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens) and Bangalore (IAS), the National Academy of competencies and wealth generators. made himself accessible whenever he Sciences of India (NASI), and an honorary ICT can be used for tele-education, travelled”. Tully further described Kalam fellow of the Institution of Electronics and tele-medicine and e-governance to as one who played a crucial role in India’s Telecommunication Engineering (IETE). promote education in remote areas, most successful technological programmes He also received honorary doctorates from healthcare and also transparency in such as development and launching of the many universities in India and abroad, the administration; SLV-3, and indigenous guided missiles that such as, Aligarh Muslim University, India; • Critical technologies and strategic earned him a coveted title “Missile Man of Edinburgh University, UK; University of industries witnessed the Wolver Hampton, UK; Simon growth in nuclear technology, Fraser University, USA; Oakland space technology and defence University, USA; Carnegie Mellon technology.” University, USA; University of The book titled India 2020: Waterloo, Canada; and Nanyang A Vision for the New Millennium Technological University, Singapore. was a refinement of the series He remained a bachelor throughout of “Technology Vision 2020” life. documents published by TIFAC. Kalam had proved himself Kalam and Rajan wrote a touching as an accomplished writer. He has dedication to the book: written more than twenty books, After one of the talks delivered although an official webpage of the by Dr. Kalam, a ten-year-old girl came former President (on Abdulkalam. up to him for his autograph. ‘What nic.in/books.html) enlists thirteen Kalam helps students at the inauguration of speech is your ambition,’ he asked her. ‘I books written by him. His works applet ‘Virtual Vision’ software for visually challenged want to live in a developed India,’ she can be categorised in three genres, students (Credit: Photodivision.gov.in) replied without hesitation. This book namely, autobiographical, futuristic is dedicated to her and the millions of or visionary, and inspirational. He Indians who share her aspiration. India”. His leadership style was very unique wrote two autobiographical books, namely, Kalam was popularly known as and exemplary, as it was documented in a Wings of Fire: An Autobiography jointly “the People’s President” and “Missile Man research paper titled “Visionary Leadership: written with Arun Tiwari (1999) and Turning of India” for divergent reasons. In an A Survey of Literature and Case Study of Dr Points: A Journey through Challenges (2012). obituary, renowned journalist Mark Tully APJ Abdul Kalam at DRDL” by RS Dwivedi His inspirational book titles are similar to 33 Dream 2047, October 2015, Vol. 18 No. 1 Biography the topics of his public lectures he loved to deliver in the assemblies of school, college and university students and youth citizens of India to ignite a dream for a developed nation in near future. Many of his writings are highly rated or reviewed by the book readers. The top five books based on readers’ choice at GoodReads.com website, which facilitates the readers and booklovers to rate and review a published book, are: Wings of Fire: An Autobiography (1999); Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India (2002); Turning Points: A Journey through Challenges (2012); India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium jointly with YS Rajan (1999); and My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions (2013). The top five books, based on the number of citations each book received as reflected on Google Scholar search engine, are: India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium; Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India; Wings of Fire: An Autobiography; Target 3 Billion: Innovative Solutions Towards Sustainable Development jointly with SP Singh (2011); and Envisioning an Empowered Nation: Technology for Societal Transformation jointly with AS Pillai (2004). In addition to the above-mentioned books, Kalam wrote a few more visionary and inspirational books for the Indian youth, namely, Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future jointly with SP Singh (2015); Beyond 2020: A Vision for Tomorrow’s India jointly with YS Rajan (2014); A Manifesto for Change: A Sequel to India 2020 jointly with V Ponraj (2014); The Scientific Indian: A Twenty-first Century Guide to the World around Us jointly with YS Rajan (2011); and Mission India: A Vision for Indian Youth jointly with YS Rajan (2005). In a highly acclaimed feature film I Am Kalam, directed by Nila Madhab Panda and produced by Smile Foundation, a child labourer inspired by life of Abdul Kalam dreams to become an educated citizen overcoming all odds in his early life. The movie trailer further describes I Am Kalam as “an endeavour in championing the cause of empowering underprivileged children through education. Moreover, the heartwarming tale celebrates the survival of the human spirit against overwhelming odds” (Available at http://vimeo.com/120668088). Harsh Mayar, who acted the main character Dream 2047, October 2015, Vol. 18 No. 1 Timeline Dr APJ Abdul Kalam 1931 1954 1958 1958 1963 1963 1980 1981 1983 Born on 15 October at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, India. Mother: Ashiamma, Father: Jainulabudeen. Completed B.Sc. in Physics from Saint Joseph’s College at Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, affiliated to University of Madras. Completed Engineering degree in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in Tamil Nadu. Joined the Aeronautical Development Establishment of DRDO in Bangalore as junior scientist. Joined the Indian Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), predecessor of ISRO, as rocket engineer. Joined advanced training programme at NASA and received practical training at various R&D centres of NASA. Led launching of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), which placed Rohini RS-1 satellite into earth orbit on 18th July. India became a member of the elite space club. Conferred the Padma Bhushan. Joined as Chief Executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) of DRDO, the Ministry of Defence. 1990 Conferred Padma Vibhushan. 1992 Became the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of DRDO and served till 1999. 1997 Conferred Bharat Ratna. 2002 Became President of India and served till 2007. 2015 Died on 27 July; Collapsed due to heart failure while delivering a speech at Indian Institute of Management Shillong in Meghalaya, India. of Chhotu in the film, received the National Film Award for Best Child Artist in 2011. Kalam will be remembered by Indian children, youth and knowledge workers, who aspire to live in a developed India and make India a self-reliant nation. He further ignited minds of many youths with his many famous quotes. An example is given here from the book Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India: “Dream, Dream, Dream Dreams transform into thoughts And thoughts result in action.” Another of his oft-quoted quote is: “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping It is something that does not let you sleep.” Cover Page of “Wings of Fire: An Autobiography” Dr. Anup Kumar Das is attached with the Centre for Studies in Science Policy in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India. 32