Abdul Kalam

Background

Abdul Kalam was an exceptional scientist and leader, whose skills and proficiency made him beloved within and outside his country. He was a Libra, born on October 15, 1931, and his birthplace is Tamil Nadu, India. Kalam was of Indian descent. He was born to a Muslim family as the last child and had four siblings. Although Kalam’s ancestors were wealthy Marakayar traders, he grew up poor because the family lost their wealth in the 1920s. He was a bright and hardworking student with a strong desire to learn. He graduated from Schwartz Higher Secondary School and attended Saint Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli, where he graduated with a degree in Physics. As a knowledge-hungry adult, Kalam enrolled in the Madras Institute of Technology to study aerospace engineering.

Kalam’s career as a scientist is very extensive. After graduating from Madras Institute of technology in 1960, he joined an aeronautic development organization and designed a small hovercraft. Kalam worked in the INCOSPAR committee under Vikram Sarabhai, and by 1969, he was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organisation (I.S.R.O.). Here, Kalam was the project director, overseeing India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (S.L.V.-III), which deployed the Rohini satellite in orbit in July 1980. By the 1970s, he had directed Project Devil and Project Valiant to develop ballistic missiles. From July 1992 to December 1999, Kalam was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and Secretary of the Defense R&D Organisation. In June 2002, he was nominated to contest for the presidency by India’s National Democratic Alliance party. He won the election, succeeding K. R. Narayanan in office, and got sworn in on July 25, 2002. Kalam was referred to as the people’s president and served for one term.

After his tenure in office, Kalam assumed the role of a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong, amongst other colleges. He taught I.T. at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, and technology at Banaras Hindu University. As a successful scientist and beloved president, Kalam was very close to his siblings and extended family. He remained a lifelong bachelor until his death. On July 27, 2015, Kalam died of cardiac arrest five minutes into giving a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong. He left no will and had very few possessions at the time of his death, which went to his eldest brother.