Dr:APJ Abdul Kalama and his thoughts.

A.P.J.ABDUL KALAM

AN Introduction:-

                                    He played a pivotal organizational, technical and political role in India’s Pokhran-2 nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974. Some scientific experts have however called Dr. A.P.J.ABDUL KALAM a man with no authority over nuclear physics but who just carried on the works of Homi J.Bhabha and Vikram sarabhai.

                                     Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam was elected the president of Indis in 2002, defeating Laksmi Sahgal, he was nominated by Bharatiya Janata Party and supported by opposition Indian National Congress, the major political parties of India. Widely referred to as the “People’s President,” he returned to his civilian life of education, writing and public service after a single term.

                                     He was a visiting professor at Indian Institute of management, Shilong, Indian Institute of management, Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Management Indore, honorary fellow of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Chancellor of the Indian Institute of space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at anna University(Chennai), JSS University(Mysore) and an adjunct/visiting faculty at many other academic and research institutions across the country.

                                      Dr.A.P.J.Abdul kalam advocated plans to develop India into a developed nation by 2020. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna 1997, Indian’s highest civilian honour. Dr. Kalam is known for his motivational speeches and interaction with the student community in India. He launched his mission for the youth of the nation in 2011 called the What Can I Give Movement with a central theme to defeat corruption in India.             

                                       Dr .A.P.J. Abdul kalam was the 11^th President of India from 2002 to 2007. A career scientist turned reluctant politician, Dr. Kalam was Born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science

    

administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India’s civilion space program and military missile development efforts. He thus came to be known as the “MISSILE MAN OF INDIA” for his work on the development of ballistic missiles and launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organizational, technical and political role in India’s Pokhran-2 nuclear tests in 1998, the first science the original nuclear test by India in 1974.

KALAM with his family

EARLY LIFR AND EDUCATION:-

                                                  Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was brone on 15 October 1931 to a Tamil Muslim family in the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram on Pamban Island, then in the Madars Presidency and now in the state of Tamil Nadu. His father Jainulabudeen was a boat owner and imam of a local mosque; his mother Ashiamma was a housewife. His father owned a ferry that took Hindu pilgrims back and forth between Rameswaram and the now uninhabited Dhanushkodi. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the youngest of four brothers and one sister in his family. His ancestors had been wealthy traders and landowner, with numerous properties and large tracts of land. Their business had involved trading groceries between the mainland and the island and to and from Sri Lanka, as well as ferrying pilgrims between the mainland and pamban. As a result, the family acquired the title of “Mara Kalam iyakkivar”, which over the year became shortened to “Marakier.” With the opening of the Pamban Bridge to the mainland in 1914, however, the businesses failed and the family fortune and properties were lost over time, apart from the ancestral home. By his early childhood, Kalam’s family had become poor; at an early age, he sold newspaper to supplement his family’s incom.

                                                             In his school years, Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had average grades but was described as a bright and hard working student who had a strong desire to learn. He spent hours on his studies, especially mathematics. After completing his education at the Schwartz higher secondary School, Ramanathapuram, Dr. Kalam went on to attend Saint Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli, then affiliated with the University of Madras, from where he graduated in physics in 1954. He moved to Madras in 1955 to study aerospace engineering in madras Institute of Technology. While Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was working on a senior class project, the Dean was dissatisfied with his lack of progress and threatened to revoke his scholarship unless the project was finished within the next three days. Dr.Kalam met the deadline, impressing the Dean, who later said to him, “I was putting you under stress and asking you to meet a difficult deadline”. He narrowly missed achieving his dream of becoming a fighter pilot, as he placed ninth in qualifiers, and only eight position were available in the IAF.

                                After graduating from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1960, Dr. Kalam joined the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development organization (DRDO) as a scientist. He started his career by designing a small hovereraft, but remained unconvinced by his choice of a job at DRDO. Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was also part of the INCOSPAR committee working under Vikram Sarabhai, the renowned space scientist. In 1969, Dr. kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) where he was the project director of Indian’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle(SLV-|)which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite in near-east orbit in july 1980; Dr. Kalam had first started work on an expandable rocket project independent at DRDO in 1965. In 1969, Dr. Kalam received the government’s approval and expanded the programme to include more engineer.

                                                    In 1963-64, he visited NASA’s Langley Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia; Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland; and Wallops Flight Facility, Between the 1970s and1990s, Dr. Kalam made an effort to develop the polar satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and SLV- project, both of which proved to be successful.                                                              

                                                   Dr. Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country’s first nuclear test Smiling Buddha as the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in its development. In the 1970s, Dr. Kalam also directed two projects, Project Devil and Project Valiant, which sought to develop ballistic missiles from the technology of the successful SLV programme. Despite the disapproval of the Union Cabinet, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi allotted secret funds for these aerospace projects through her discretionary powers under Dr. Kalam’s directorship. Dr. Kalam played an integral role convincing the Union Cabinet to conceal the true nature of these classified aerospace project.

                                                  His research and educational leardership brought him great laurels and prestige in the 1980s, which promted the government to initiate an advanced missile programme under his directorship. Dr. Kalam and Dr. V S Arunachalam, metallurgist and scientific adviser to the Defence minister, worked on the suggestion by the then Defence Minister, R. Venkataraman on a proposal for simultaneous development of a quiver of missiles instead of taking planned missiles one after, R. Venkatraman was instrumental in getting the cabinet approval for allocating ? 388 crores for the mission, named integrated Guided missile Development Programme(IGMDP) and appointed Dr. Kalam as the chief executive. Dr. Kalam played a major part in developing many missile under the mission including Agni, an intermediate range ballistic missile and Prithvi, the tactical surface-to-surface missile , although the project have been criticized for mismanagement and cost and time overruns.

                                                Dr. Kalam served as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime minister and the secretary of the Defence research and Development Organisation from 1992 to 1999. The Pokhran- nuclear tests were conducted during this period in which he played an intensive political and technological role. In 1998 along with cardiologist Soma Raju, Dr. Kalam developed a low cost coronary stent, named the “Kalam-Raju stent”. In 2012 the duo designed a rugged tablet computer for health care in rural areas, which was named the “Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam-Raju Tablet”. Mrs Indira Gandhi then Prime Minister of India Entrusted Dr. Kalam to developed missile system for India’s defence. Dr. Kalam successfully completed the Indira Gandhi mission.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

                                                Kalam was the youngest of five siblings, the eldest of whom was a sister, Asim Zohra , followed by three elder brother: Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar, Mustafa Kamal, and Kasim Mohammed. He was extremely close to his elder siblings and their extended families throughout his life, and would regularly send small sums of money to his older relations, himself remaining a life-long bachelor.

                                                  Kalam was noted for his integrity and his simple lifestyle. He never owned a television, and was in the habit of rising at 6.30 or 7.00 am and sleeping by 2am. His few personal possessions included his books, his veena, some articles of clothing, a CD player and a laptop; at his death, he left no will, and his possessions went to his eldest brother, who survived him.

CARRER AS A SCIENTIST:-

                                                  Dr. Kalam after graduating from Madras Institute of technology in 1960, he joined Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defense Research and Development Organization as a scientist. Dr. Kalam started his career by designing a small helicopter for the Indian Army, but remained unconvinced with the choice of his job at DRDO. Dr. Kalam was also part  of the INCOSPAR committee working under Vikram Sarabhai, the renowned space scientist. In 1960, Dr. Kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization, where he was the project director of Indian’s first indigenous Satellite Launch vehicle (SLV--) which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite in near earth’s orbit in July 1980. Joining ISRO was one of Dr. Kalam’s biggest achievements in life and he is said to have found himself when he started to work on the SLV project.

ABDUL KALAM 

          

                                          Dr. Kalam first started work on an expandable rocket project independent at DRDO in 1965. In 1969, Dr. Kalam   received the government’s approval and expanded the program to include more engineers.

                                            In 1963-64, he visited NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton Virginia, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and Wallops Flight Facility situated at Eastern Shore of Virginia. During the period between the 1970s and 1990s, Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam made an effort to develop the polar SLV- projects. Dr. Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country’s first nuclear test Smiling Buddha as the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in the development, test site preparation and weapon designing.

                                              In the 1970s, a landmark was achieved by ISRO when the locally built Rohini-1 was launched into space, using the SLV rocket. In the 1970s, Dr. Kalam also directed two projects, namely, Project Devil and project Valiant, which sought to develop ballistic missiles from the technology of the successful S.L.V programme. Despite the disapproval of Union Cabinet, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi allotted secret funds for these aerospace projects through her discretionary powers under Dr. Kalam’s directorship. Dr. Kalam played an integral role convincing the Union Cabinet to conceal the true nature of these classified aerospace projects.

                                                His research and educational leadership brought him great laurels and prestige in 1980s, which prompted the government to initiate an advanced missile program under his directorship. Dr. Kalam and Dr. V.S. Arunachalam, metallurgist and scientific adviser to the Defense minister, worked on the suggestion by the then Defense Minister, R. Venkataraman on a proposal for simultaneous development of a quiver of missile instead of taking planned missile one after another. R. Venkatraman was instrumental in getting the cabinet approval for allocating 3.88 billion rupees for the mission, named Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and appointed Dr. Kalam as a Chief Executive.

                                                   Dr. Kalam played a major part in developing many missile under the mission including Agni, an intermediate range ballistic missile and Prithvi, the tactical surface-to-surface missile, although the projects have been criticized for mismanagement and cost and time overruns. He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defense Research and

Dr: Kalam with Indira Gandhi

Development Organisation from July 1992 to December 1999. The Pokhran-II nuclear test were conducted during this period where he played an intensive political and technological role. Dr. Kalam served as the Chief Project Coordinator, along with R. Chidambaran during the testing phase.

                                               In 1998, along with cardiologist Dr. Soma Raju, Dr. kalam developed a low cost Coronary sent. It was named as “Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam-Raju Sent” honouring them. In 2012, the duo, designed a rugged tablet PC for health care in rural areas, which was named as “ Kalam-Raju tablet” Mrs Indira Gandhi then Prime Minister of India entrusted Dr. Kalam to develop missile system for Indias defense, viz surface-to-surface, surface to air, air to air etc. Dr. Kalam successfully completed the Indira Gandhi mission.

Indian’s Nuclear Bomb Project:-     

                                                     Effort towards building the nuclear bomb, infrastructure, and research on related technologies has been undertaken by India since the World war II. Origins of India’s nuclear program dates back to 1944 when nuclear physicist Dr. Homi J. Bhabha began persuading the Indian Congress towards harnessing of the nuclear energy- a year later he established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

                                                           In 1950s, the preliminary studies were carried out at the BARC and plans were developed to produce plutonium and other bomb component. In 1962, India and China engaged in the disputed northern front, and was further intimidated with Chinese nuclear test in 1964. Direction towards militarization of the nuclear program slowed down when Vikram Sarabhai became its head and little interest of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965.

                                                  As Indira Gandhi becoming Prime Minister in 1966, the nuclear program was consolidated when physicist Raja Ramanna joined the efforts. Another nuclear test by China eventually led to Indian’s decision toward building nuclear weapons in 1967 and conducted its first nuclear test in 1974.

                                                     The BJP, came to the power in 1998 general election with an exclusive public mandate. BJP’s political might had been growing steadily in strength over the past decade over several issues.

                                                  In Pakistan the similar conservative force, the PML(N), was also in power with an exclusive mandate led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who Defeated the leftist PPP led by Benazir Bhutto in general election held in 1997. During the BJP campaign, Atal Bihari Vajpayee indulged in grandstanding- such as when he declared on 25 February 1998 that his government would “take back that part of Kashmir that is under Pakistan’s control”.

                                                   Before this declaration, The BJP platform had clear intention to “exercise the option to include nuclear weapons” and “India should become an openly nuclear power to garner the respect on the world stage that India deserved”. By 18 March 1998, Vajpayee had publicly begun his lobbying for nuclear explosion and declared that “there is no compromise on national security; all option including the nuclear options will be exercised to protect security and sovereignty”.

  

 Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Dr: Kalam

                                                 
Consultation began between Prime Minister Vajpayee, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, R. Chidambaram and officials of the Indian DAE on nuclear option. Chidambaram briefed Prime Minister Vajpayee extensively on the nuclear program; Abdul Kalam presented the status of the missile program. On 28 March 1998, Prime Minister Vajpayee asked the scientists to make preparation in the shortest time possible, and preparations were hastily made.

                                                 It was time of tense atmosphere when Pakistan, at a Conference on Disarmament, offered a peace rhetoric agreement with India for “an equal an mutual restraint in conventional, missile and nuclear fields”. Pakistan’s equation was later reemphasized on 6 April and the momentum in India for nuclear tests began to build up which strengthened Vajpayee’s position to order the tests. 

    

                                                    Five nuclear devices were detonated during Operation Shakti. All devices were weapon-grade plutonium and they were: Shakti- I, Shakti-II, Shakti-III, Shakti-IV, and Shakti-V. an additional, sixth device Shakti-VI is suspected to have been present but not detonated. At 3.43 pm IST; three nuclear bombs(specifically, the Shakti- I. II. And III) were detonated simultaneously, as measured by international seismic monitors. On 13 May 1998, at 12.21 pm IST two sub-kiloton devices (Shakti-IV and V) were detonated. Due to their very low yield, these explosions were not detected by any seismic station. On 13 May 1998, India declared the series of tests to be over.

President Dr: Kalam 

Presidency:-    

                                       Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam served as the 11^th president of India, succeeding K.R. Narayanan. He won the 2002 presidential election with an electoral vote of 922,884, surpassing 107,366 votes won by Lakshmi Sahigal. He served from 25 July 2002 to 25 July 2007.

                                     On 10june 2002, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which was in power at the time, expressed to the leader of opposition, Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi that they would propose Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam for the post of president. The Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party backed his candidacy.

                                      The polling for the presidential election began on 15 July 2002 in the parliament and the state assemblies with media claiming that the election was one-sided affair. He became the 11^th president of the Republic of India. He moved into the Rashtrapati Bhavan  after he was sworn in on 25 July. Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam was the third President of India to have been honoured with a Bharat Ratna. India’s highest civilian honour, before becoming the  President. Dr. Sarvapali Radhakrishnan (1954) and Dr. Zakir Hussain (1963) were the earlier recipients  of Bharat Ratna who later become the President of India. He was also the first scientist and the first bachelor to occupy Rashtrapati Bhawan.

                                         During his term as President, he was affectionately known as the people’s President. In his words, signing the office of Profit Bill was the toughest decision he had taken during his tensure.

                                              Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam is criticised for inaction as a President in deciding the fate of 20 out of the 21mercy petitions. Article 72 of the Constitution of India empowers the President of India to grant pardon, suspend and remit death row. Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam acted on only one mercy plea in his five year tenure as a President, rejecting the plea of rapist Dhananjoy Chatterjee, who was hanged thereafter. The most impotent of the 20 pleas is though to be that of Afzal Guru, a terrorist who was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India in 2004. While the sentence was scheduled to be carried out on 20 October 2006, the pending action on the mercy plea resulted in him continuing in the death row.

                                              In September 2003,  in an interactive session in PGI Chandigarh. Kalam supported the need of Uniform Civil Code in India, keeping in view the population the country.

                                            At the end of his term, on 20 June 2007, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam expressed his willingness to consider a second term in office provided there was certainty about his victory in the 2007 presidential election. However, two days later he decided not to contest the Presidential election again stating that he wanted to avoid involving Rashtrapati Bhavan from any political processes. He did not have the support of the Left Parties, Shiv Sena and UPA constituents to receive a renewed mandate.

                                              Nearing the expiry of the term of the 12^th President Pratibha Patil on 24 July 2012, media reports in April claimed that Kalam was likely to be nominated for his second term. After the reports, social networking sites witnessed a number of people supporting his candidature. The BJP potentially backed hid nomination, saying that the party would lend their support if the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Indian National Congress proposed him for the 2012 presidential election. A month ahead of the election, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee also expressed their support for Kalam. Days afterward, Mulayam Singh Yadav backed out, leaving Mamata Banerjee as the solitary supporter. On 18 June 2012, Kalam declind to contest the 2012 Presidential poll. He said of his decision not to do so:

      “Many, many citizens have also expressed the same wish. It only reflect their love and affection for me and the aspiration of the people, I am really overwhelmed by this support. This being their wish, i respect it. I want to thank them for the trust they have in me”.

Dr: Kalam as a Teacher

Post-Presidency:-

                                          After leaving office, Kalam became a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Shilong, the Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and the Institute of Management, Indore; an honorary fellow of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram; professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University; and an adjunct at many other academic and research institution across India. He taught information technology at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hayderabad, and Technology at Banaras Hindu University and Anna University.

                                           In May 2012, Kalam launched a programme for the youth of India called the ‘What Can I Give Movement’, with a central theme of defeating corruption

                                            IN 2011, Kalam was criticised by civil groups over his stand on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant; he supported the establishment of the nuclear power plant and was accused of not speaking with the local people. The protesters were hostile to his visit as they perceived to him to be a pro-nuclear scientist and were unimpressed by the assurances provided by him regarding the safety features of the plant.

Religious and Spiritual views:- 

                                          Religion and spirituality were very important to Kalam throughout his life. In fact, he made his own spiritual journey the subject of his final book.

Islam

                                       A proud and practicing Muslim, daily namaz and fasting during Ramadan were integral to Kalam’s life. His father, the imama of a mosque in his hometown of Rameswaram, had strictly instilled these Islamic customs in his children. His father had also impressed upon the young Kalam the value of interfaith respect and dialogue.

                                      As Kalam recalled “Every evening, my father A.P. Jainulabdeen, an imam, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the head priest of the Ramanathaswamy Hindu temple, and a church priest used to sit with hot tea and discuss the issues concerning the island.” Such early exposure convinced Kalam that the answers to India’s multitudinous issues lay in “dialogue and cooperation” among the country’s religious, social, and political leaders.

                                      Moreover, since Kalam belived that “respect for other faiths” was one of the key cornerstones of Islam, he was fond of saying: “For great men, religion is a way of making friends; small people make religion a fighting tool.

Syncretism:-

                                         One component of A.P.J Abdul Kalam’s widespread popularity among diverse groups in India, and an enduring aspect of his legacy, is the syncretism he embodied in appreciating various elements of the many spiritual and cultural traditions of India.

                                              In addition to his faith in the Koran and Islamic practice, A.P.J Abdul Kalam was well-versed in Hindu traditions; he learnt Sanskrit, read the Bhagavad Gita and he was a vegetarian. Kalam also enjoyed writing Tamil poetry, playing the Veena (a south Indian string instrument), and listening to Carnatic devotional music every day.

     

                                             In 2002, in one of his early speeches to parliament after becoming President, he reiterated his desire for a more united India, stating that “during the last one year i met a number of spiritual leaders of all religions...{and} I would like to endeavour to work for bringing about unity of minds among the divergent traditions, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor stated, “A.P.J Abdul Kalam was a complete Indian, an embodiment of the eclecticism of India’s heritage of diversity.

Pramukh Swami as a Guru:-

                                                          A.P.J Abdul Kalam’s desire to meet spiritual leaders to help create a more prosperous, spiritual, and unified India was what initially led him to meet Pramukh Swami, the Hindu guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, whom A.P.J Abdul Kalam would come to consider his ultimate spiritual teacher and guru. The first of eight meetings between A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Pramukh Swami over a fourteen year periods took place on 30 June 2001 in New Delhi, during which Kalam described being immediately drawn to Pramukh Swami’s simplicity and spiritual purity.

                                                    A.P.J Abdul Kalam stated that he was inspired by Pramukh Swami throughout their numerous interactions. One such incident occurred the day following the terrorist attack on BAPS Akshardham, Gandhinagar complex in September 2002; Pramukh Swami prayed for, and sprinkled holy water upon, the sites of all of the deceased, including the terrorists, demonstrating the view that all human life is sacred.

                                                           A.P.J Abdul Kalam recalled being moved by Pramukh Swami’s equanimity and compassion, citing this incident as one of his motivations for writing Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji. Summarizing the effect that Pramukh Swami had on him, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam stated that “(Pramukh Swami) has indeed transformed me.

                                                           He is the ultimate stage of the spiritual ascent in my life... Pramukh Swamiji has put me in a God-synchronous orbit. No manoeuvres are required anymore, as i am placed in my final  position ineternity.” Following A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s death a month after his final book was released, co-author Arun Tiwari pointed to this passage as potentially prophetic and premonitory of Kalam’s death.

                                                    In this book India 2020, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam strongly advocated an action plan to develop India into a ”Knowledge Superpower” and a developed nation by the year 2020. He regarded his work on India’s nuclear weapons programme as a way to assert India’s place as a future superpower.

Kalam’s Educational thoughts and idea:-

                                                         Dr. Kalam had also contributed a lot in the same direction through his thoughts and ideas as seen in the books written by him and the lectures and speeches delivered by him on various educational occasions. Dr. Kalam had also chosen the education as a fuel to fly his mission of ‘Developed India’. An educated person with value thinking is just like the guided missile for him ready to launch for the national welfare, in the terms his positive contribution to make his country strong in all aspects. Awakening thoughts of Dr. Kalam played an important role to inspire children and youth of the country to be more innovative, creative and sensitive to their national development affairs. The researcher’s analysis of his educational philosophy as implicit in his beautiful and logical thoughts and ideas, is summarized under following heads-

IDEAS ON MEANING OF EDUCATION:-

                                            After critical analysis of educational thoughts and ideas of Dr. Kalam, only formal education cannot inspire a person to dream and act to fulfill his dreams. Education imparted with spirituality, leads to enlightenment of citizens who have dignity of human being, confidence, courage and honesty to follow a right path of life.

                                             Education means learning by doing and experiencing failures and successes. Education also means acquiring knowledge which helps a person in social adjustment. On the other hand, practical meaning of education is, to learn at home, to learn at school or to learn at any situation of life which gives us a lesson to deal with problems. Education does not mean to acquire knowledge only from books or by sitting in the class; education means to learn from any site or sight of our life. Both, formal and informal educations are essential for being a perfect learner.

                                                     According to Dr. Kalam, nature is also a source of receiving education. Thus, his ideas are based on humanistic, idealistic, realistic, naturalistic as well as pragmatic philosophy of education. The Ideological philosophy i.e. acceptance of spiritual world and attaining mental capabilities and spiritual perfection, is manifested in Dr. Kalam’s educational thoughts.

                                                    On the other hand, Realism believes in individual and social development, importance of material world, and problems of real life. It emphasizes on scientific attitude and experiments. Child and his present life is the center of education. By going through the analytical journey of Dr. Kalam’s literature, the philosophy of education of Dr. Kalam is further more or less similar to realism too. Since Dr. Kalam always stressed on ‘Developed India’, as depicted in his book

                                                 ‘Vision 2020’, the only path shown by him is development of science and technology. The researcher felt that Dr. Kalam’s educational views were also influenced by naturalism. He considers the child, as a center of education. Similar to naturalism Dr. Kalam also gave importance to child’s interest and tendencies during teaching and learning process and stressed on drawing out creativity and innovative ideas inherent in a child by giving him freedom of exploring. During the beautiful and spiritual process of analyzing and findings of the research, some evidence which proved that Dr. Kalam’s educational philosophy had an impact of pragmatism also.

                                               The most important role of education is to inculcate in the students the spirit of ‘we can do it’ Some common educational problems are there in most of the countries in the world including India, such as to make education adequately efficient, to democratize education, to correlate education with problems of life and to minimize cultural lag (progression gap between culture and technological advancement or modernization).

                                                According to Dr. Kalam education is a fundamental right of every child and education means to make child creative, imaginative and innovative. He said that education serves as a base for a developed and strong country. Dr. Kalam believed that education can make a child to be an entrepreneur or a skilled worker, who can perform any task with full confidence to get assured success.

                                                Thus, the educational philosophy of Dr. Kalam had practical approach towards the application. It had dynamicity as well as flexibility in ideas to be well adjusted in the society, with its changing demands, and to compete with technological advancement to remove cultural lag. It is progressive and dynamic ideology. Since Dr. Kalam was fond of literature reading and writing, he absorbed a lot from the present time available literature and learned from his lifetime experiences and presented a practical and dynamic philosophy of education which is needed at present to overcome social and educational hurdles of a democratic nation like India.

                                                     He was a visionary as well as missionary social reformer. As a teacher who had interaction with billions of students in his inspiring journey of life; he played his role as a reformer of the society and nation, efficiently and effectively. He was a true patriot and always gave respect to his nation as a democratic country and tried out to give the solution of the social as well as national problems by considering the democratic policies and values of the nation. His philosophy was more influenced by democracy and its need and importance in present days to reform educational system in the country.

IDEAS ON AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF EDUCATION-

                                                          The aim of education is to prepare a child to take initiative and become independent in thinking and working. Education helps in attaining recognition, developing confidence and providing successful achievements and maintaining self-respect and dignity of human being. Thus the aim of education is to prepare a person to face all the challenges of life with knowledge and logic and transform his dreams into reality. Similar to Idealism Dr. Kalam’s philosophy of education believed in realization of truth, beauty and goodness as the aim of education. Further, preparation of a holy life, development of intelligence, rationality and emphasis of book reading but not rote-learning is similar to Idealistic philosophy of education to some extent.

                                                    Further, according to Dr. Kalam both the society and individual are valued, and aim of education is to prepare the child for a real life by developing physical and mental capacities and training of senses of child, preparing the child for a happy life, acquainting the child with nature and social environment and imparting vocational education. Such educational thoughts and ideas are also similar to realism. Further analyzed in her findings that according to Dr. Kalam, education also aim to perfecting the human machine, to attain the present and future happiness, preparing for the struggle for existence, adaptation to environment, natural development and autonomous development. Thus, found that Dr. Kalam had faith in, growing naturally and adapting accordingly.

                                                     In pragmatism, educational aim change according to time, place and circumstances and it leads to creation of new values, social adjustment and harmonious development and also gives emphasis on experiment and practices. These all are seen in ‘Wings of Fire’, an Autobiography of Dr. Kalam. By going through the autobiography of Dr. Kalam the conclusion has come that ‘Constant hard work and belief in self is the right path to assured success’.

IDEAS ON DISCIPLINE-

                                                  The modern concept of self-discipline is leading to natural obedience. According to Dr. Kalam discipline comes from self-control. It is the responsibility of the parents as well as teachers to develop discipline from the very childhood of a child by presenting their own disciplined character before the children and becoming the role models for them. He was himself a great illustration of a disciplined life.

IDEAS ON ROLE OF TEACHER-

                                                      By analyzing the whole life incidents of Dr. Kalam, we concluded that only education based on values, received from his parents, friends and teachers, was there for providing foundation to accomplish his great aims of life. According to Dr. Kalam only education cannot inspire a person to dream and act to fulfill his dreams, therefore it needs a self-motivated and determined person with definite and realistic goal which ultimately contributed to the welfare of the society either by up gradation of social status or by developing moral values, both result in a ‘Developed Nation’., a great vision of Dr. Kalam.

                                                        Further, the analyzed that he not only has power in his thoughts and ideas but he also have power of pen and power of communication, through which has come to know about his educational thoughts and idea. Dr. Kalam became philosopher by experiencing his sweet and sour incidents of life and practical approach towards solving them.

                                                       According to Dr. Kalam a teacher should act as a facilitator and not a dictator. The researcher analyzed the role of a teacher through Dr. Kalam’s writings and other sources and referred that teacher should be a friend, a guide and a knowledgeable person who can satisfy a knowledge hunger and can give an appropriate and logical solution to a problem of his students. Since Dr. Kalam is himself a good teacher and has given preference to teaching in his whole career, he has some expectation from teacher.

                                                           By analyzing various logical as well as beautiful educational thoughts and ideas of Dr. Kalam, the researcher further concluded that the teacher should have faith in his student. Individual differences should also be considered by the teacher during teaching sessions and provide moral support at the time of difficulty. Appreciation and reward are the tools for a teacher for motivating his students to succeed. Teacher should be a path maker and a path searcher for his students especially high school children (adolescents), who are in the state of confusion or conflict (stress and storm).

                                                          Teacher should be dedicated towards his profession and progressively go ahead in search of practical knowledge, which provide emotional assistance in dealing with students efficiently. Further, the researcher concluded that according to Dr. Kalam a teacher should create an autonomous learner who achieved his goals through the support and guidance of his teacher, like a ladder which is always there for everyone to climb, without changing his/her position and performance.

IDEAS ON ROLE OF STUDENT-

                                                            Students should contribute the best to them by initiating as a leader, whether in case of family progress or for national development. Students should be determined, while planning a career or profession and retain stability in it. Students must have entrepreneurial leadership through which student can produce many ways to be employed independently. And this is the best way to contribute in fulfilling the dream of ‘Developed India’.

                                                            

                                                                Beside this, students must share their knowledge and skills with those who are lacking. And for this, they must visit to the underprivileged areas and villages and teach people. Further, children should plant at least ten plants either in school campus or in their houses to create a serene environment. Along with these ideas and thought regarding the responsibilities of students, Dr. Kalam also emphasized on developing human values as well as moral values. In the same context, Kalam also said that student must take the responsibility to reach those people who cannot get education due to deficient educational facilities in their localities, and provide education in leisure time. Thus there is a need to mobilize the university and college students to undertake teaching of people who cannot read and write during holidays and vacations.

                                                                      Thus, by analyzing these thoughts and ideas of Dr. Kalam, the researcher felt that student should be hard worker, honest and concern with the welfare of their surroundings and always be ready to initiate as well as contribute their physical and mental efforts to fulfill the dream of ‘Developed India’.

   IDEAS ON TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP-

                                                                          Dr. Kalam always remembers his school teachers as well as college teachers. He gives full credit of his life achievements to his teachers who played a significant role in Kalam’s life and in his career planning. So, Kalam believes in a healthy and facilitated teacher-student relationship, in which teacher gives full freedom to students to explore, create and innovate.

                                                                              On the other hand, student also has full faith in guidance of teacher and follows the instructions obediently. In this aspect, Kalam believes in self-discipline. He visualizes that a teacher and a student both should be maintain their dignity by self-control and there should not be any need for external forces to control the behaviours of both. Thus, according to kalam teacher-student relationship should be based on mutual understanding by holding their positions firmly.

IDEAS ON TEACHER EDUCATION-

                                                                              Dr. Kalam’s life is itself is a great live illustration of being an autonomous teacher who always tried to gain more and more knowledge through reading various great books and his scholary performances throughout the journey of his life. He believes that teacher should be competent enough to satisfy the knowledge hunger of the student of modern age. And it can be possible only through update knowledge. And to fulfill it, a teacher should be educated and has a learner approach towards knowing new technology to compete the world.

 IDEAS ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-

                                                                             Dr. Kalam is a great scientist who has a technical approach for the development of India. He is known as ‘Missile Man’, a Man of Technology. According to him science and technology is the only medium to grow and compete in modern world. Dr. Kalam suggests that we have to allow children to ask questions to develop scientific aptitude in our children and we should have the patience to answer them satisfactorily. We should not stop them for asking questions because curiosity is the foundation for creativity and that along with a questioning mind will lead to the creation of scientific temperament. Youngsters should be motivated to enquire into science. He connects science with spirituality to feel its depth.

IDEAS ON ROLE OF SCHOOL-

                                                              Classroom learning is as important as learning by self-observation outside the classroom .Beside this, the teacher in the school has great responsibility in shaping the character of the student especially during the high school age or at the age of adolescence. Since this is the age of stress and storms for every child, school must provide needed and correct guidance to cope up with this situation by providing moral science classes and friendly environment to the students to share their problems and by satisfying their curiosities. Any academic performance variation in the student must be noticed and the counseling session must immediately commence. The school should have constant interaction with the parents of the student and give and take regular feedback about the behavior of the student. Thus the school plays an important role in healthy personality development of a child and contributes in shaping an emotionally stable and balanced citizen to the country. Beside this aspect a school must have morally good and competent teachers to impart practical and worthy education to provide purposeful education along with well equipped environment for effective learning.

IDEAS ON TEACHING METHODOLOGY-

                                                            According to Dr. Kalam teaching is an art and science both- as an art to interact children, to understand them and their capabilities and as a science to approach them technically to solve their problems by giving them logical and scientific solutions of the

problems and satisfying their urge for knowledge by giving them the appropriate answers of the questions asked by them. He believed in freedom of expression of both the ends, teacher and student, of teaching learning process. According to him, Question- answer method, debating, discussion method, lecture method, lecture cum demonstration method, laboratory method -all methods of teaching have equal importance ,as these are being used according to the type of lecture and student.

                                                                   There should be a practical approach to a theoretical subject by giving the live illustrations to make the lecture more interesting and grasping. It helps in better retaining as well as recalling the lectures. Beside all these, book reading is also very essential and effective to retain knowledge. He gave emphasis on interactive approach of teaching learning process. For this, teacher should be like a facilitator, guide and friend not a dictator. He believes that nature is a very competent teacher as lesson learned from nature always stays with us and gives innovative results. Thus, teaching methodology should be fully capable of imparting knowledge with natural impact. It means it should not be so formal that could be burden to the learners and lacking in attention seeking. Dr. Kalam always stressed on the use of mother tongue during teaching-learning session. Various teaching methods and strategies are applied by Dr. Kalam during his teaching periods. Democratic teacher-pupil relationship is always promoted by Dr. Kalam. He interacted number of children as well as people and answered each and every question asked by them with a smiling face. Dr. Kalam always used effective illustrations and live examples to explain his message. Most of the time of his speeches and lectures, he easily connected the present from the past by setting the non-forgettable example.

                                                                       The method proposed by Dr. Kalam, for teaching and learning contributes permanence and not to be erased easily. Question- answer method, project-methods, debating, discussion method, lecture method, lecture cum demonstration method, laboratory method, and practical approach to a theoretical subject, these all are the teaching methods and strategies are seen in his speeches, class-room lectures and past life incidents, where he taught his team , how to go ahead and achieve success . Beside all these, according to Kalam, book reading is also very essential and effective to retain knowledge. Thus, the researcher has come to the conclusion that teaching is a lifetime mission of Dr. Kalam’s life and he promotes flexible and interesting teaching methodology for seeking more attention of the student towards the delivered lecture or message. This leads to easy and permanent learning. Kalam also says that observation and demonstration both are equally important in teaching-learning process. Since Dr. Kalam learnt a lot from his teachers and the activities performed by them, he believes in teacher-pupil interaction and sharing ideas mutually to solve the problems and get assured success in life.

IDEAS ON DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EDUCATION-

                                                               According to Dr. Kalam every level plays an important role in a student’s life in making his/ her career, whether it is primary, secondary, higher secondary or higher education. By his own experiences Dr. Kalam felt that primary level is having the prime importance in a student’s life, as he received idea and motivation to be a pilot or an aerospace engineer from his primary school teacher. Thus, according to him every student needs a mentor in his/her early schooling days. He also emphasizes the significant role of secondary education as it helps in plotting the ground for higher studies. He also motivates the students to go for higher studies as it helps in acquisition of deep knowledge to know the real utility aspect of the subjects and its application in our life to improve our livings. He promotes research to contribute in our national wealth which ultimately helps in transforming his dream vision 2020 of India as a developed nation.

IDEAS ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION-

                                                                 He believes that in order to deal with special children, first of all, their parents should admit the disability of their child and cooperate with them without showing sympathy. This sympathy and over protection sometimes hinder the growth and development of the child. He says that special need children need freedom to express and explore instead of over emotional support and protection from the parents.

 IDEAS ON EDUCATION FOR DEPRIVED ONES-

                                                               Dr. Kalam always motivates students to spread their knowledge by going to under privileged areas to educate deprived ones. He says that in their leisure time students have the responsibility to impart their acquired knowledge and skills to those who cannot receive all these, due to lack of resources and facilities. He wants to educate each and every countryman, child and youth by using educated youth power of our country. He has some beneficial and practical thoughts and ideas regarding the education for deprived ones.

 IDEAS ON PEACE EDUCATION-                

                                                                        According to Dr. Kalam peace education can be imparted through creating peace within the family members. Family is the core content of the world peace. If families of a nation are happy and satisfied financially, the whole nation will be prosperous and healthy. He says that righteousness in the hearts of each citizen leads to a sustained peaceful environment in the nation. He also says, that if each and every person of the whole world becomes satisfied economically, then only sustained world peace will be there. He believes that music, dance, drama or any art always helpful in obtaining sustained peace.

IDEAS ON VALUE EDUCATION-

                                                                  The education without values is meaningless. Only value based education can produce civilized countrymen who have concern for the growth and welfare of the family, society and nation. According to Kalam, value based education is the basic need of democratic nation. He gave importance to individuality but he believed that nation is bigger that individual.

 IDEAS ON MORAL EDUCATION-

                                                                         Analyzed that moral education is the only source to remove corruption and to enhance intimacy with and regards to human bonds. According to Dr. Kalam, moral education makes children disciplined which leads to empowered citizens who have a deep concern not only with the welfare of their families and societies but the national welfare also.

 IDEAS ON WOMEN EDUCATION-

                                                                       Dr. Kalam is a very sentimental person who has strong emotional bonds with his family members especially with his parents. He believes that if a family has a satisfied woman or satisfied wife or satisfied mother or any other satisfied role played by a woman in a family, that family definitely has peace and prosperity inside the family and among its family members. He said that India has a long tradition of giving equal opportunity to women to excel in every field. He gives equal importance to both boys as well as girls in every aspect of life. He believes that Women empowerment leads to society with stability and peace.

IDEAS ON SOME OTHER ASPECTS:

                                                         Beside all above aspects of education Dr. Kalam also emphasized on the following:

· IDEAS ON AGENCIES OF EDUCATION:

                                                            According to old beliefs, school was the only agency for the education of children. But according to modern views, all formal and informal agencies are harnessed to the task of education. According to Dr. Kalam both formal and informal educational agencies are important in imparting knowledge to the child. At home, family members play an important role in guiding the child at each and every stage of learning and provide informal education to the child. Such education forms a base for the out-coming personality of the child. On the other hand, at school level, a child receives formal education from his/her teachers and friends. This formal education provides a base for a social and professional life of a child. Beside all above well known agencies of education, Dr. Kalam stressed on nature, as a competent agency of education. He believes that the knowledge receives from the nature; remain with the child for a long time. Thus, he emphasized on both type of education formal and informal, received from various types of educational agencies.

IDEAS ON ROLE OF PARENTS:

                                                                  According to Dr. Kalam, parents play an important role in the life of a child. They have a significant part in the educational process of the child. They must be aware of the need for good education for making them enlightened citizen. They must be role model for their child and set examples for the child by their behavior and conduct. They should provide an interactive environment at home where the child can share their feelings and problems and get sufficient support from the parents. It will help the child in developing love and respect not only for them but towards others also. There should not be any type of communication gap or hesitation among the children and other members of the home. Since sharing ideas promotes creativity which leads to innovation, parents at home play an important role in carrier building of a child by knowing the views of the children regarding their interest and abilities.

                                                                    Further, according to Kalam, parents should become the role models for their children, so as they also have to follow a disciplined life and have a strong character and preserve the essence of our culture in the form of disciplined children. In a democratic nation like India, everyone has right to speak and work freely. The democratic philosophy of education has a provision for the parents of the students to discuss their problems and share their ideas with the teachers and school management. This democratic principal of freedom promotes interaction among school and its teachers and other staff members. And this mutual interaction at school and college levels helps in minimizing the misunderstandings of parents, teachers and students. This sharing activity can be in the form of parent-teaching meetings. Thus according to Kalam this parent-teacher meet results in getting practical solution of the student’s problems and leads to reduce mental stress. Thus the role of the parents is also important in democratic philosophy of education where each one has equal right to speak and share.

· IDEAS ON ROLE OF BOOKS:

                                                                                             The analysis of the whole journey of Dr. Kalam, that books along with his teachers play a very significant role in achieving life targets. Thus, the researcher analyzed that books are as important for a student as teacher in the class. According to Kalam, books sometimes play a role as a mentor for a student as in case of distance education programs, where no teacher is present physically to communicate with children. Thus, books guide the students at that time of need at any place where, there is nobody to guide. In the context of democratic education, books give full freedom to learn by own individual way without any external instructions as in case of teachers.

· IDEAS ON ART AND MUSIC:

                                                                   He appreciates art, music, drama and other arts. He is fond of music and regards music as a source of peace and good health.

· IDEAS ON HEALTH EDUCATION:

                                                                  He gives prime importance to health. He believes that a healthy person can only be able to contribute to his/her family, society and nation. He connects health with tolerance and emotional balance which leads to sustained peace of the nation. He visualizes that good mental as well as physical health can minimize the criminal instinct of human being.

· IDEAS ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION:

                                                                           He believes in all religions. He says that religion should be there to provide the base for national unity. We should pay regard to every religion and feel its beauty and enjoy its unity in diversity. Thus, he was not only a missionary scientist but he was also a visionary social reformer who used interaction and communication as a tool to promote goodness of the human being for welfare of the society and the nation. On the other hand he also used the same approach towards the removal of social evils by minimizing differences and discrimination among the children and youth who are the future of developed India. He also proved that only degrees are not the proven steps of success ladder. He himself was an illustration for us that being an average student, possessing a normal personality, holding a diploma degree in aeronautical engineering, he became ‘Missile Man’ of the world. He proved that creativity and innovation along with value based education was the only fuel, he had to take a high fly. Finally, the researcher concluded the wordy extract from the thoughts and ideas of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as major findings of the present study.

SIGNIFICANCE OF EDUCATIONAL THOUGHTS AND IDEAS OF DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM -

                                                                       By going through the critical analysis of literature of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, collected from various primary and secondary sources, the conclusion regarding the relevance of educational thoughts and ideas of Dr. Kalam that these thoughts and ideas were somehow not having real base as these were much more influenced by Idealistic philosophy of education. He was an excellent scholar and patriot who had been working for the national progress. He always assumed people of the country as a moldable one for they can be easily persuade to change their attitudes and approaches to working. Still some ideas of Dr. Kalam were very realistic and could be worthy of application, as the idea of entrepreneurial ship and promotion of creativity. These can be applied or followed practically at school and college level. With reference to the role of teachers and students he had much more expectations from present time teachers and students who are in the queue of unemployed candidates and waiting for their numbers.

                                                                      Since India is facing lots of natural and political problems which lead to financial crisis, she should prepare herself primarily for overcoming these problems by increasing production and export and for this India needs to have intellectual as well as skilled persons to produce knowledge and skill which can come only through education. Thus the researcher felt that education is essential to grow but it needs improvement and it can be done by science and technology. So digitalization is the need to the hour to flourish at national and  international level. Since children and youth are more flexible for change and have more energy and fewer responsibilities, they can be easily motivated to contribute to national development through their educational development and moral behaviour.

                                                    

                                                                   Moral Leadership is also logical since it is needed at every stage of development, because development of any field is then only possible if leader who initiate to accomplish a project has moral values that means he not only works for himself but for the welfare of society also. The ideas related to the improvement of teacher education and training of senses had logical approach to their application. There is a uniqueness in the idea of peace education as it is correlated with women empowerment and women education. He thought that an empowered woman with knowledge at home plays various roles in the family. If she is satisfied and is efficient to take correct decisions for the sake of family the whole family will be happy resulting in happiness and progress for the society and the nation. Home Library is also a unique idea of Dr. Kalam and it is practically applicable. It is an excellent thought to promote quality reading which also results in peace at home and among family members. Further it leads to maintaining peace in the society. The Unique vision of Dynamic School and Dynamic College can produce a number of quality teachers, leaders and professionals on application.

                                                                         The concept of Creative classroom is also very practical and effective in teaching learning process. And it can be designed by using the attractive teaching aids as well as by using the locally available resources along with natural resources and making a theory classroom to an experimental laboratory where students can become part of the subject. It would make easier for the students to learn a theoretical topic. Further, Knowledge Society is a unique term evolved by Dr. Kalam and it needs mutual effort of teachers, students and their families by taking interest in education and having proper awareness of its real purpose and application. Dr. Kalam also shows us a path for self- motivation in order to achieve our desired goal, by developing Five Capacities.These capacities help us to be Autonomous Learners.

                                                                         An Idea to provide digital and e-learning at primary level of schooling in India is also very worthy but perhaps it will take some time in implementation due to other priorities of the Indian Govt. such as to fight against poverty, unemployment , crime and corruption. His suggested the awareness as well as application of digital library to promote

 educational connectivity. Thus each and every thought and idea of Dr. Kalam had national welfare

as a core element. The concept of democratic education is the need of the hour; and the efforts put by

Dr. Kalam through his inventions, researches, literatures and inspirational speeches and lectures and at last not the least interaction with children all over the world, will definitely create wonder and his great vision of transforming our developing nation into developed nation through science and technology and value based education.

                                                                        The relevance of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s educational thoughts and ideas in the present system of education is identified through administrating the opinionative to the education experts, teacher educators and teachers at school and college levels.

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF IDEAS OF DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM

                                                                            According to Dr. Kalam, the young mind is indeed turbulent and looking for the vision for the nation and its fast accomplishment. He believes that it is very important to engage the young minds with an inspiring vision for thinking and action. According to him, the Ignited Minds of India are the most powerful resources on the earth, above the earth and under the earth.

1) Networking of educational institutions, which is the demand of the Knowledge Era.

2) Youngsters should be made to realize the role played by science in their day to day life and also motivated to enquire into science.

3) Dr. Kalam believed that science is a boon of God and it is essential to understand the world. He said that the innate fear that "science is a difficult subject" should be removed from the minds of the children through easy to understand, interesting, creative presentations by the science communicators. He suggested for establishing science museums and laboratories across the country, so that science reaches to the students at the primary and secondary level education, so that the spirit of learning science and applying science with creative minds are possible. He believed that, this approach will lead to building a borderless world with the spirit of scientific excellence.

4) He also suggested a strategy to deal efficiently with science teaching. He said that for teaching science, ‘firstly the simple beauty of science should be explained to the students. Secondly, we must have inspiring teachers in science. Thirdly, students must be exposed to the lives and work of great scientists, so that they can derive inspiration from them. Fourthly, the value of science must be emphasized by senior scientists.

5) He believed that science was born and survives only through questions. According to him the whole foundation of science is questioning. He said that we have to allow children to ask questions and we should have the patience to answer them satisfactorily for developing scientific aptitude in our children.

                                                                      According to him, we should not stop children for asking questions. He believed that curiosity is the base for creation of scientific temperament. Thus, he promoted questioning sessions, for injecting creativity and innovation in students and make an active learning environment in teaching-learning environment.

6) Dr. Kalam, suggested some ideas for developing scientific attitude and approach among the students. These are openness of communication, tolerance to criticism, team work, collective problem solving, constant efforts for continuous improvement in performance and develop interest in research.

7) He said that the organizational practice should be flexible, able to change with time and promote thinking and creativity. According to Kalam, the reward system must based on critical evaluation of performance and merit.

8) According to Dr. Kalam, research can be improved and worthy for social welfare purpose by providing competent teacher guidance and standardized formats and sufficient facilities.

9) According to Kalam, the benefits of science and technology must reach the common man, especially in rural India. This is what is being planned through PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas). He said that efforts must also be made to promote science education in regional languages and by introducing science education in various regional languages we can remove the fear of science from the hearts of the learners. Further, he believed that it can minimize the distance between  learner and innovation and creativity in the field of science.

10) He was man of technology and believed in technology as the best medium to spread the light of knowledge. He suggested that Tele education can be used to enrich the content of higher education.

11) He also saw science and technology as ideology-free areas and emphasizes the cultivation of scientific temper and entrepreneurial drive.

12) He said that developed India should be able to take care of its strategic interests through its internal strengths and its ability to adjust itself to the new realities. For this it will need the strength of its healthy, educated and prosperous people, the strength of its economy, as well as the strength to

 protect its strategic interests of the day and also in the long term.

13) According to Dr. Kalam there are some keys that would help India become a leader in making original contributions to technology. First of all we have to give highest priority to education in basic science and applied science as this would help reduce technology gaps. Beside this Work on convergence technology of information, communication and biotechnology should be there and it will bring about a revolution both in information technology and medical technology.

14) He said that science is helping reduce poverty in our nation. For example, information and communication technology has helped bring connectivity to many of our remote areas and remote sensing technology is helping farmers in many ways.

15) According to Dr. Kalam, in order to strengthen the balanced concept of development, promotion of educational competence in students and teachers is needed.

16) He visualized that the main cause of an unbalanced concept is an incomplete system of education. The modern system of education is fully concentrated on enriching knowledge and earning one’s livelihood. The important aspect of learning – to live together and with others, and learning to be ones true-self- are almost neglected. The result is that while knowledge is increasing and economic development is taking place, peaceful coexistence and the identification of inner wealth are being lost sight of. To deal with this situation, Dr. Kalam suggested for developing interest in higher education and research.

17) He suggested for deploying IT technologies creatively and purposefully to even the remotest parts of our country. He said that it can be a very useful tool for transmission of education system and skill-generation in India.

18) According to Kalam, while freedom of the self is very important to good health, mindfulness about the value of another’s freedom is equally important. According to Dr. Kalam, the best means to bring about the change in the attitudinal tendencies of human beings are two- fold, namely education (shiksha) and righteousness (dharma). Through education students are told what is right and what is wrong, but they are not trained to abandon the wrong. In the field of Dharma too similar lacuna exists.

                                                                             Religious persons are not taught how to control their senses and mind. They are only taught believe that they can reach their goal by observing rites and rituals. Thus according to Kalam, the pressing need of the present day is to effects the process of transformation.

                                                                  Thus, concluded that Dr. Kalam stressed on education based on science along with values and spirituality. He also promoted on computer education with creativity and innovation. According to Kalam skill based education plays a vital role in implementing the Mission 2020 of Developed India. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam discussed some aspects related to the education system of our country, which needs attention to be reform. Some practical ideas are also proposed by Dr. Kalam to improve the present scenario of contemporary India, regarding education. According to Kalam, the most successful persons are those who select the subject and task for which they have the aptitude, regardless of the opinion of other.

Dr: Kalam 

Death:-   

                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                             On 27 July 2015, Kalam travelled to Shillong to deliver a lecture on “Creating a Livable Planet Earth” at the Indian  Institute of Management, Shillong. At around 6:35 p.m IST, only five minutes into his lecture, he collapsed. He was rushed to the nearby Bethany Hospital in a critical condition, upon arrival, he lacked a pulse or any other signs of life Despite being placed in the intensive care unit, Kalam was confirmed dead of a sudden cardiac arrest at 7:45 p.m IST. His last words, to his aide Srijan Pal Singh, were reportedly: “Funny guy! Are you doing well?”

                                                                          Following his death, Kalam’s body was airlifted in an Indian Air Force helicopter from Shillong to Guwahati, from where it was flown to New Delhi on the morning of 28 July 2015 in an air force C-130J Hercules. The flight landed at Palam Air Base, Delhi that afternoon and was received by the President, the Prime Minister, Chief Minister of Delhi, and the three service chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces, who laid wreaths on Kalam’s body. His body was then placed on a gun carriage draped with the Indian flag and takento his Delhi residence at 10 Rajaji Marg; there, the public and numerous dignitaries paid homage, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Sing, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

                                                                                On the morning 29 July 2015, Kalam’s body, wrapped in the Indian National Flag, was taken to Palam Air Base and flown to Madurai in a air force C-130J aircraft, arriving at Madurai Airport that afternoon. His body was received at the airport by the three service chiefs and national and state dignitaries, including cabinet minister Manohar Parrikar, Venkaiah Naidu, Pon Radhakrishnan and the governor of Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya, K Rosaiah and V. Shanmuganathan. After a brief ceremony, Kalam’s body was flown by air force helicopter to the town of Mandapam, from where it was taken in an army truck to his home town of Rameswaram. Upon arriving at Rameswaram, his body was displayed in an open area in front of the local bus station to allow the public to pay their final respects until 8 p.m. that evening.

Rameswaram

                                                                        On 30 July 2015, the former President was laid to rest at Rameswaram’s pei Karumbu Ground with full state honours. Over 350,000 people attended the last rites, including the Prime Minister, the governor of Tamil Nadu and the chief minister of Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

                                                                        Following his death, Kalam received numerous tributes. The Tamil Nadu state government announced that his birthday, 15 October, would be observed across the state as “Youth Renaissance Day”, the state government further instituted the “Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Award”, constituting an 8-gram gold medal, a certificate and Rs. 500,000 (US$7,800). The award will be awarded annually on Independence Day, beginning in 2015, to residents of the state with achievements in promoting scientific growth, the humanities or the welfare of students.

 Reactions:-                                       

                                                                            India reacted to Kalam’s death with an outpouring of grief, numerous tributes were paid to the former President across the nation and on social media. The Government of India declared a seven-day state mourning period as a mark of respect. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, andother leader demise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “Kalam’s death is a great loss to the scientific community. He took India to great heights. He showed the way”. Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who had served as prime minister umder Kalam, said,” our country has lost a great human being who made phenomenal contributions to the nation”. 

                                                                            South Asian leader expressed condolences and lauded the late statesman. The Bhutanese government ordered the country’s flags to fly at half-mast to moum Kalam’s death, and lit 1000 butter lamps in homage. Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Ttobgay expressed deep sadness, saying Kalam “was a leader greatly admired to him as the People’s President”. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina described Kalam as “a rare combination of great statesmen, acclaimed scientist, and a source of inspiration to the young generation of South Asia”.

                                                                               Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Korirala recalled Kalam’s scientific contributions to India: “Nepal has lost a good friend and i have lost an honoured and ideal personality”. The President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain, and Prime Minister of Pakisthan Naawaz Sharif also expressed their grief and condolences on his passing. The President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, also expressed his  condolence. “Dr. Kalam was a man of firm conviction and indomitable sprit, and i saw him as an outstanding statesmen of the world.

                                                                                     His death is an irreparable loss not only to India but to the entire world”. The commander-in-Chief of the Mayanmar Armed Forces, senior General Min Aung Hiaing, expressed condolence on behalf of the Mayanmar government. The Dalai Lama expressed his sadness and offered condolence and prayers, calling Kalam’s death “an irreparable loss”. United States President Barack Obama extended “deepest condolences to the people of India on the passing of former Indian President Dr, A.P.J Abdul Kalam”, and highlighted his achievements as a scientist and as a statesmen, notably his role in strengthening U.S.-India relations and increasing space cooperation between the two nations.

                                                                               Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed sincere condolence and conveyed his sympathy and support “to the near and dear ones of the deceased leader, to the government, and entire people of India”. He remarked on Kalam’s outstanding” personal contribution to the social, economic, scientific, and technical progress of India and in ensuring its national security,” adding that Dr. Kalam would be remembered as a “consistent exponent of closer friendly relation  between our nations, who has done a lot for cementing mutually beneficial Russian-Indian cooperation”.

                                                                                   Other international leaders – including former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - also paid tribute to Kalam. In a special gesture, Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban-Ki-Moon visited the permanent mission of India to the UN and signed a condolence book. “The outpouring of grief around the world is a testament of the respect and inspiration he has garnered during and after his presidency. The UN joins the people of India in sending our deepest condolences for this great statesman. May he rest in peace and eternity”, Ban-Ki-Moon wrote in his massage.  

Popular Culture:

                                                                         In May 2012, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam launched his mission for the youth of the nation called the What Can I Give Movement with a central theme to defeat corruption. He also had interests in writing Tamil Poetry and in playing Veenai, a South Indian string instrument.

                                                                       A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s 79^th birthday was recognised as World Student’s Day by United Nations. He has also received honorary doctorates from 40 universities. The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna,for his immense and valuable contribution to the scientific research and modernisation of  defence technology in India.

  Legacy:

The Indian Government has officially declared the 11 May as National Technology Day in India to commemorate the first of the five nuclear tests that were carried out on 11 May 1998.

It was officially signed by is celebrated by giving awards to various individuals and industries in the field of science and industry.

Popularly called the “Missile Man” of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam rose from humble beginnings and earned the reputation of being the “People’s President” who endeared himself to all sections, especially the young.

A devout Muslim and son of a boat owner, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who assumed office as the 11^th President on 18 July 2002, was seen as a figurehead who could help healk some of the scars of the communal riots which broke out in Gujarat just a few months before.

The country’s first bachelor President. Kalam, whose flowing grey hair is seen as being at odds with what Indians though a president ought to look like, was one amongst the most respected people of the country who contributed immensely both as a scientist and as a president.

Acknowledged as the driving force behind India’s quest for cutting-edge defence technologies, Kalam’s contributions to India’s satellite programmes, guided and ballistic missiles project, nuclear weapons programme and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project made him a household name.

Writings:- 

                   “I have indetified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action:

 (1) agriculture and food processing;

 (2) education and health care;

 (3) information and communication technology;

 (4) infrastructure, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country; and

 (5) self-reliance in critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and if advanced in a coordinated way, will lead to food, economic and national security.”

                                                                           A.P.J. Abdul Kalam describe a “transformative moment” in his life when he asked Pramukh Swami, the guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, how India might realize this five-pronged vision of development. Pramukh Swami’s answer – to add a sixth area developing faith in God and spirituality to overcome the current climate of crime and corruption- became the spiritual vision for the next 15years Kalam’s life, which he describes in his final book, Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji, published just a month before his  death.

                                                                    A.P.J. Abdul Kalam took an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology, including a research programme for developing biomedical implants. He also supported open source technology over proprietary software, predicting that the use of free software on a large scale would bring the benefits of information technology to more people.

                                                                        A.P.J. Abdul Kalam set a target of interacting with 100,000 students during the two years after his resignation from the post of scientific adviser in 1999. He explained, “I feel comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school students. Henceforth, i intend to share with them experiences, helping them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India for which the road map is already available.

Books and Documentaries:-

1)      Development in Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Roddam Narasimha;

2)      1988 India 2020: A vision for the New Millennium by Dr, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Y. S Rajan, 1998.

3)      Wings of Fire: An Autobiography by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari; 1999.

                                                                                                                                                        

4)      Ignited Minds: Unleasdhing  the power within India by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, 2002.

5)      The Luminous Sparks,  by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, 2004.

6)      Mission India,  by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, 2005.

7)      Inspiring Thoughts,  by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, 2007.

8)      Indomitable Spirit by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam; Envisioning an Empowered Nation by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with A Sivathanu Pillai;

9)      You are Born To Blossom: Take My Journey Beyond by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari; 2011.

10)  Target 3 Billion by A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Ssrijan Pal SINGH, December 2011.

11)  My journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions by A.P.J Abdul Kalam; August 2013.

12)  A Manifesto for Change: A Sequel to India 2020 by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and V Ponraj; July 2014.

13)  Forge your Future: Candid, Forthright, Inspiring by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; 29 October 2014.

14)  Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Srijan PAL Singh: 14 May 2015.

15)  Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with Arun Tiwari; June 2015.

16)  Eternal Quest: Life and Times of Dr. Kalam by S Chandra; 2002.

17)  President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam by R K Pruthi; 2002.

18)  A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: The Visionary of India by K Bhushan. G Katyal; 2002.

19)  A Little Dream (documentary films) by P. Dhanapal; 2008.

20)  The Kalam Effect: My Years with the President 2008.

21)  My Days with Mahatma Abdul Kalam, 2009.

22)  Turning Points: A journey through challenges by A.P.J Abdul Kalam; 2012

AWARD AND H0NOURS:-

                                                                               Kalam received honorary doctorate from 40 University. The government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Government. In 1997, Kalam  received Indian’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, for his contribution to the scientific research and modernization of defence technology in India. In 2013,  he was the recipient of the Von Braun Award from the National Space Society “to recognize excellence in the management and leadership of a space-related project”.

                                                                

                                                  Following his death, Kalam received numerous tributes. The Tamil Nadu State Government announced that his birthday, 15 October, would be observed across the state as “Youth Renaissance Day”. The state government further institution the “Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award”, constituting an 8-gram gold medal, a certificate and Rs. 500,000. The award will be awaedrd annually on Independence Day, beginning in 2015, to residents of the state with achievements in promoting scientific growth, the humanities or the welfare of student.

Padma Bhushan in 1981 

YEAR	AWARD	AWARDING        ORGANISATION
1981	Padma Bhushan	Govt. of India
1990	Padma Vibhushan	Govt. of India
1997	Bharat Ratna	Govt. of India
1997	Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration	Indian National Congress
1998	Veer savarkar Award	Govt. of India
2000	Ramanujan Award	Alwars Research Centre, Chennai
2007	Honorary Doctorate of science	University of Wolverhamton, U.K
2007	King Charles  Medal	Royal Society, U.K
2008	Doctor of Engineering	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2009	International von Karman Wings Award	California Institute of technology, USA
2009	Hoover medal	ASME Foundation, USA
2009	Honorary Doctorate	Oakland University
2010	Doctor of Engineering	University of Waterloo
2011	IEEE Honorary Membership	IEEE
2012	Doctor of Laws	Simon Fraser University
2014	Doctor of Science	Edinburgh University

Educational and scientific institutions

Several educational and scientific institutions and other locations were renamed or named in honour of Kalam following his death.

• An agricultural college at Kishanganj, Bihar, was renamed the "Dr. Kalam Agricultural College, Kishanganj" by the Bihar state government on the day of Kalam's funeral. The state government also announced it would name a proposed science city after Kalam.
• Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) was renamed "A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University" by the Uttar Pradesh state government.

• A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Memorial Travancore Institute of Digestive Diseases, a new research institute in Kollam city, Kerala attached to the Travancore Medical College Hospital.

• A new academic complex at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala.

• A new science centre and planetarium in Lawspet, Puducherry. India and the US have launched the Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship In September 2014. The first call for applicants was announced on Friday 12 March 2016, for the fellowship which will enable up to 6 Indian PhD students and post-doctoral researchers to work with US host institutions for a period of 6–12 months. The fellowship will be operated by the binational US-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) under the Fulbright programme Kerala Technological University, headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram where Kalam lived for years, was renamed to A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University after his death.

Future India: 2020:-

                                                                                In his book India 2020, DR. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam strongly advocates an action plan to develop India into knowledge superpower and a developed nation by the year 2020. He regards his work on India’s nuclear weapons program as a way to assert India’s place as a future superpower.

                                                                                  Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam continues to take an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology. He has proposed a research program for developing bio-implants.

He is a supporter of Open Source over proprietary solutions and believes that the use of free software on a large scale will bring the benefits of information technology to more people.

                                                                              Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam set target of interacting with 100,000 students during the two year after his resignation. In his own words, “I feel   comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school students. Henceforth, I intend to share with them experiences, helping them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India.”

                                                                            He continued to interact with students during his term as a President and also during his post-presidency period as a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Management, Indore, Chancellor of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University (Chennai), JSS University (Mysore), and an adjunct/visiting faculty many other academic and research institutions across India. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is strong supporter of space based solar power.

Quotations from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam:-

1)      “Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.”

2)      “God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.”

3)      “Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended.”

4)      “if a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.”

5)      “To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.”

6)      “Let me define a leader. He must have vision and passion and not be afraid of any problem. Instead, he should know how to defeat it. Most importantly, he must work with integrity.”

7)      “My massage, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people.”

8)      “Creativity is the key to success in the future, and primary education is where teacher can bring creativity in children at that level.”

9)      “When we tackle obstacles, we find hidden reserves of courage and resilience we did not know we had. And it is only when we are faced with failure do we realise that these resources were always there within us. We only need to find them and move on with our lives.”

10)  “When grand plans for scientific and technologies are made, do the people in power think about the sacrifices the people in the laboratories and fields have to make?”

11)  “Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow”

12)  “One of the very important characteristics of a student is question. Let the students ask questions.”

13) “Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career.”

14) “We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us.”

References-

1.  Pruthi, R. K. (2005). "Ch. 4. Missile Man of India". President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Anmol Publications. 
2. "India's 'Mr. Missile': A man of the people". 30 July 2015. Archived
3. "Kg' missile dream to become reality next year". 30 July 2015. Archived
4. Sen, Amartya (2003). "India and the Bomb.
5. Amarnath k Menon (28 July 2015). "Why Abdul Kalam was the 'People's President.
6. Rishi Iyengar (28 July 2015). "India Pays Tribute to 'People's President' A.P.J. Abdul KAlam. 
7. Neha Singh (30 July 2015). "'People's President' APJ Abdul Kalam Buried with Full State Honours in Rameswara
8. APJ Abdul Kalam speaks to Editorial Director M.J. Akbar about presidential elections 
9. "Dr Abdul Kalam, People's President in Sri Lanka". from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.