Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) remains one of the most beloved figures in modern Indian history. A scientist who played a pivotal role in India’s civilian space programme and military missile development, an educator who inspired millions of children, and the 11th President of India who redefined the office by taking it to the people, Kalam’s life is a rare blend of humility, intellectual brilliance, and unwavering patriotism. In a country often divided by religion, region, and politics, he emerged as a unifying symbol—a Tamil Muslim from a modest background who rose to the highest office through sheer merit and dedication.
Early Life and Formative Years
Born in 1931 in the temple town of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, to a boat-owning Tamil Muslim family, Kalam’s childhood was marked by simplicity and financial hardship. His father, Jainulabdeen, was an imam and boat owner who ferried Hindu pilgrims between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi. His mother, Ashiamma, was a homemaker. The family lived in a modest ancestral house and often struggled to make ends meet. Young Abdul sold newspapers to supplement the family income and help pay his school fees.
Despite these constraints, Kalam was an avid reader and a bright student. He studied at Schwartz Higher Secondary School in Ramanathapuram and later graduated in physics from Saint Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli, in 1954. In 1960, he completed aeronautical engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the few institutions offering the course at the time. A defining moment came during his final year when he built a prototype hovercraft; though it failed to impress the examiners initially, the dean gave him extra time to perfect it—an act of grace Kalam never forgot.
Entry into Science and the Space Programme
After MIT, Kalam joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as a scientist in 1958. His early work at the Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bangalore involved designing a small hovercraft. In 1969, he was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where he served as project director for India’s first satellite launch vehicle, SLV-III, which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite into near-Earth orbit in July 1980. This achievement made India the sixth nation capable of launching its own satellites.
Kalam worked closely with Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the architect of India’s space programme, and later with Dr. Satish Dhawan. He often credited the culture of openness and teamwork at ISRO for his growth. The successful SLV-III launch was a turning point; Kalam later wrote that when the rocket lifted off, he felt as though the entire nation had been lifted along with it.
The Missile Man of India
In the early 1980s, Kalam moved to DRDO again as Director of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory in Hyderabad. He was appointed chief executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) in 1983. Under his leadership, India developed five major missile systems:
- Prithvi (surface-to-surface)
- Trishul (short-range surface-to-air)
- Akash (medium-range surface-to-air)
- Nag (third-generation anti-tank missile)
- Agni (intermediate-range ballistic missile)
The successful test of Agni in 1989 and later variants transformed India into a credible missile power. The 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests, for which Kalam was the chief coordinator along with Dr. R. Chidambaram, further cemented India’s strategic autonomy. Though the tests invited international sanctions, they established India as a nuclear weapon state. Kalam, however, always emphasized that India’s nuclear capability was for deterrence, not aggression. His famous line—“Strength respects strength”—became the unofficial motto of India’s strategic community.
Because of his contributions to missile technology, the Indian media affectionately called him the “Missile Man.”
Principal Scientific Adviser and Beyond
After retiring from DRDO in 1999, Kalam served as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (1999–2001) with the rank of a Cabinet Minister. In this role, he spearheaded the “India Millennium Mission 2020,” a vision document that outlined strategies for transforming India into a developed nation by 2020 through technology, infrastructure, agriculture, and education reforms. The document emphasized self-reliance, PURA (Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas), and technology-enabled education.
Presidency (2002–2007)
In 2002, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, nominated Kalam for President. Supported by most opposition parties except the Left, he won comfortably against Captain Lakshmi Sahgal. On 25 July 2002, Kalam became the 11th President of India—the first scientist and the first Tamil to hold the office.
Kalam redefined Rashtrapati Bhavan. He opened its doors to the public, especially schoolchildren. Over five years, more than two million people, mostly children, visited the Mughal Gardens under his initiative. He interacted with students in every state, often spending hours answering their questions. He travelled extensively within India, visiting remote areas and interacting with tribal communities. He refused to sit on a higher chair when meeting common citizens and insisted on simplicity in all official functions.
As President, Kalam was constitutionally bound to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers, yet he used the moral authority of his office to push for transparency and development. He returned several bills for reconsideration (including the controversial Office of Profit Bill) and emphasized the need for a corruption-free judiciary and bureaucracy.
He left office in 2007 with approval ratings above 90%, one of the highest for any Indian President.
The Teacher Who Never Retired
After the Presidency, Kalam refused lucrative corporate offers and chose to teach. He accepted visiting professorships at IIM Shillong, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Indore, and honorary professorships at Anna University and elsewhere. He became Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and an adjunct faculty at many institutions.
His favourite audience remained school and college students. He interacted with over 21 million young people in India and abroad, constantly urging them to dream big and work hard. His books—Wings of Fire (1999), Ignited Minds (2002), India 2020 (1998), Indomitable Spirit (2006), and Turning Points (2012)—became bestsellers and compulsory reading in many schools. Wings of Fire, his autobiography, has been translated into 13 languages and sold over a million copies.
Kalam’s vision of India 2020 rested on five pillars: education with value systems, agriculture and food processing, reliable electricity for all, information and communication technology, and strategic industries. He believed that only ignited young minds could make India a developed nation before 2020.
Personal Life and Philosophy
Kalam remained a bachelor throughout his life. He was a strict vegetarian, a teetotaller, and a practising Muslim who recited the Quran daily yet read the Bhagavad Gita and respected all religions. He woke at 4 a.m., played the veena, and wrote poetry in Tamil under the pen name “Ivon.” His simplicity was legendary—he owned just 16 personal belongings at the time of his death, including six pants, four shirts, three suits, and 2,500 books.
He believed that “dreams are not those which come while we sleep, but those which do not let us sleep.” He often said that teaching was his first love, science his passion, and poetry and music his solace.
Final Moments and Legacy
On 27 July 2015, Kalam travelled to Shillong to deliver a lecture titled “Creating a Livable Planet Earth” at IIM Shillong. While climbing the stairs to the auditorium, he collapsed due to a massive cardiac arrest. He was rushed to hospital and declared dead at 7:45 p.m. He was 83. His last words to his aide Srijan Pal Singh were reportedly, “Funny guy, are you doing well?”
India mourned as if it had lost a family member. His body was flown to Delhi, then to Madurai, and finally to Rameswaram, where he was buried with full state honours on 30 July 2015 at Pei Karumbu Ground. Over 350,000 people attended the funeral, including the Prime Minister, the President, and leaders from across the political spectrum.
The Government of India declared a seven-day state mourning period and instituted the Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Award for contributions in science and technology. His birthday, 15 October, is celebrated as World Students’ Day globally. Several institutions have been named after him, including the Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad and the Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam IIST campus in Kerala.
Why Kalam Endures?
In an era of cynicism, Kalam represented unadulterated hope. He rose from poverty to the Presidency without ever compromising his integrity. He never joined a political party, never accepted money for speeches after retirement, and never allowed his religion to be politicized—despite attempts by some quarters. He was equally comfortable discussing quantum physics with scientists and reciting Thirukkural with schoolchildren.
Kalam’s life proved that excellence is the best antidote to prejudice. A Muslim boy selling newspapers in Rameswaram became the supreme commander of India’s armed forces and the architect of its nuclear and missile programmes. That journey silenced those who questioned the place of minorities in India’s national narrative.
Ten years after his death, children across India still write letters to “Kalam sir.” Millions still quote his words: “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.” His vision of a developed India may not have been fully realized by 2020, but the seeds he planted continue to grow.
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was not just a scientist or a President. He was India’s conscience—a gentle, brilliant, tireless reminder that greatness is measured not by what we take, but by what we give.