Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Trivia

• He is supposed to be India`s 12th President of India from the perios 2002 to 2007.
• A notable scientist and engineer, he is often referred to as the Missile Man of India for his work and is considered a leading progressive, mentor, innovator and visionary in India. he has been a role model for several Indians.
• He graduated from St.Joseph`s college, Thiruchirapalli and received his degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1958.
• After graduation he joined India`s Defence Research and Development Organisation to work on a hovercraft project.
• In 1962, Kalam moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where his team successfully launched several satellites.
• He made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India`s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle which successfully placed the Rohini space satellite into near earth orbit in July 1980.
• In 1982, Kalam returned to DRDO as Director, focusing on Indigenous guided missiles. He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of the AGNI and PRITHVI missiles.
• This earned him the sobriquet "India`s missile-man". He also helped in the formulation of healthcare products using technology developed for missiles.
• In July 1992, Kalam became a Scientific Advisor to India`s Defence Minister. As the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Indian government, he held the rank of a Cabinet Minister.
• His work led to the successful Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, which reiterated India`s position as a nuclear weapon state.