Happy Birthday APJ Abdul Kalam: 10 important things you must know about India’s Missile Man’s life
*APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, graduated in Science from St. Joseph’s College, Trichy in 154 and he specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957.
*Kalam headed the development of India’s first satellite launch vehicle (SLVIII). This achievement gained India entry to the Space club.
*He worked in ISRO for two decades and then took on the responsibility of developing indigenous guided missiles at Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
* He developed and operationalised Agni and Prithvi missiles that’s why he is called the ‘missile man’.
*Kalm was the responsible for the Pokhran-II nuclear tests that entered India into the club of Nuclear Powers.
*48 universities and institutions from India and abroad honored him with honorary doctorates.
*He was honored with the coveted civilian awards – Padma Bhushan (1981), Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award in India-Bharat Ratna (1997).
*Apart from physics and defence, he also made efforts to improve healthcare in rural India. He along with cardiologist Soma Raju built a low-cost stent which was later name after him and Raj Kalam-Raju.
*Kalam was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the PM and Secretary of the DRDO for seven years (1992-199)
*In 2002, he became the President of India. He has been considered as ‘People’s President’.
