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A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Early life and education

 Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 to a Tamil Muslim family in te

!il"rima"e centre of  #ameswaram on Pamban $sland% ten in te Madras Presidency and now in

te &tate of Tamil 'adu( )is fater*s name was Jainulabudeen% a boat owner% and is moter 

 Asiamma% a ousewife )is fater owned a ferry tat took )indu !il"rims back and fort

between #ameswaram and te now+e,tinct -anuskodi(.11/.10/ Kalam was te youn"est of four 

broters and one sister in is family(.13/.1/.15/ Kalam*s ancestors ad been wealty traders and

landowners% wit numerous !ro!erties and lar"e tracts of land( Teir business ad involved tradin"

"roceries between te mainland and te island and to and from &ri 2anka%  as well as ferryin"

!il"rims between te mainland and Pamban( As a result% te family acuired te title of 4Mara Kalam

iyakkivar4 wooden boat steerers6% wic over te years became sortened to 4Marakier(4 7it te

o!enin" of tePamban 8rid"e  to te mainland in 191% owever% te businesses failed and te

family fortune and !ro!erties were lost over time% a!art from te ancestral ome( .1/ 8y is early

cildood% Kalam*s family ad become !oor: at an early a"e% e started workin" to su!!lement is

family*s income(.1;/ After com!letin" scool% Kalam distributed news!a!ers to contribute to is fater*s

income(.1;/.1</

$n is scool years% Kalam ad avera"e "rades but was described as a bri"t and ardworkin"

student wo ad a stron" desire to learn and s!end ours on is studies% es!ecially matematics(

.1</ After com!letin" is education at te #amanata!uram &cwart= Matriculation &cool% Kalam

went on to attend &aint Jose!*s >olle"e% Tirucira!!alli%   ten affiliated wit te ?niversity of Madras% from were e "raduated in !ysics in 195(.19/ )e moved to Madras in 1955 to study

aeros!ace en"ineerin" in Madras $nstitute of Tecnolo"y(.1@/ 7ile Kalam was workin" on a senior 

class !roect% te -ean was dissatisfied wit is lack of !ro"ress and treatened to revoke is

scolarsi! unless te !roect was finised witin te ne,t tree days( Kalam met te deadline%

im!ressin" te -ean% wo later said to im% 4$ was !uttin" you under stress and askin" you to meet a

difficult deadline4(.0@/ )e narrowly missed acievin" is dream of becomin" a fi"ter !ilot% as e

!laced nint in ualifiers% and only ei"t !ositions were available in te $AB(.01/

Career as a scientist

 After "raduatin" from te Madras $nstitute of Tecnolo"y in 19@% Kalam oined te  Aeronautical

-evelo!ment Cstablisment of te -efence #esearc and -evelo!ment Or"anisation -#-O6 as a

scientist( )e started is career by desi"nin" a small elico!ter  for te $ndian Army% but remained

unconvinced by is coice of a ob at -#-O( .03/ Kalam was also !art of te $'>O&PA#

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committee workin" under Dikram &arabai% te renowned s!ace scientist( .1@/ $n 199% Kalam was

transferred to te $ndian &!ace #esearc Or"anisation $&#O6 were e was te !roect director of 

$ndia*s first &atellite 2aunc Deicle &2D+$$$6 wic successfully de!loyed te Rohini  satellite in near+

eart orbit in July 19<@: Kalam ad first started work on an e,!andable rocket !roect inde!endently

at -#-O in 195(.0/

 $n 199% Kalam received te "overnment*s a!!roval and e,!anded te!ro"ramme to include more en"ineers( .00/

Kalam addresses en"ineerin" students at $$T Euwaati

$n 193F% e visited 'A&A*s 2an"ley #esearc >enter  in )am!ton% Dir"inia:Eoddard &!ace Bli"t

>enter  in Ereenbelt% Maryland: and 7allo!s Bli"t Bacility(.</.0/ 8etween te 19;@s and 199@s% Kalam

made an effort to develo! tePolar &atellite 2aunc Deicle P&2D6 and &2D+$$$ !roects% bot of 

wic !roved to be successful(

Presidency 

Kalam served as te 11t President of $ndia% succeedin" K( #( 'arayanan( )e won te 0@@0

!residential election wit an electoral vote of 900%<<% sur!assin" te 1@;%3 votes won

by 2aksmi &a"al( )is term lasted from 05 July 0@@0 to 05 July 0@@;(.35/

On 1@ June 0@@0% te 'ational -emocratic Alliance '-A6 wic was in !ower at te time%

e,!ressed tat tey would nominate Kalam for te !ost of President% .3/.3;/ and bot te &amawadi

Party and te 'ationalist >on"ress Party backed is candidacy(.3</.39/ After te &amawadi Party

announced its su!!ort for Kalam% 'arayanan cose not to seek a second term in office% leavin" te

field clear (.@/ Kalam said of te announcement of is candidatureG

$ am really overwelmed( Cverywere bot in $nternet and in oter media% $ ave been asked for a

messa"e( $ was tinkin" wat messa"e $ can "ive to te !eo!le of te country at tis uncture( .1/

On 1< June% Kalam filed is nomination !a!ers in te  $ndian Parliament% accom!anied by Da!ayee

and is senior >abinet collea"ues(.0/

Kalam alon" wit Dladimir Putin andManmoan &in" durin" is !residency

Te !ollin" for te !residential election be"an on 15 July 0@@0 in Parliament and te state

assemblies% wit te media claimin" tat te election was a one+sided affair and Kalam*s victory was

a fore"one conclusion: te count was eld on 1< July( .3/ Kalam became te 11t !resident of te

#e!ublic of $ndia in an easy victory%./ and moved into te #astra!ati 8avan after e was sworn in

on 05 July(.5/ Kalam was te tird President of $ndia to ave been onoured wit a 8arat #atna%

$ndia*s i"est civilian onour% before becomin" te President( -r &arve!alli #adakrisnan 1956

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and -r Hakir )ussain 1936 were te earlier reci!ients of 8arat #atna wo later became te

President of $ndia(./ )e was also te first scientist and te first bacelor to occu!y #astra!ati

8awan(.;/

$n &e!tember 0@@3% in an interactive session in PE$ >andi"ar% Kalam su!!orted te need

of ?niform >ivil >ode in $ndia% kee!in" in view te !o!ulation of te country(.5/.5;/.5</.59/

 At te end of is term% on 0@ June 0@@;% Kalam e,!ressed is willin"ness to consider a second term

in office !rovided tere was certainty about is victory in te  0@@; !residential election(.@/ )owever%

two days later% e decided not to contest te Presidential election a"ain statin" tat e wanted to

avoid involvin" #astra!ati 8avan from any !olitical !rocesses( .1/ )e did not ave te su!!ort of 

te left !arties% &iv &ena and ?PA constituents% to receive a renewed mandate(.0/.3/

'earin" te e,!iry of te term of te 10t President Pratiba Patil on 0 July 0@10% media re!orts in

 A!ril claimed tat Kalam was likely to be nominated for is second term( ./.5/./  After te

re!orts% social networkin" sites witnessed a number of !eo!le su!!ortin" is candidature(.;/.</

 Te8JP !otentially backed is nomination% sayin" tat te !arty would lend teir su!!ort if te Trinamool

>on"ress% &amawadi Party and $ndian 'ational >on"ress !ro!osed im for te 0@10 !residential

election(.9/.;@/  A mont aead of te election% Mulayam &in" Iadav and Mamata 8aneree also

e,!ressed teir su!!ort for Kalam( .;1/ -ays afterwards% Mulayam &in" Iadav backed out% leavin"

Mamata 8aneree as te solitary su!!orter( .;0/ On 1< June 0@10% Kalam declined to contest te 0@10

!residential !oll( )e said of is decision not to do soG

Many% many citi=ens ave also e,!ressed te same wis( $t only reflects teir love and affection for 

me and te as!iration of te !eo!le( $ am really overwelmed by tis su!!ort( Tis bein" teir wis% $

res!ect it( $ want to tank tem for te trust tey ave in me( .;3/

Death

On 0; July 0@15% Kalam travelled to &illon" to deliver a lecture on 4>reatin" a 2ivable Planet Cart4

at te $ndian $nstitute of Mana"ement &illon"( At around G35 !(m( $&T% only five minutes into is

lecture% e colla!sed(.9@/.91/ )e was rused to te nearby 8etany )os!ital in a critical condition: u!on

arrival% e lacked a !ulse or any oter si"ns of life( .9@/ -es!ite bein" !laced in te intensive care unit%

Kalam was confirmed dead of a sudden cardiac arrest at ;G5 !(m $&T(.9@/.90/.93/

Bollowin" is deat% Kalam*s body was airlifted in an $ndian Air Borce elico!ter from &illon" to

Euwaati% from were it was flown to 'ew -eli on te mornin" of 0< July in an air force >+13@J

)ercules( Te fli"t landed at Palam Air 8ase and was received by te President% te Prime Minister%

>ief Minister of -eli Arvind Keriwal% and te tree service ciefs of te$ndian Armed Borces% wo

laid wreats on Kalam*s body(.9/ )is body was ten !laced on a "un carria"e dra!ed wit te $ndian

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fla" and taken to is -eli residence at 1@ #aai Mar" were te !ublic and numerous di"nitaries

!aid oma"e% includin" former !rime minister Manmoan &in"% >on"ress !resident &onia

Eandi% #aul Eandi% and ?ttar Prades >ief Minister Akiles Iadav(.95/

On te mornin" of 09 July% Kalam*s body% wra!!ed in te $ndian fla"% was taken to Palam Air 8ase%from were it was flown to Madurai in an air force >+13@J aircraft% arrivin" at Madurai Air!ort tat

afternoon( )is body was received at te air!ort by te tree service ciefs and national and state

di"nitaries% includin" cabinet ministers Manoar Parrikar % Denkaia 'aidu%Pon #adakrisnan: and

te "overnors of Tamil 'adu and Me"alaya% K #osaia and D( &anmu"anatan(  After a brief 

ceremony% Kalam*s body was flown in an air force elico!ter to te town of  Manda!am( Brom

Manda!am% Kalam*s body was taken in an army truck to is ometown of #ameswaram% were it

was dis!layed in an o!en area in front of te local bus station to allow te !ublic to !ay teir final

res!ects until < !(m( tat evenin"( .9/.9;/

On 3@ July 0@15% te former President was laid to rest at #ameswaram*s Pei Karumbu Eround wit

full state onours( Over 35@%@@@ !eo!le attended te last rites% includin" te Prime Minister% te

"overnor of Tamil 'adu and te cief ministers of Karnataka% Kerala and Andra Prades( .9</.99/