Dr.

APJABDULKALAM

Bornon15thOctober1931atRameswaraminTamilNadu,Dr.AvulPakirJainulabdeenAbdulKalam,
specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. Dr. Kalam made
significantcontributionasProjectDirectortodevelopIndia'sfirstindigenousSatelliteLaunchVehicle
(SLVIII)whichsuccessfullyinjectedtheRohinisatelliteinthenearearthorbitinJuly1980andmade
IndiaanexclusivememberofSpaceClub.HewasresponsiblefortheevolutionofISRO'slaunchvehicle
programme,particularlythePSLVconfiguration.AfterworkingfortwodecadesinISROandmastering
launchvehicletechnologies,Dr.Kalamtookupthe responsibilityofdevelopingIndigenousGuided
Missiles at Defence Research and Development Organisation as the Chief Executive of Integrated
Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). He was responsible for the development and
operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical
technologies through networking of multiple institutions. He was the Scientific Adviser to Defence
MinisterandSecretary,DepartmentofDefenceResearch&DevelopmentfromJuly1992toDecember
1999.DuringthisperiodheledtotheweaponisationofstrategicmissilesystemsandthePokhranII
nucleartestsincollaborationwithDepartmentofAtomicEnergy,whichmadeIndiaanuclearweapon
State.Healsogavethrusttoselfrelianceindefencesystemsbyprogressingmultipledevelopment
tasksandmissionprojectssuchasLightCombatAircraft.
As Chairman of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and as an
eminentscientist,heledthecountrywiththehelpof500expertstoarriveatTechnologyVision2020
givingaroadmapfortransformingIndiafromthepresentdevelopingstatustoadevelopednation.
Dr.KalamhasservedasthePrincipal ScientificAdvisorto the GovernmentofIndia,in therankof
CabinetMinister,fromNovember1999toNovember2001andwasresponsibleforevolvingpolicies,
strategies and missions for many development applications. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex
officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SACC) and piloted India Millennium
Mission2020.
Dr. Kalam took up academic pursuit as Professor, Technology & Societal Transformation at Anna
University,ChennaifromNovember2001andwasinvolvedinteachingandresearchtasks.Aboveall
he took up a mission to ignite the young minds for national development by meeting high school
studentsacrossthecountry.
InhisliterarypursuitfourofDr.Kalam'sbooks"WingsofFire","India2020AVisionfortheNew
Millennium","Myjourney"and "Ignited Minds Unleashing the powerwithinIndia" have become
householdnamesinIndiaandamongtheIndiannationalsabroad.Thesebookshavebeentranslated
inmanyIndianlanguages.
Dr. Kalam is one of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of receiving
honorarydoctoratesfrom30universitiesandinstitutions.Hehasbeenawardedthecovetedcivilian
awardsPadmaBhushan(1981)andPadmaVibhushan(1990)andthehighestcivilianawardBharat
Ratna(1997).HeisarecipientofseveralotherawardsandFellowofmanyprofessionalinstitutions.

Dr.APJABDULKALAM
Dr.Kalambecamethe11thPresidentofIndiaon25thJuly2002.HisfocusisontransformingIndia
intoadevelopednationby2020.