Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Recently, former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s 90th birth anniversary was celebrated. It is noteworthy that on the occasion of Kalam’s birth anniversary in the year 2020, the ‘Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness Campaign’ (KAPILA) program was released by the government.
It is noteworthy that his birth anniversary is celebrated as ‘National Innovation Day’.
Introduction
- APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. He graduated in science from St. Joseph’s College in 1954 and studied aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in
- He is one of the most eminent scientists in India to have received honorary doctorates from 48 universities and institutions in the country and abroad.
- He was also honored with prestigious civilian awards- Padma Bhushan (1981), Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997).
- He was elected as the 11th President of India in the year 2002, whose term was completed in the year He died on 27 July 2015 in Shillong, Meghalaya.
His contribution:
- He planned programs to build several successful missiles, which led him to be known as the “Missile Man”.
- He was a pioneer in the field of ‘fiberglass’ technology, and led a young team at ISRO to design and begin its development work, which made possible the production of a ‘composite rocket motor’.
Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3):
- He made a significant contribution as the Project Director to develop India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), which successfully launched the Rohini satellite into Near-Earth Orbit in July After this, India was made a special member of the Space Club.
- He was responsible for the development of ISRO’s launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration.
Indigenous Guided Missiles:
- After working for two decades at ISRO and mastering launch vehicle technologies, he took up the responsibility of developing indigenous guided missiles at the Defense Research and Development Organization. He was the chief executive officer of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).
- He led the Strategic Missile Systems and Pokhran-II nuclear tests in collaboration with the Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear-armed nation.
Technology Vision 2020:
- In 1998, he put forward a nationwide plan called ‘Technology Vision-2020’, which he presented as a roadmap to transform India from an ‘underdeveloped’ to a developed society in 20
- The plan includes increasing agricultural productivity, emphasizing technology as a driver of economic growth, and expanding access to health care and education, among other measures.
Source – PIB
