APJ ABDUL KALAM

  • Recently, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the former President APJ Abdul Kalam on his 90th birth anniversary.
  • Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness Campaign (KAPILA) was launched in 2020 on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

Important points:

  • Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
  • His birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Innovation Day.
  • He graduated in Science from St Joseph’s College, Trichy in 1954 and specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957.
  • He is one of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 48 Universities and institutions from India and abroad.
  • He was sworn in as India’s 11th President in 2002 and completed the full term in 2007.
  • He planned programmes to produce a number of successful missiles, which helped earn him the nickname “Missile Man”.

Contribution

  • He was a pioneer in fiberglass technology and led a young team to initiate this effort in ISRO from design, development leading to the production of composites rocket motor cases.
  • He made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into Near-Earth Orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of Space Club.
  • He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO’s launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration
  • After working for two decades in ISRO and mastering launch vehicle technologies, he took up the responsibility of developing Indigenous Guided Missiles at the DRDO.
  • He was the Chief Executive of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
  • He led to the weaponization of strategic missile systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear testsin collaboration with the Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon State.
  • In 1998, he put forward a countrywide plan called Technology Vision 2020, which he described as a road map for transforming India from a less-developed to a developed society in 20 years.
  • The plan called for, among other measures, increasing agricultural productivity, emphasising technology as a vehicle for economic growth, and widening access to health care and education.

Awards Received

  • He was awarded the coveted civilian awards – Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997).
  • “Wings of Fire”, “India 2020 – A Vision for the New Millennium”, “My journey” and “Ignited Minds – Unleashing the power within India”, “Indomitable Spirit”, “Guiding Souls”, “Envisioning an Empowered Nation”, “Inspiring Thoughts” etc.
  • Death at 27th July 2015 at Shillong, Meghalaya.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT

About ChinmayaIAS Academy - Current Affairs

Check Also

What to do with spent nuclear fuel?

Syllabus:  Alternate fuel Context: Japan has started releasing treated radioactive water from the beleaguered Fukushima …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Free Updates to Crack the Exam!
Subscribe to our Newsletter for free daily updates