From the India Today archives (2008) | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: The visionary

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was an aeronautical engineer, scientist, administrator, teacher, author and India’s 11th President. His journey from Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan made him a powerful example of achievement through discipline, learning and public service. His vision reached beyond science to national development.

He earned public affection by travelling extensively during his presidency and meeting children, whom he viewed as the citizens of a developed India. His autobiography, Wings of Fire, became an all-time bestseller and entered school books and university curricula. He also remained vegetarian, celibate, teetotal and free of personal possessions.

Kalam’s vision included a developed India by 2020 and better leadership in Parliament, assemblies and state institutions. His humility strengthened his public image. When traffic delayed him near a Delhi book launch, he left his car and walked to the venue with his security staff. That combination of ambition and simplicity made him a lasting role model.

A Satellite Launch Vehicle is a multi-stage rocket that carries a satellite from Earth into space. Its job is to provide the speed and path needed for the satellite to reach orbit. Building one requires advanced engineering, testing, organisation and a large pool of trained specialists.

Kalam was chosen to lead India’s SLV project among many distinguished peers. After a decade of hard work, SLV-3 launched successfully in 1980. The achievement marked India’s movement into successful space research, according to the article. It also shaped Kalam into a formidable leader.

The launch mattered beyond one rocket. It demonstrated that Indian scientists and engineers could develop important space technology through sustained national work. The experience later supported Kalam’s leadership in missile development. The article connects this period with the Padma Bhushan he received in 1981 and his growing role in national technology programmes.

Kalam left his family at age 10 because Rameswaram had no high school. At 15, he stopped eating non-vegetarian food because the school mess bill was unaffordable. He studied B.Sc. because nobody guided him toward engineering after intermediate school, then became an aeronautical engineer to pursue flying.

The Air Force rejected him for a pilot’s job. Instead of leaving aviation behind, he stayed close to flying machines in the defence aeronautical establishment. His major turning point came when INSCOPAR created a talent pool for what later became ISRO. Training in the United States and guidance from Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan widened his purpose.

Kalam then led the SLV project and helped India achieve the 1980 SLV-3 launch. That success prepared him for missile development, large-scale recruitment and collaboration with universities and private industry. He became DRDO chief in 1992, oversaw nuclear tests and served as principal scientific advisor, showing how setbacks became stepping stones.

The article says 600 million Indian youth saw Kalam as an inspiration and an aspiration. This was not simply a large audience figure. It reflected his belief that young people were central to India’s future and could help turn national development from an idea into lived reality.

During his years in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kalam travelled extensively to connect with children. He viewed them as the citizens of a developed India. His books reinforced this focus. Wings of Fire entered school books and university curricula, while You are Born to Blossom expressed his continuing belief in young people’s potential.

His public mission therefore joined science, education and civic hope. The article presents his vision of India by 2020 as requiring creative and effective leadership in public institutions. Kalam’s example suggested that young people needed knowledge, encouragement and a sense of responsibility. His influence continued through teaching technology and societal transformation after retirement.

Kalam’s work strengthened India’s ability to pursue major technology projects at home. The successful SLV-3 launch showed progress in space research. He was then given responsibility for indigenous missile capabilities, while his leadership helped expand the country’s defence science base.

In the 1980s, hundreds of young engineers were recruited from campuses and trained as missile scientists. Academic institutes and private industry became partners in defence projects. Kalam also helped free the Light Combat Aircraft project from indecision over technology partners. Later, he oversaw the nuclear tests and became principal scientific advisor with cabinet rank.

The article presents these developments as a connected national effort, not isolated achievements. Public investment, recruitment, partnerships and decisive leadership created the conditions for advanced programmes. It also describes Kalam’s hope that defence technology would produce civilian benefits for ordinary people. His larger goal was a developed India by 2020, supported by capable institutions and creative leadership.

Kalam’s selection in 2002 was significant because a ruling NDA Government invited a scientist and former senior administrator to become its presidential candidate. His path differed from a conventional political career. He had led major space and defence programmes, taught technology and societal transformation, and remained widely admired for his personal simplicity.

The offer quickly became a national event. The article says that, whatever the reason for making it, the choice took the nation by storm. Public jubilation marked his ascent to India’s highest office. His reputation as a role model helped people connect the presidency with achievement, service and aspiration rather than distance from everyday life.

As President, Kalam travelled widely and met children. He used the office to discuss a developed India and encourage young citizens. His presidency therefore extended the public mission he had already built through science, teaching and writing. It also strengthened his lasting identity as the “People’s President,” though the article links that image mainly to his direct connection with the public.

Advanced technology becomes socially useful when different institutions share responsibility. The article describes public investment supporting defence projects, universities and private industry working as partners, and scientific leaders setting clear goals. This matters because large programmes need money, expertise, trained people and decisions that last beyond one organisation.

Kalam’s missile work provides the example. In the 1980s, hundreds of young engineers were recruited from campuses and groomed as missile scientists. Academic institutes and private industry joined defence projects. Kalam also pursued civilian spin-offs from defence technology, hoping public research would benefit ordinary people. His role was to connect technical work with a national purpose.

The article links this model to his vision of India by 2020. It does not list specific civilian products or measure completed benefits. It does show a continuing direction: build indigenous capability, involve young talent, remove indecision and apply technology to society. Strong institutions and effective leadership remain essential to that goal.