Essay on Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was a famous scientist and the eleventh President of India. He was born on 15 October 1931 in a simple family at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. As a boy he distributed newspapers to help his family, but he never gave up his studies. He became an aerospace engineer and worked at DRDO and ISRO. He led the team that built India's first satellite launch vehicle and played a key role in the country's missile programme. For this he is called the Missile Man of India. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1997 and served as President from 2002 to 2007. He loved to talk to students and asked them to dream. He died on 27 July 2015 while giving a lecture in Shillong.

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, lovingly called Dr Kalam, was one of the most respected Indians of our time. He was a scientist, a teacher, a writer and the eleventh President of India. Above all, he was a simple man who inspired millions of young people.

He was born on 15 October 1931 at Rameswaram, an island town in Tamil Nadu. His father owned a boat, and the family had little money. Young Kalam used to get up before dawn and distribute newspapers to add to the family income. He was an average student in marks but had a great desire to learn, especially mathematics and science. He studied physics in Tiruchirappalli and then aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology.

Dr Kalam joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and later the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). At ISRO he was the project director of SLV-III, India's first satellite launch vehicle, which placed the Rohini satellite in orbit in 1980. Back at DRDO, he led the programme that developed missiles such as Agni and Prithvi. That is why he is known as the Missile Man of India. He also played an important part in the nuclear tests at Pokhran in 1998. The nation honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1997.

In 2002, Dr Kalam became the President of India. He was called the People's President because he opened the doors of Rashtrapati Bhavan to ordinary citizens and children. He answered letters from students and travelled across the country to meet them. After his term ended in 2007, he went back to what he loved most: teaching.

He wrote many books, including "Wings of Fire" and "Ignited Minds". On 27 July 2015 he collapsed while delivering a lecture to students in Shillong and passed away. He died doing the work he loved.

Dr Kalam's life shows that a child from a small town, with few means, can reach the highest post in the country through hard work and honesty. His advice to students was simple: dream, gain knowledge, work hard and never be afraid of problems.