World Students Day 2022: Quotes and thoughts to remember the Missile Man, APJ Abdul Kalam Azad

Dr APJ Abdul, also known as the Missile Man of India, is a significant source of inspiration for millions of Indians. The 15th of October is widely celebrated as World Students` Day.

World Students Day 2022: 15 October marks the former Indian president Dr APJ Adbul Kalam's birth anniversary. The UN has not, however, formally declared October 15 as World Students' Day but the world has been celebrating this day since 2010. His love for science made him the 'Missile Man of India' and his kindness was admired by all and was also referred to as the 'People's President. 

Today, on October 15th, India is celebrating Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's birth anniversary. He passed away in the year 2015 from a heart attack while giving a lecture at IIM Shillong- something he loved doing, teaching.

Seven years after his passing, Kalam's contributions to the country's scientific growth are still recognised.

Here are some more interesting facts about Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the 'Missile Man of India'

- He was referred to as the "Missile Man of India" since he was in charge of developing and putting the Agni and Prithvi missiles into service.

- India's first satellite launch vehicle, SLV III, which was used to place the Rohini satellite into orbit around the Earth, was developed under Kalam's supervision. As a result of this achievement, India became a member of the space club.

- After spending two decades working for ISRO, Kalam took on the responsibility of developing domestic guided missiles at the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

- Kalam was responsible for planning the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, which propelled India into the exclusive group of nuclear powers, which at the time included the US, China, the UK, France, and Russia. The 2018 movie "Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran," starring John Abraham, used Kalam as its inspiration.

- He was awarded honorary doctorates by 48 Indian and international universities and organisations.

- In addition to physics and defence, Kalam made contributions to programmes designed to improve rural Indians' access to healthcare. With the assistance of the cardiologist Soma Raju, he developed a low-cost stent, which he named the Kalam-Raju stent.

- For seven years, from 1992 to 1999, Kalam served as both the DRDO Secretary and the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Words of Inspiration

- "Dream, dream, dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action."

- “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in the second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.”

- "If you fail, never give up because FAIL means "First Attempt In Learning".

- "To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal."

- Creativity is seeing the same thing but thinking differently.

- "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."

- "All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents."

Kalam received the prestigious Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990, and Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour in the year 1997. Let's take a moment to thank this great soul for his contributions and celebrate his inspirational life.