Dr. APJ ABDUL KALAM'S REMARKABLE LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS

Abdul Kalam will remain one of the finest human beings to have ever lived. He lived an illustrious and successful life, and his legacy will continue to inspire people around the world in the coming years. Below is a list that tries to do justice to his numerous achievements:

• After graduating from Madras Institute of Technology in 1960, Mr Kalam joined the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). He designed helicopters for the Indian Army, but he always said he didn’t feel at home at the DRDO.
• In 1969 he got the Government’s approval to expand the programme by including more engineers and scientists.
• After he was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Mr Kalam worked as the project director for SLV-III, India’s first indigenous satellite launch vehicle.
• SLV-III successfully launched satellite Rohini to orbit on July 1980. From then, Mr Kalam expanded India’s space programme.
• In the 1980s he led India’s missile programme. Under his leadership, India became a major military power after the successes of Agni and Prithvi.
• He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research and Development Organisation from July 1992 to December 1999.
• In 1998, along with cardiologist Dr.Soma Raju, Kalam developed a low cost Coronary stent. It was named as “Kalam-Raju Stent” honouring them. In 2012, the duo designed a rugged tablet PC for health care in rural areas, which was named as “Kalam-Raju Tablet”.
• In 1998, the Pokhran-II tests cemented India’s nuclear prowess. Mr Kalam played the pivotal role in the project. He firmly told the international community that such arms were only to deter other nations from trying to subjugate India, and were only to be used as “weapons of peace”.
• In a rare show of unity, all political parties unanimously voted for Mr Kalam in 2002 as the 11th President of India.
• As President, Mr Kalam personified dignity and optimism throughout India and abroad. His stirring speeches at the UN and the European Parliament are among the best ever delivered. His simplicity in oration and action were applauded and made him dear to all.
• After the completion of his term as President, Mr Kalam became a visiting professor, wrote extensively and launched many initiatives for youth development. “Wings of Fire” and “India 2020” are modern classics, and have motivated millions of Indians.
• His books envision his dream of India as a superpower, with Indians as innovative and unique in their thinking. His speeches, books, works – all are the legacy of a man who spent all his life trying to make the world a better place.

Year ………..	Name of award or honour	Awarding organisation
2014	Doctor of Science	Edinburgh University,UK
2012	Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa)	Simon Fraser University
2011	IEEE Honorary Membership	IEEE
2010	Doctor of Engineering	University of Waterloo
2009	Honorary Doctorate	Oakland University
2009	Hoover Medal	ASME Foundation, USA
2009	International von Kármán Wings Award	California Institute of Technology, USA
2008	Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa)	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2007	King Charles II Medal	Royal Society, UK
2007	Honorary Doctorate of Science	University of Wolverhampton, UK
2000	Ramanujan Award	Alwars Research Centre, Chennai
1998	Veer Savarkar Award	Government of India
1997	Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration	Indian National Congress
1997	Bharat Ratna	Government of India
1994	Distinguished Fellow	Institute of Directors (India)
1990	Padma Vibhushan	Government of India
1981	Padma Bhushan	Government of India

Post Courtesy: THE LOGICAL INDIAN