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Unit 4: My Vision for India by APJ Abdul Kalam
Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University

Unit 4: My Vision for India Notes

by APJ Abdul Kalam

CONTENTS
Objectives

Introduction
4.1 My Vision for India
4.2 Four Milestones in Dr. Kalam’s Career

4.3 Conformity in Foreign Countries but Detached in Motherland
4.4 The Easy Way Out: Blame it on the System
4.5 Summary

4.6 Keywords
4.7 Review Questions
4.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to:
• Know about APJ Abdul Kalam;
• Discuss Kalam’s Vision for India.

Introduction

The full name of Dr. Abdul Kalam, one of the former Presidents of India, is Avul Pakir
Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. He hails from the southern-most tip of India. He belonged to a
very poor family of Rameshwaram in his childhood.
The name of Mr. Kalam’s father is Jainulabdeen Marakayar. He was the Panchayat Board
President. He was the owner of a few boats which were used to ferry pilgrims between
Rameshwaram and Dhanushkody.
Dr. Kalam was the youngest child in the family. He was the only one to do graduation. His
brothers and sisters could not even complete their schooling. The poverty of the family can be
judged from the fact that once his father had no resources even to pay his fee. Then his sister
came to his rescue. She sold her ornaments to enable him doing higher education. Kalam was
a typical case of a poor but a determined person in his childhood. As a boy, he had even to
sell newspapers. Abdul Kalam had his initial education in Rameshwaram. Later he studied at
Schwartz High School, in Ramanathapuram. Subsequently, he moved to St. Joseph’s College,
Trichi. Though he was not a bright student in terms of the marks that he secured in exams,
but he developed an interest in Physics. After completing the B.Sc degree course from St.
Joseph’s, he joined the Madras Institute of Technology, the best institution for technical education
in South India at that time. He specialised in Aeronautical Engineering and became a full-
fledged aeronautical engineer after being trained at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bangalore.

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