One year in Retrospect

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

December 13, 2008, 3PM - 5.30PM

We didn't realize that Dr. Kalam has already completed one year after 25 July 2007. This one year, has been extremely eventful year for him when he has visited over 12 states in India and nine countries. It is pertinent to note, he has not been able to accept more than 10% of the total invitation received.

In this period, he has intensified the interaction with the students. He has met and interacted with over one million youth of different age group. He has utilized his interaction with students and faculty members of 19 Universities abroad to create a linkage between Indian Universities for intensifying socially and technologically relevant research areas. He is concentrating his reach to internal areas in the country like Meerut, Aligarh, Khurja, Pantnagar, Moradabad, Gandhigram, Karur, Gwalior, Mathura and other remote places in the country. The main message he has given to the youth is;

a) Work with integrity and succeed with integrity

b) Have a dream resulting into a goal for personal growth and the growth of the nation

c) Acquire as much knowledge as possible for realization of the growth through the association of good books, good teachers and good human beings

d) Work hard

e) Persevere, defeat the problem and succeed

Apart from motivating the youth, Dr. Kalam is guiding three students for PhD programme. One pertain to Brain Research, second - ICT knowledge products and third on Education and Economics. Through the Lead India movement, Dr. Kalam has participated in the Teacher's training programme for translating the 10 point oath on enlightened citizenship towards actions by the youth of the nation. He had addressed Lead India youth at Karimnagar and Medak district of Andhra Pradesh involving over one lakh each. Lead India movement is now spreading to Maharashtra. The youth trained are empowered with the spirit "I can do it" and they are transforming many other youth in the region.

In this period, he has addressed number of national and international conferences on space research, energy independence, healthcare, agriculture, corporate social responsibility, innovation and education. Through this programme, he identified national and international research programme for the year 2050. In space research, he has given world space vision 2050 to the World Forum and has been suggesting, integrated work towards low cost excess to space for realizing the goal of reducing the present cost of access of US$20,000 per kilogram to US$2,000 per kilogram. In the energy independence area, he has suggested, progressive reduction in the use of fossil fuel by resorting to bio-diesel and ethanol and environmental upgradation through the use of diesel emulsified with 25% water. He has also suggested development of high efficiency CNT based solar photovoltaic cell with an efficiency of 50% and innovations in wind energy. In nuclear area, he is emphasizing the thrust for thorium based nuclear power plants. He is also in the process of facilitating the creation of number of PURA complexes in the country.

In the areas of healthcare, Dr. Kalam is spearheading the Emergency Management System which is a public private partnership enterprise with a mission of dealing with all medical emergencies such as cardiac, child birth, fire, road accidents, etc. This movement was localized in Andhra Pradesh till recently. Now it has spread to 8 states with a mission of saving one million lives by the year 2010.

In the last one year, Dr. Kalam has been concentrating on motivating the youth towards the realization of Vision 2020, creating a long term vision for scientific and technological community of the nation and abroad, developing methods through which we can quickly realize the goals of energy independence and faster implementation of PURA complexes in different parts of the country for bridging the rural urban divide.

In the next one year, I would like to intensify my efforts in motivating the youth of the nation, particularly in rural areas, enhance the reach of quality education to the rural areas with technological input from Dept of Space, spread the emergency management system to at least 18 states and facilitate creation of public private partnership cultures for enhance production of bio-diesel and ethanol. I would also urged the youth to use the youth satellite which will be in orbit for promoting prosperous and peaceful planet earth.

About the Speaker

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology.

Dr. Kalam made significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of Space Club.

He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. After working for two decades in ISRO and mastering launch vehicle technologies, Dr. Kalam took up the responsibility of developing Indigenous Guided Missiles at Defence Research and Development Organisation as the Chief Executive of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies through networking of multiple institutions. He was the Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development from July 1992 to December 1999. During this period he led to the weaponisation of strategic missile systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon State. He also gave thrust to self-reliance in defence systems by progressing multiple development tasks and mission projects such as Light Combat Aircraft.

As Chairman of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and as an eminent scientist, he led the country with the help of 500 experts to arrive at Technology Vision 2020 giving a road map for transforming India from the present developing status to a developed nation. Dr. Kalam has served as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, in the rank of Cabinet Minister, from November 1999 to November 2001 and was responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for many development applications. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex-officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) and piloted India Millennium Mission 2020.