October 15: World Students Day marks the birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Former President and famous Aerospace scientist Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam took birth on October 15, 1931. The United Nations Organisation (UNO) declared this day as World Students' Day in 2010 as a mark of honour to the late scientist. Dr. Kalam is of the view, "Teachers have to realise that they are the builders of the society. A good society can be built when students have the knowledge and are proficient in their subjects. They have also to provide a vision for life to the students and to inculcate the fundamentals of values which should be practice in the years to come". 

So he considered students as of the future of the country. Development of the world is in the hands of the students. Although he was a scientist, teacher and former President of India, he always desired: “If people remember me as a good teacher that will be the biggest honour for me.”Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was very passionate to learn and was a determined student who completed his graduation in Physics and later studied Aerospace Engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology. Financial issues couldn’t stop him from realising his big dreams that made him India’s most famous nuclear scientist. He was titled as the ‘Missile Man of India’.

His determined efforts were successful for the success of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. Beginning his career at the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Kalam also served as the project director of India's first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) at ISRO.

He was positioned as the President of India in India in 2002 and his tenure ended in 2005. Then he became a visiting faculty at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong, IIM-Indore and IIM- Ahmedabad. His was honoured with Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Bharat Ratna, and Ramanujan Award and several other recognisations. 

His good personality won the heart of the masses. He passed away on 27 July 2015 due to cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture in IIM Shillong. Scientific institutions are named in the honour of Dr. Abdul Kalam after his death like Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) was retitled as "A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University" and Kerala Technological University was retitled to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University".

He had also authored 25 books that still inspire the young minds with his ideologies and teachings. This includes Wings of Fire: An Autobiography (1999) and Ignited Minds: Unleading the Power Within India (2002).