Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931, at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. His educational qualifications include D.M.I.T. (Aeronautical Engineering) and D.Sc (Hon. Cau) from the Madras Institute of Technology.
Sworn in as the President of India, in 2002, A.PJ. Abdul Kalam is known as
'The Missile Man of India'. The man behind the SLV-3 and Guided Missile Programme, he can be termed as the most honoured Indian scientist of today.
He has provided a firm basis for the indigenous design and development of high technology aerospace projects. He is a major player in India's nuclear programme.
He received the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990, the Aryabhatta Award in 1994, G.M. Modi Award for Science in 1996, H.K. Firodia Award for Excellence in Science and Technology in 1996. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1997 and the Deshikottam Award, Vishwa Bharti, in 2000. He was Director-General of D.R.D.O.
