Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Oct 14: Addressing a function to mark the “World Students’ Day” on the eve of 84th birth anniversary of former President, Late Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Dr. Kalam always stimulated young minds with new ideas and groomed young scientists with a passion. Therefore,the best tribute to his memory would be to discover, encourage and promote young scientific minds who have an inherent aptitude to carry forward the rich scientific tradition laid down by Dr. Kalam and his contemporaries,he said.
Recalling his personal association with the Late President, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, it is a lesser known fact that in the last few years of his life Dr. Kalam had deviated into research in medical science, even though formally he had never been a student of medical science. This only reflected his constant curiosity to keep on venturing into new vistas of work,he added.
Dr. Kalam had, Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled, started working on carcinogens or cancer causing agents and if he had lived a little longer, he could have been a distinguished faculty in one of the medical conferences.
Dr Jitendra Singh said,what is most gratifying is that Dr. Kalam died doing the kind of work that he loved the most. When he breathed his last, he was lecturing the students and suddenly stopped. What made him great was not only his caliber as a scientist but also his simplicity, humility and flare to share dreams with children, he added.
Indresh Kumar, while paying rich tributes, said that besides being a great scientist, Dr. A.P.J. Kalam was also a great human being and led a humble lifestyle. When he became President, he entered the Rashtrapati Bhawan with two suitcases and after the expiry of the Presidential term, he left the Rashtrapati Bhawan with the same two suitcases, he recalled.
Indresh Kumar also emphasized the importance of encouraging the children to study their textbooks with an open mind instead of burdening them with notes dictated or written by others. He referred to Dr. Kalam as a man of entire universe.
The function was organized by Forum for Awareness of National Security (FANS) and was attended by children from some of the leading schools of Delhi who also presented a song and dance show eulogizing the diverse and great quality of Dr. A.P.J. Kalam.
Prominent among those present included Naveen Kumar, Convener FANS, Air Marshal (Retd.) Vajpayee, DG Police (Retd.) P.S. Gill and others.
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