Ravinder Singh
There are some who inspired few and there are very rare who inspired an entire generation. Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam was one of the very rare ones. He was a scientist, a teacher, and President of India from 2002-2007. He was conferred with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1997. He was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990. He had touched so many lives and ignited so many young minds to believe in the power of thinking, knowledge and on top of it, self-belief. People admire him not for what he has given to Science, but also for to his unmatchable personality.

world students day

In 2010, World Students Day was established by the United Nations In honor of former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on Oct 15 in 1931. The purpose of the day is to honor Kalam’s contributions to education and students. Early in his life, Kalam studied science and physics. He was born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. Through his insightful lectures, Kalam devoted his life to teaching and encouraging students to become the best versions of themselves.
While delivering the President’s address at the presentation of the National Award To Teachers in 2006, Kalam said, “Teachers have to realize that they are the builders of the society. The society can be built only when the students are made proficient in their subjects. In addition they have to provide a vision for life to the students and also inculcate the fundamentals of values which he should practice in the years to come.”
Abdul Kalam always believed that youngsters are the key to the nation’s building. For this reason, Kalam dedicated many days during his tenure as the President of India to interact with the students. Kalam’s book ‘Ignited Minds’ speaks about his experiences and interactions with students during his tenure.
There are many inspiring traits of this great leader. Here, we have summed up some of his 5 values of A P J Abdul Kalam that can help you achieve more and grow as a better person.
Be prepared
Life does not always follow the path we have set for it. Sometimes, it takes its own course and makes us follow it instead. We never know what’s next. So, always be ready for the best and the worst. Success and Failure are the two faces of the same coin. Work hard to achieve your goal and never let yourself down.
Be courageous and think differently
One of the major life lessons from A. P. J. Abdul is that you must be courageous enough to think differently. He said “My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. In a country like ours where lakhs of students are preparing and competing for that one seat of their dream in engineering and medical college, conviction and purpose with courage can only make that dream come true? It is your mind and thinking that makes all the difference here and not all those hours you’ve spent solving a paper! Make the best use of your mind, think differently & identify the techniques that sets you apart from the rest.
Be humble
This should top the list because everything else fails in the absence of this. Dr. Kalam always emphasized that you should never lose out on your humbleness even if you are the head of an entire nation. Modesty has, and will remain, a powerful trait because where egoism fails, humbleness conquers.
The most talented son of India, A P J Abdul Kalam was a patrician from humble beginnings who never forgot his own past, nor the grand history of his country. He inspired his country in his own humble ways. When asked how he would like to be remembered, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam responded by saying, as a ‘teacher’.
Have a goal
Dr. Kalam had always followed the three visions for India. First vision FREEDOM. He believes that India got its first vision in year 1857, India’s first war of Independence.
His second vision was India’s DEVELOPMENT. Dr Kalam’s Vision 2020 to transform India into ‘developed’ nation which focusses on five areas that need to be optimized: Infrastructure, Education and Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology, Agriculture and Food Processing; and Strategic industries like space and defence technology. And the third holy vision is that India must stand up for the world
Without a doubt, Dr. Kalam worked really hard and contributed humongous efforts for the vision of India. He lived as an example of hard work, resilience and positive attitude, and people remember him as the most beloved president. He was known to be the “missle man” for his work on the development of science and technology. These values of A P J Abdul Kalam are so inspirational and motivational.
Connect with people
Even after retirement Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, the people’s president set himself in a demanding schedule of speeches, notably in educational institutions, and had an uncanny ability to connect with a variety of audiences. His connection with all the people in work and with the whole country are some values of A P J Abdul Kalam to be emulated. He teaches people to stay connected with everyone and spread positive thoughts. He was the one who motivated everybody in the country with his inspiring speeches. He taught the youth to take responsibility and work in the direction of development with loyalty and integrity.
Dr Kalam suffered a cardiac arrest while addressing the students of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong on July 27, 2015. He fell from the stage and passed away at the venue. Dr. Kalam’s inspirational life itself is a great inspiration. He was not only the leader of India. He was a leader for whole world. Values of A P J Abdul Kalam , his contributions, his vision for a stronger India and his attitude towards life, are indeed inspiring.
(The author is Sr. Lecturer in education Govt HSS Nagri Parole, Kathua, JKUT)

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