World Students Day: Here's How Visionary APJ Abdul Kalam Inspired Many Through Lifetime Contributions

APJ Abdul Kalam was a man who wore many hats for the country, from being an aerospace scientist to the people's president. His life-long contributions continue to impact the people of the country even today. Born and raised in a humble setting in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, he made his way up to the highest authority in India. However, he is even more fondly remembered for his role as a teacher.

The very next day, after he completed his term as the 11th President of India, he returned to his civilian life as a teacher. Encouraging students to strive to become the best versions of themselves, he left an imprint that inspired many students and teachers in the coming ages.

For this reason, the country has been celebrating Abdul Kalam's birth anniversary on October 15 as World Students' Day. Even though the United Nations has not announced the day as such, the country has been paying tribute to the leader since 2010.

Among the many contributions that he's remembered for, here are some of the experiences that many have been sharing across Twitter in his loving memory.

A Scientist

Abdul Kalam has spent over four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was involved in the country's civilian space programme as well as the military missile development efforts, earning him the title of "Missile Man of India".

With the scientific expertise that he came along with, he also served as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and Secretary of the Defence Research and Development Organisation between the years 1992-1999.

Kiren Rijiju, the Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice, remembers him for these contributions and posted a tweet that said, "His contributions to the field of atomic energy have strengthened our national security".

The citizen engagement platform of the Government of India tweeted a post that read, "His contributions to the field of atomic energy have strengthened our national security".

A President Of And For The People

Elected as the 11th president of India in 2002 with the support of both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Indian National Congress (INC), he was widely referred to as the "People's President". As Kalam neared the expiry of his presidential term, many citizens flooded social networking sites demanding his candidature for a second tenure. Such was the influence that he left behind on the political realm of India.

Talking praises about the former president, current Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Kalam "a President who struck a chord with every section of society".

Sharing a photo clicked with Kalam years ago, Dr S. Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs, paid his humble tributes. He said that he remembers the former president for his "disarming humility and unwavering commitment" during many of their interactions.

The National President for BJP's OBC Morcha, Dr K Laxman, honoured Kalam by remembering his words "I will work and sweat for a great vision, the vision of transforming India into a developed nation".

A Teacher

One of the roles that Kalam continues to be associated with is that of a dedicated teacher. After having left the Presidential office, Kalam became a visiting professor at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong, Ahmedabad, and Indore, an honorary fellow of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram.

He also taught subjects of Aerospace Engineering and information technology at the institutes of Anna University, the International Institute of Information Technology, and Banaras Hindu University.

Kalam often spoke of how he received average grades despite being described as a bright student with a strong desire to learn. He would spend hours learning and would work hard on innovative ideas. He also believed that a teacher should be able to help a student build character and human values, alongside enhancing their learning capacity.

On his birth anniversary, an old video has been making rounds, where a student is seen asking Kalam the reason behind his words, "The best brains of the nation could be found in the last benches of the classrooms". To this, he responds that he too "was a last bencher". Adding on to it, he says that everybody comes along with certain knowledge, and a good teacher would be able to identify everyone as a student with a capacity regardless of the bench they are seated at.

Deputy Chief Minister of the Government of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, remembers the great teacher for this and says, "His life, and his vision of an educated, empowered India continues to inspire us all to work towards realising the goal of quality education for each child".

Several student groups also joined along in the World Students Day celebrations and posted their different ways of marking the day.

The Future Agriculture Leaders of India, which educates and brings together young people into modern farming, posted a tweet that remembered his famous words, "Great challenge of transforming rural India can be achieved through youth which has got the power of ideas, ambition and ability".

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