The body of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who died in Shillong on Monday evening, was carried to Delhi early Tuesday morning by a special aircraft from Guwahati.
'When I read page number 50 of Transcendence, second paragraph, there he writes, "No more manoeuvres are required any more, as I am placed in my final position in eternity".' 'And within a month of that. he was no more.'
Here was an Indian like you and me, who reached the country's highest office without compromising on his integrity or values. Here was a politician who was not a Muslim, or Tamil, or a boatman's son -- but an Indian president, who opened his office to all Indians, says Sriram Karri.
As protests rage in Kudankulam and reach a crescendo, V Ponraj, scientific advisor to Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, speaks about the report he and the former Indian President prepared in this interview with rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.
'We will teach them about our idol Mohammad Sahab and all the great men of other religions as well -- about Shri Ram, Krishna, Yeshu, Bhagwan Mahavir.' 'We want children from the madrasas to become doctors, engineers, scientists, soldiers and walk in the footsteps of Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.' 'That is why we have named the modern madrasas after Dr Kalam.'
'His simple lifestyle, his optimism, his hard work and his genuine humility made him an authentic role model to millions of children, many of them growing up in challenging circumstances.'
When elected on July 18 -- which is almost a certainty, given the NDA's numbers in the electoral college -- Droupadi Murmu will be the first President born after Independence.
Parliament on Tuesday hailed A P J Abdul Kalam as the "real gem" of India, saying the death of the former President has taken away its "true son" who became the driving force behind the country's space and missile programme.
'I still remember back in 1971, the night they both got the news that Dr Vikram Sarabhai had died at his hotel in Kovalam, and rushing off with tears in their eyes.'
Staff working at the Rashtrapati Bhavan recount how the 11th president lived a simple lifestyle and always cared for them.
'The group having rice flour and wheat flour showed an increase in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and the group that took the jackfruit flour had a significant decrease in HbA1c.' 'Our results showed a decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) and postprandial glucose (PPG) after the green jackfruit flour meal.'
The BJP has vehemently criticized the Karnataka government's decision to provide four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts, labeling it an "unconstitutional misadventure." The party has pledged to challenge the move in court and has vowed to oppose it at all levels. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress party has defended the reservation, arguing that it aligns with constitutional provisions. The issue has led to heated exchanges in the Karnataka Assembly, with both parties accusing each other of engaging in appeasement politics.
Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for a national memorial dedicated to country's former President APJ Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, marking the first death anniversary of the 'missile man'.
Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, passed away in Lisbon at the age of 88 on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
Dr Kalam, the scientist with the poet's heart, started the journey of his life from a small town in Tamil Nadu.
President A P J Abdul Kalam will deliver the first Dhirubhai Ambani Memorial Lecture, instituted in the memory of the late chairman of Reliance Group of Industries, in Mumbai on July 6.
The NDA made it clear that this does not mean that Shekhawat had opted out of the race in favour of Kalam.
The museum has the former President's belongings including clothes, books, souvenirs and citations presented to him by various institutions and organisations.
The memorial has been built at a cost of Rs 15 crore on land alloted by the Tamil Nadu government at Kalam's village Peikarambu.
People queued up to pay their final respects to former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Ahead of Republic Day, the Indian Army announced on Thursday the addition of two new features to this year's parade: battlefield surveillance systems and a Defebce Research and Development Organisation tableau showcasing Pralay, short-range ballistic missiles.
In 2005, when Rediff.com met Arvind Thiagarajan, he was 25-year-old young inventor with a couple of patents to his credit. Today, he has more than 40 patents to his credit.
Srijan Pal Singh, advisor to President A P J Abdul Kalam, recalls his final journey to IIM-Shillong.
The meeting between Dr Singh and Kalam came ahead of the Congress Working Committee session, which discussed the situation in UP.
On July 25, Pranab Mukherjee will leave Rashtrapati Bhavan and move into 10 Rajaji Marg in Lutyens' Delhi.
Former president of Atlas Cycles Salil Kapoor allegedly died by suicide at his home in Lutyens' Delhi on Tuesday. In a purported suicide note recovered from the spot, he mentioned "financial burden" on him and harassment by four people, the police said, adding said they were investigating the matter from all possible angles.
'We started AgniKul to show that space transportation should be as simple as road transportation.'
Former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, visiting Washington, DC, did what he does best and likes the most in recent years -- talking to and engaging with students. But, Kalam was also not averse to conveying the message to the powers that be in the US that their reluctance to utilize the core competence of India in science and technology was to their detriment and cited the example of the joint ventures between Indian and Russian scientists.
Solutions to seven major problems -- relating to solar power, nuclear power, healthcare, HIV/AIDS, stem cell research, forecasting of earthquake and precision forecasting of rain content for particular cloud condition -- were challenging areas for the young researchers, Kalam said.
'It was my first day in office, so you cannot blame me for the missing photos.' 'I had to join the office and sit on the chair at a particular mahurat time.'
'A government whose policies are focused around making the life of ordinary citizens, specially the most deprived sections, richer; a government that prioritises education, health and transport, that doesn't treat its citizens as subjects who must come to it for everything, is rare in our country.' 'When such a government is thrown out, one is left stunned,' notes Jyoti Punwani.
Issuing a statement after disembarking from the submarine, Kalam said he was convinced that the submarines force could shoulder ''much higher technical and professional challenges''.
'As a nation we came up short, but that did not deter Kalam. He made it his life mission to exhort the young to greatness.'
It was good fortune for India to have Atal Bihari Vajpayee lead the government at a crucial moment in our history. He avoided India meeting the fate of Iraq or Ukraine, asserts military historian Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam has said he is yet to receive an apology from Continental Airlines for frisking him at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi in April this year.
The high point of the President's visit was the signing of three important agreements in natural gas, satellite-based remote sensing and promotion of Buddhist studies.
