Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said she would not attend the last rites of former President A P J Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram owing to her health condition and has deputed seven cabinet colleagues to represent her and the state government at the funeral.
Recalls his personal association with his predecessor, and his scholarly advice.
The former president called up his family in Rameswaram on Sunday to ask about his elder brother's health
"On behalf of the American people, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the people of India on the passing of former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam," Obama said in a statement.
On July 25, Pranab Mukherjee will leave Rashtrapati Bhavan and move into 10 Rajaji Marg in Lutyens' Delhi.
President Kalam was loved by the youth of India. Something evidenced by the mass of student volunteers who have arrived in Rameswaram to mourn and to help out other mourners who have arrived in the island town to pay their last homage to India's 'Missile Man.'
Disclosing this in the academic council meeting of the BHU, Vice Chancellor Punjab Singh announced that the former president has given his consent to join BHU as a visiting professor in the science faculty.
BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan has been awarded the Sansad Ratna for his outstanding performance in the Lok Sabha, becoming the first actor-turned-politician to receive the honour.
What piques the narrative is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah decide on crucial matters, they play it close to their chest, and revel in springing a surprise.
Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar takes us through former president Dr Kalam's museum, situated in his hometown Rameswaram, and brings forth some never-seen-before facets of the life and times of one of India's greatest contemporary visionaries.
President Pranab Mukherjee pays an emotional tribute to APJ Abdul Kalam
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.
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.
The former President also predicted that the conflict between India and Pakistan would be resolved by people power where "the people are going to force the nations to work for the prosperity of the nation and the peace of the nation."
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam on Friday gave 'pass marks' to the over six-decade old Indian democracy awarding it 'five points on a scale of 10', while observing that its fundamental principle to empower citizens will stay forever.
In recognition of his vision, dedication and leadership in the study and advancement of science and engineering, an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering was conferred on former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam by the University of Waterloo at a special convocation recently.
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.
The body of the 'people's President' was brought down to Rameswaram from New Delhi in the afternoon.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav have taken A P J Abdul Kalam into confidence before naming him as one of the Presidential candidates on Wednesday evening.
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam today advocated a three-pronged strategy to combat terror which included raiding and smashing militant hideouts both inside and outside the country.
The round table was organised by the Indian Institute of Science Alumni Association of North America, Pan-IIT, India Community Centre, and TiE Silicon Valley.
Contending that India is a nuclear-weapon state whether the world recognises it or not, former President APJ Abdul Kalam has said the country needs not go for any more atomic tests to prove this status "again and again".
Former president's bungalow in New Delhi was allotted to Union minister Mahesh Sharma.
In its apology to Kalam for frisking him at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in a breach of protocol, it said it did not intend to offend the former President or the sentiments of the people of the country.
Reacting to former President APJ Abdul Kalam's statement that he has not received any communication from Continental Airlines, the United States-based airline on Thursday said that they want to apologise personally to him."Since he is not in Delhi, we are waiting for him to return so that we can apologise personally to Dr Kalam," the airline said.The development came shortly after Dr Kalam said that he is yet to receive an apology from the airlines, for frisking him.
Former president A P J Abdul Kalam has been conferred with a Honourary Doctorate of Science by the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom in recognition of his eminence in the international community as a scientist, educationist and statesman. This is the 33rd Honourary Doctorate received by Kalam from Indian and foreign universities.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma rang up Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee seeking her support for his candidature in the presidential election, Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghose said on Sunday.
"India has the potential to come out of this difficult situation because of its inherent strengths. The strengths are the purchasing power of 400 million middle class citizens and 600 million youth willing to take up challenging missions," Abdul Kalam said at the 14th convocation of IIT, Guwahati.
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.
India and the United States are planning to hold talks on appropriate mechanisms for security screening of dignitaries in the backdrop of frisking of A P J Abdul Kalam at a New York airport with Washington informing New Delhi that the former President was not exempted from security checks.
Former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee wanted to induct A P J Abdul Kalam as a minister in the NDA government in 1998, an offer Kalam declined, four years before he became the President in 2002.
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam, who turned 80 today, celebrated his birthday by planting saplings along with hundreds of children and farmers.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Monday hit out at former president APJ Abdul Kalam for making a statement after so many years that he was ready to swear in Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as the prime minister after the 2004 polls; calling him "hypocrite" and "shallow".
Lord Martin Rees, president of The Royal Society, presented the medal and a scroll to Kalam in the presence of a distinguished gathering, including NRI industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul, Lord Karan Billimoria, chief of the Cobra Beer, Acting High Commissioner of India to the UK Asoke Mukerjee and Lord Meghnad Desai, a leading economist, at the Royal Society.
"The mission has economic and strategic value," Kalam told media persons on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi when asked to comment on the ambitious mission. He, however, refused to elaborate on it further. The lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-I, India's first space mission beyond the earth's orbit, is scheduled for blast off on October 22 from the Sriharikota spaceport.
"Everyone should listen to their conscience before doing anything. Youth and children should come forward and help in eradicating corruption from the country," Kalam said while delivering valedictory address at the National Summit on National Value Crisis and Redressal in New Delhi.
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam had congratulated a constable for remaining alert throughout the day, minutes before he collapsed at the Indian Institute of Management and died in Shillong on Monday night.
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam was twice subjected to frisking at New York's JFK Airport by US security officials who even took his jacket and shoes to check for explosives, sparking outrage by India which threatened retaliatory action against US dignitaries.
"Gujarat registered a sustained agricultural growth of 7 to 9 per cent over the past six years which was far ahead of the country's national average growth of just about 2.5 to 3 per cent."
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances