Kalam's Family And Childhood

APJ Abdul Kalam was born into a middle class tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in 1931. His father is Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma. He had a very secure childhood both materially and emotionally. Rameswaram was famous for it's secularism. Hindus and muslims lived together like brothers. Spirituality and philosophy were given prominence.

In the words of Jainulabdeen. "Troubles and adversity come to teach us,in and jolt us out of complacency and self conceit".



JAINULABDEEN

Kalam believed that happiness and piece of mind come to us from with in, and not from external sources. When he was 6 years old, he says he was thrilled to watch his father build a sail boat to take people from Rameswaram to Dhanuskonda, a place of pilgrimage. The boat was built on the wood was seasoned over open fires for the various parts that were required. His father did quick business with the sail boat. Unfortunately, some time later it was destroyed in a severe cyclone that struck Rameswaram. How ever, his father was much more worried about the falling down of the Pamban bridge when a train filled with passengers was upon it. Dr. Kalam says that he learnt a great deal from his father's feelings for others and even from the train disaster. He was exposed to the force and energy of the sea which man could not control. Jallaluddin and Kalam were friend's inspite of the age difference. Jallaluddin married kalam's sister, Zohara. He was the only person in that island who could write English. His influence was more on Kalam, as he was the person who exposed Kalam to the latest discoveries. Literature and science. Kalam acquired different books from the personal library of STR Manikam.

Samsuddin is another person who helped Kalam. He used to distribute newspapers(Danamani) in those days. When Kalam was 8 years old, second world war broke out in 1939. Rameswaram was tucked up in the southern part of India. So it was unaffected by the war.

Kalam learend many things from heredity and environment. He learned honesty, self discipline, kindness and deep-rooted faith in goodness from his parents. From Jallaluddin and Samsuddin he learned "Wisdom was based in intuition rather than instruction" practice makes man perfect.


    MOSQU WHERE KAlAM AND HIS FAMILY USE TO OFFER THEIR PRAYERS

Close Friends In Kalam's Childhood and Schooling

Ramanadha Sastry,Arvindan,Sivaprakasan.

The impact of Rameswaram is also there on the life of Kalam.He brought up imbibing both Muslims and Hindu cultures in the form of bed time stories by his mother and grandmother.

Social Ranking : When Kalam was in his 5th class at Rameswaram elementary school.Kalam and Ramanadha Sastry sat together in front row.The new teacher could not tolerate a Hindu boy sitting with a Muslim and Kalam was asked to sit at the back bench in accordance to his Social ranking.Both of them complained to their parents and the next day.Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher saying that.

"You must not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent Children".

PAKSHI LAKSHMANA SASTRY :



Siva Subramania Iyer: He belonged to an orthodox Brahmin family.His wife was a conservative lady.One day he invited Kalam to his house for a meal.His wife refused to serve.He served himself and sat down before Kalam.His wife watched them from behind the kitchen door.When Kalam was leaving his house,he invited Kalam for a meal again in the next week end.Next week,his wife invited Kalam inside her kitchen and served him food with her own hands.

Siva Subramania Iyer always says,
"Kalam,you must develop your skills so that you can compete with the highly educated people in big cities".

The thought of nativity developed in the mind of Kalam from his childhood onwards after listening to the words of Gandhiji.
"Indians would build their own India".After completing his education in Rameswaram Elementary School,he would like to go to Ramanadhapuram,and join Schwartz High School.

His father says :
"Abdul! Going away is a part of growing up.Our love will not bind you nor will our needs hold you".

Jallaludin inspired kalam by his words about the power of positive thinking.One should strive to control his/her thoughts and,through those,to influence his/her destiny.

Iyadurai Solomon :He was warm and open-minded,and he made his students fell comfortable in class.During Kalam's stay at Rameswaram,he become his mentor.He made him realise,among other thing's,that one could exercise enormous influence over the events of one's own life.
"With faith you can change your destiny".

 

Teachers at Schwartz High School—Iyadurai Solomon (standing, left) and Ramakrishna Iyer (sitting, right).

They  are the best examples of small-town Indian teachers committed to nurturing talent.

          The simple surroundings of Schwartz High School, Ramanathapuram.

Kalam was always fascinated by the mysteries contained in the skies and the flight of birds.Kalam had acquired a practical bent of mind.he used to stay in a hostel at St.Joseph's college.He had two roommates one an Orthodox Iyengar Brahmin from Srinagar,and the other a syrian Christian from Kerala.In this final year at St.Joseph's he acquired a taste for English literature and Philosophy.Kalam developed a keen interest in Physics.He joined B.Sc at St.Joseph's.At that time he had no knowledge of other areas of higher education or of Professional Courses.Later he realized that he needed to take up Engineering to realize his dreams.

Kalam's Higher Education

'Better late than never' he decided.

He applied for admission at the Madras Institute Of Technology (MIT).It is an expensive affair.Zohara(Kalam's sister) mortgaged her bangles and chain in order to see him educated.He would like to redeem her bangles.The only way to do that was to study hard and get a Scholarship.After joining in MIT,he selected Aeronautical Engineering.Kalam's goal was very clear."He was going to fly air craft".

Influence of teachers in MIT on Kalam's life : Prof Sponder,KAV Pandalai,Narasingha Rao.Their instructions formed the foundation on which Kalam later built his Professional career.All were distinct personalities different in many ways but sharing a Common trait-The capacity to feed their students hunger with brilliance and untiring zeal.
Prof.Sponder-Technical Aerodynamics.

Walter Repenthin-Head of Aeronautics Department.

Kurt Tank-Aeronautical Engineer designed German Focke Wulf FW 190.Later joined HAL(Hindustan Aeronautics Limited)at Banglore designed first jet fighter.HF-24 marut.

One should never worry about one's foundations,but have a sufficient amount of aptitude and passion for one's chosen field of study.

Prof.Pandalai-Aero structure design and analysis unlocked the Secrets of the structural Engineering to the students.

Prof.Narasingha Rao-Mathematician-Theoretical Aero Dynamics.

In Kalam's final year Prof.Srinivasan(Director of MIT) gave him a project and reviewed his work and declared disappointing.Kalam pleaded him foe a month's time to complete the task.But,he gave him 3 days.Kalam was successful in performing the given task perfectly.Besides academic activities.Kalam used to participate in extra-curricular activities.He wrote an article."Let us make our own air craft"Tamil.Prof.Sponder asked Kalam to come and sit in the front row in a class Photograph.
He said "You are my best student.I believe your hard work will help you heap honor on your teachers".

Kalam's Career

Kalam started his career as a trainee at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Banglore.After that,he got two different opportunities for employment.They were Indian Air Force and a job at the Directorate of Technical Development and Productions of the Minister of Defence (DTD & P).
He applied for both and called for interviews at both places almost simultaneously.That was the first encounter of kalam with the vastness of our country.In the interviews the emphasis was mainly on personalities,physical fitness and the ability to speak well.Kalam was excited but nervous,determined but anxious,confident but tense.He was not selected in IAF.In order to overcome his disappointment he went to Rushikesh.He went to the Sivananda Ashram ther.He met Swamy Sivananda,who seemed him to be the image of Buddha.

He comforted Kalam with his words-"Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life.What you are destined to becomes not revealed as ye,but it is predetermined.Forget this failure.Think of it as a step that will lead you to your predestined path".Then he returned to Delhi and enquired at DTP & P about the outcome of his interview.In response he was handled his appointment letter.He joined as a Senior Scientific Assistant in a basic salary of Rs.250 per month.
In 1958 he was posted at the technical center (Civil Aviation).Then he was sent to Air Craft and Armament Testing Unit(A & ATU) at Kanpur to gain actual experience and practice in aircraft maintenance.IT was his first exposure to an Industrial area.The environment was completely different from his native town.Three years later.Aeronautical Development Establishment(ADE) was born in Banglore.He was posted to the new establishment.A project leader was formed to design and develop an indigenous hover craft prototype,a Ground Equipment

Mechanism(GEM).No one is veteran.they had to refer books and consult different persons knowledgeable is that area,but could find none.With the limited information and resources available,they decided to go ahead.At last produce a wingless,light swift machine opened the windows of his mind.VK Krishna Menon was the defence minister of India at that time.That hovercraft was named as Nandi,after the impressive white bull who acts as Shiva's vehicle.Defence minister was so convinced with the project.But,by the new govt. not many people shared his dream.It was one of his set backs.

The twin-engine indigenous hovercraft prototype Nandi developed at ADE, Banglore.As inventor and pilot,I took my rightful place at the controls.

   
In this period of confusion and uncertainty,memories from his childhood came back to him.Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry used to say."seek the truth,and the truth shall set you free".Accordingly to Bible"Ask & you shall receive".

One day Dr.Mediratte=a,Drector of ADE,called Kalam and asked him to give a talk on his hovercraft to an important visitor.Kalam had explained every thing and took a ten minute ride in that hover craft.That man was Prof.MGK Menon,Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR).After a week,he received a call from the Indian Committee for Space Research(INCOSPAR),to attend an interview for the post of rocket Engineer.That was the first encounter of Kalam with the father of Indian Space Research,Prof.Vikram Saravhai,Kalam had started his work at INCOSPAR,with familiarization course at the TIFR computer center.The atmosphere is entirely different from DTD & P.In 1962,INCOSPAR wanted to set up it's Equatorial Rocket Launching station at Thumba,near Trivandrum in Kerla.St.Mary Magdalene Church housed the first office of the Thumba Space Center.Kalam was asked to attend a 6 months training programme on sounding rocket launching techniques at the NASA work center in the USA.Kalam went to Rameswaram.Jallaluddin and Samsuddin gave him send off at Bombay airport.That was his first flight to a mega polis like New York.

He joined work at NASA's research center in Virginia Kalam had seen a painting at the reception.He examined clearly and came to a conclusion that it was the army of Tipusultan fighting the British East India's company towards the end of the 18th century India's first rocket launch took place on 21 November 1963.It was a sounding rocket programme.With the death of Tipu Sultan Indian rocketry came to a standstill.Reverse Engineering was revised again after 150 years.In that time foreigners made a lot of research on rocketry.Konstanfin Tsiolkovsky in Russia(1903),Robert Goddard in USA(1914)and Hermann Oberth in Germany(1923) gave rocketry new dimensions.

Prof.Vikram Sarabhai took on the challenge of space research.Vision of Sarabhai Sri Jawaharlal Nehru "If India was to play a meaningful role in the community of nations,she must be second to none in the applications of advanced technologies".

View Of Kalam On Sarabhai

Prof.Sarabhai was always keen on trying novel ideas and he liked to rope in young people to do that.He was an innovator.He had a lot of faith in the capabilities of youth and novice.
This was precisely the situation at INCOSPAR in the early sixties.A group of young and inexperienced,but energetic and enthusiastic persons who had been given the task of shaping the Indian spirit of self-reliance in the field of science and technology in general and of space research in particular.Their biggest qualification at INCOSPAR were not their dergrees and training,but Prof.Sarabhai's faith in their capabilities.It was a great example of leadership by trust.

Prof.Srabhai's optimism was highly contagious .The very news of his coming to Thumba would electrify the people,and all laboratories,workshops and design offices would hum with unceasing activity.People would work around the clock in their enthusiasm to show Prof.Sarabhai something new something that had not been done before in our country.

Kalam often read Khalil Gibran,and always find his words full of wisdom."Bread baked without love is bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger".Those who cannot work with their hearts achieve a hollow,half-hearted success that only breeds bitterness within.

If you are a writer who would secretly prefer to be a lawyer or a doctor,your written words will feed only half the hunger of your readers,if you are a teacher who would rather be working a business,your teaching will meet only half the need for knowledge of your students,if you are a scientist who hates science,your performance will satisfy only half the needs of your mission.It is critical to become emotionally involved with one's work,such that any obstruction to the success of that work fills one with grief.

Kalam worked with several people whose dedication to work is exemplary.One such was Prof.Oda who was an X-ray payload scientist from the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Sciences(ISAS),Japan.He was a tiny man with a lowering personality and eyes that radiated intelligence.The X-ray payloads he brought would be engineered by Kalam's team to fit into the nose cone of Rohini.
One day,when Kalam was working on the integration of Prof.Oda's payload with my timer devices,he insisted on pushing the timers he had brought from Japan.Prof.Oda stuck to his hand that the Indian timers must be replaced by the Japanese ones.Kalam yielded to his suggestion and replaced the timers.

The rocket took off elegantly and attained the intended altitude.Soon however,the telemetry signal reported mission failure on account of timer malfunction .Prof.Oda was so upset that tears welled up his eyes.Kalam was stunned by the intensity of Prof.Oda's response.He clearly cared very deeply to see that his work was of consequence.

Two Indian rockets were born at Thumba.They were christened Rohini and Menaka,after the two mythological dancers in the court of Indra.It was also a huge achievement that the Indian payloads no longer needed to be launched by French rockets.

Prof.Sarabhai utilized each person's knowledge and skills,making every member every member of the staff feel directly involved in the problem solving.At the same time,if he found any one of this with a excessive workload,or attempting a task without the required capability or skill,he would reorganize their work activity so as to reduce the pressure on them and help them to perform better.

Group Captain VS Narayan from the IAF came to Prof.Sarabhai and unfolded his plan of developing a Rocket-Assisted Take OFF system(RATO) for military aircraft.This would help the fighter plane to take off from the short runways in the Himalayas.Prof.Sarabhai rose asked Kalam to accompany him to Tilpat range,on the outskirts of New Delhi.

The Indian Air Force was in dire need of a large number of RATO motors for their S-22 and HF-24 aircrft.RATO motors were mounted on aircraft to provide the additional thrust required during take off aircraft flying under adverse operating conditions like partially bombed runways high altitude airfields,heavier than prescribed load on very high temperatures.Release of 10 years profile for space research in the country prepared by Sarabhai.

Kalam With Prof Vikram Sarabhai, a great visionary and the master planner behind India's.Missile Development programme,at Thumba.

Establishment Of SHAR

In 1969, Prof.,Sarabhai decided to launch the satellited indigenously.He took part in the aerial survey of the cast coast for a possible site.He concentrated on the east coast so that the launch vehicle could take full advantage of the Earth's West rotation.He finally chose Sriharikota Island a 100Kms north of Madras.This was a crescent shaped island has a maximum width of 8Kms and lies alongside the coastline.

SLV 3 Project

Prof.,Sarabhai hand picked a team to give form to the dream of an Indian SLV.Klam was the project manager.It has 4 stages.Dr.V.R.Gowarikar,Mr.Kurup,AE Muthunayagram,Kalam were given the talk of designing the 4 stages of SLV respectively.
Kalam always allowed mistakes as a part of the learning process.He prefer a dash and Persistence to perfection.At first Kalam was unable to manage time.He learned time management.Then Dr.Curien,a French visitor,President of CNES came to their work center.He was impressed by the work of Kalam's team.Kalam used to write notes to colleagues on engineering and design,requesting definite action within 5 or 10 days.he conducted meetings weekly once at least.With three deaths in the family in as many years.Kalam needed total commitment to the work in order to keep performing.He wanted to throw all his being into creating the SLV.
The primary goals of the mission were to realize were to realize a fully integrated a launch vehicle and to evaluate on-board system as well as the ground system.The 23 meter-long,4 stage SLV rocket,weighing 17 tones,finally took off elegantly at 0758 hrs and started following its programmed trajectory.Stage 1 performed to perfection.Stage 2 went out of control.The flight was terminated after 317 seconds and the vehicle with other 2 stages crashed into the seas.Kalam recollected all his past failures and went asleep.A gentle touch on his shoulder woke him up.He was Dr Brahma Prakash who had waited for him to have launch with him.He made a light conversation with Kalam carefully avoiding the topic of SLV3.He gave him vital emotional support and guidance.
The post flight review was attended by more than 70 scientists all of whom were keen to pin point the reasons for the malfunctioning of the vehicle.At the time of enquiry Kalam stood up and took the entire responsibility of the mission failure.Dr.Brahma Prakash was retired in November 1979.His belief in team spirit had inspired the management pattern of SLV3,which latter became the blue print for all the scientific projects in the country.he had always been a sheet-anchor.he not only reinforced the traits which Kalam had acquired from Prof.Sarabhai,but also helped him give them new dimensions.he said "The importance of the peak lies only in the fact that it defines the sides."
On July 1980,India's first satellite launch vehicle,SLV3 lifted off from SHAR.All stages performed to the mission requirements.The fourth stage apogee motor had given the required velocity to put Rohini satellite into orbit.It was the culmination of a national dream and the beginning of a very important phase in the nation's history.

  "SLV-3 on the launch pad. This gave us many anxious moments!"-Kalam.

"A presentation by a member of my SLV-3 team. In an unusual move, I made each of them present their portion of the work -my idea of project management"-Kalam.

Kalam's Failures

Kalam worked on Diamond stage 4.After 2 years of effort,when they were about to delivery it to CNES,the french suddenly cancelled the programme,was the disappointment he got when he failed to get in to the IAF,and second was the abortion of Nandi project at ADF.

When the RATO project was underway,the SLV project slowly started taking shape.One day Sarabhai had given demonstration on the art of team building.Two men were competent to carry out the task of developing telecommand system.one was experienced and sophisticated U.R.Rao and the other a relatively unknown experiment,G.Madhavan Nair.Kalam was deeply impressed by Madhavan Nair's dedication and abilities.He was hard worker and not only lived up to the expectations of his leader but he even went beyond them.

Prof.Sarabhai's approach to mistakes rested on the assumptions that they were inevitable but generally manageable.Sarabhai came to Thumba and was requested to formally activate the operation of nose cone jetting mechanism.Nothing happened when he pressed the button.They were dumbstuck.Then they reforged some connections and then for the second time the pyros were fired and the nose cone was jettisoned.Then Kalam got an order from Sarabhai to meet him at Kovalam palace hotel.There Sarabhai revealed his idea to start rocket engineering section.On 30th December 1971 Sarabhai passed away with cardiac arrest.It was a great blow to Indian space research.he was considered as "Mahatma of Indian Science".As a tribute to Sarabhai the whole complex at Thumba was merged to form an integrated space center named "Vikram Sarabhai Space Center"(VCSS).Dr.Brahma Prakash was its first director.

4th Failure : The RATO system was successfully tested.A high performance Sukhoi 16 aircraft became after a short run of 1200m,as against its usual run of 2000m.It was aborted as the aircraft used in that became obsolete.


Pail Of Gloom In The Life Of Kalam : Death of Jallaluddin,his mentor and brother in law followed by his father Jainulabdeen,followed by his mother Ashiamma with in a few month's gape in between.

 

Qualities Of A Good Team Leader

A good team leader must posses commitment and must be able to make his team members work together.He should have a dash of darling and persistence to perfection.He had to get the team together by conducting review meetings frequently.In that meeting he had to praise the team for their little achievements.Leaders exist at every level.Constant observation is required.In the view of Prof.Sarabhai,we have to use errors to encourage new ideas.A leader must be a mentor.He had to guide his team members in a proper way.He should inspire the team by through both idea and example.Work is the most important motivation for any leader.For any person team spirit is very important (i.e)each member works to enrich the others in the team and enjoy the experience of teamwork.

A team leader has to adopt a delicate balance the hands-on and hands-off system.In the hands-on approach the team leader takes an active interest in the team's work,on a regular basis.The hand-off approach trusts the team and recognizes their needs for autonomy to carry out their roles as they see fit.It hinges on their self motivation.When a leader goes too far with the hands-on approach,she/he seems to be an anxious and inheriting type .Getting too hands-off can be seen as abandoning responsibility or not being interested.Abdul kalam always follows hands-off system.He never interferes in the work of his team.But gives suggestions when required.

Anyone who has taken up the responsibility to lead a team can be successful only when they are given freedom and power.Abdul Kalam had given two techniques he adopted to strengthen his personal freedom.The first is to build the education and skills.To become a successful leader one has to stay back after the din and clatter of working day to review the work done and merge better equipped to face a new day.The second way is to develop a passion for personal responsibility.

Prof.VikramSarabhai,Prof.SatishDhawan,Dr.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,WernerVonBraun, Dr.BrahmPrakash are the best examples for the team leaders.Prof.Dhawan is a man with a mission.He would effortlessly pull all the loose ends for work to move smoothly.To succeed in a mission one must have single-minded devotion to one's goal.Total commitment is the common denominator among all the successful men and women.

Werner Von Braun's Achievements

After successfully testing the SLV-3 motor.Dr.Brahma Prakash informed that Werner Von Braun would be visiting Thumba.kalam went to receive him in Madras.

Everybody working in rocketry knows of Braun,who made the lethal V-2 missiles that devastated London in World War 2.In the final stages of the war,Braun was captured by the Allied forces.As attribute to his genius,Von Braun was given a top position in the rocketry programme at NASA.Working for the US Army,Braun produced the landmark Jupiter missile,which was the first IRBM with a 3,000Km range.

The V-2 missile was by far the greatest single achievement in the history of rockets and missiled.It was the culmination of the efforts of Braun and his team in the VFR(Society Of Space Flight,ion Germany) in the 1920s.Braun became the technical director of the German Missile Laboratory at Kummersdorf.The first V-2 missile was tested upon successful in June 1942.It toppled over on to its side and exploded.But on 16 August 1942,it became the first missile to exceed the speed of sound.

He is a scientist,designer,production engineer,administrator and technology manager,all rolled into one.

He is a person who always gives attention to the people who are in different fields like a student.He is the father of modern rocketry.He is so humble,receptive and encouraging.He had become a cult figure in America after creating the Saturn rocket in the Apollo mission(which put the first man on the moon).Kalam saw some ideas of Prof.Vikram Sarabhai in Werner Von Braun.It made him happy to think so.

Braun says,
"America is a country of great possibilities,but they took upon everything un-American with suspicion and contempt.They suffer from a deep-rooted NIH-Not Invented Here-complex,and look down on alien technologies.If you want to do any thing in rocketry,do it yourself."

He continued "SLV-3 is genuine Indian design and you may be having your own troubles.But you should always remember that one doesn't just build on successes,but also on failures.Mere hard work cannot fetch you honor,Building a rock wall is back breaking work.There are some people who build rock walls all their lives.And when they die,they leave behind miles of walls,mute testimony to how hard they had worked.

"But there are others who,while placing one rock on top of another,have a vision.It may be to create a terrace with roses climbing over the rock walls and chairs set out for lazy summer days.Or the rock wall enclose an apple orchard or mark a boundary.What matters is that when they have more than a wall.It is this goal that makes the difference".

"Do not make rocketry your profession or your livelihood-make it your religion,your mission".

Difference Between Communication & Conversation

Communication always gets confused with conversation.In fact,the two are distinctly different.Kalam is a terrible conversationalist,but consider himself a good commutator.A conversation is full of pleasantries could be devoid of any useful information,whereas communication is meant only,for the exchange of information.It is very important to realize that communication is a two-party affair which aims at passing on or receiving a specific piece of information.

Two gurus of Indian Space Research who mentored and gently guided the young.

Flow While Working

Flow is an overwhelming and joyous experience while working.It is a sensation anyone experiences when he/she acts with total commitment.

The desire to work at optimum capacity leaves hardly any room for anything else.Kalam had people who would scoff at the 40 hours a week job they were paid for.He knew others who worked 60,80 and even 100 hours a week because they found their work exciting and rewarding.Total commitment is the common denominator among all successful men and women.Good health and boundless energy is required.Climbing to the top demands strength.

During flow,action follows action according to an internal logic,there seems to be no need of confusion intervention on the part of the worker.There is no hurry and there are no distracting demands on one's attention.The distinction between self and the activity disappears.

The team working on SLV was experiencing flow.Although they worked hard,they were very relaxed,energetic and fresh.There are two requirements to get into the flow.They are:
1. To work hard as you can at something that presents a challenge.
2.Availability of a significant span of uninterrupted time.

Kalam had experienced this state many times,almost every day of the SLV-3 mission.There have been days in the laboratory when he had looked up to find the laboratory empty and realized that it was way past his work hours.On other days,Kalam and his team members had been so caught up their work that the lunch hour slipped by without their conscious.

"Dr Brahm Prakash inspecting SLV-3 in its final phase of integration. He helped me deal with subsequent frustrations in its launching and consoled me when I was at my lowest ebb"-Kalam.

VSSC Goals After The Launch Of SLV-3

SLV-3 had been successfully completed,VSSC had to re-organize its resources and redefine its goals.Kalam wanted to be relieved of project activities.Consequently,Prakash Sandlas from his term was made the project director for the SLV-3 Continuation Project,which aimed at making operational satellite launch vehicle of a similar class.

  Prof Satish Dhawan and Kalam explaining SLV-3 results to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

With a view to upgrading the SLV-3 by means of certain,technological innovations,the development of Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicles(ASLVs)had been on the anvil for some time.The aim was to enhance the SLV-3 payload capability from 40kg to 50kg.MSR Dev from his team was appointed project Director ASLV.

To reach the sun-synchronous orbit(900km),a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV) was to be made.The Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle.(GSLV) was also envisaged,through as a distant dream.Kalam took up the position of Director.Aerospace Dynamics and Design Group,so that he could configure the forthcoming launch vehicles and technology development.

The existing VSSC infrastructure was inadequate to handle the size and weight of the future launch vehicle systems.The implementation of all these projects was going to require highly specialized facilities.New sites were identified for the expanded activities of VSSC at Vaattiyoorkavu and Valiamala.

Fresh planning and analysis,especially of facilities,started.Some of the activity they undertook at that moment paved the way for the formulation of the Re-entry experiment(REX) whcih,much later on,became Agni.

By the advice of Prof.Raja Ramana,Kalam would like to shift to Rocketry.On the Republic day of 1981 Kalam got Padma Bhushan award,which brought different reactions in ISRO.Republic day 1990 Kalam got Padma Vibhushan award.He got highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1997.On 25 July 2002 he was sworn in as the 11th President of our country.

 Receiving the Padma Bushan from Dr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, then President of India.

 Receiving the Bharat Ratna from President KR Narayanan.

GMDP Changed To IGMDP

In order to speed up the pace of R&D activities at DRDL,decisions on vital scientific,technical and technological problems had to be taken quickly.Through out his career Kalam had sincerely pursued openness in scientific matters could be discussed collectively.Thus,a high level body called the Missile Technology Committee was formed within DRDL.They also evolved a programme by which middle level scientists and engineers could be involved in the management activities of the laboratory.

After days of debate and thinking,the long term guided missile development programme was drawn up.Kalam had read somewhere,"The great thing in the world is not knowing so much where we stand,as in what direction we are moving".

To draw up a clear and well defined missile development programme for the production of indigenous missiles,a committee was constituted under Kalam's chairmanship.They drafted a paper for the Cabinet Committee for Political Affairs(CCPA) to study.The paper was given its final shape after consulting the representative of the three Defence services-the army,navy and airfoce.They estimated an expenditure of about Rs.390 crore,spread over a period of twelve years.

Development programmes often get stuck by the time they reach the production stage,mainly because of lack of funding.They wanted to get funds to develop and produce two missiles a low level quick reaction tactical core vehicle,and a medium range surface to surface weapons system.DRDL had been known for its pioneering work in the field of anti-tank missiles.They proposed to develop a third generation anti tank guided missile having fire and forget capabilities.All his colleagues were pleased with the proposal.They saw an opportunity to pursue fresh activities.

Kalam made a presentation to the government which the Defence minister presided over,and which was attended by the three service chiefs and senior officials.Everyone seemed to have all sorts of doubts on their capabilities.The technological infrastructure,viability,schedule and cost.Dr.Arunachalam stood questioned their ambitious proposal,everyone was very excited the idea of India having her own missile systems.In the end,they were asked by Defence Minister R.Venkataraman to meet him in the evening,about three hours later.

They spent the intervening time working out possibilities.When they met the defence minister in the evening,Kalam had launch that they were going to get some funds at least.But,when he suggested that they launch an integrated GMDP instead of making missiles in phases,they could not believe their ears,and begged for time to rethink.
"Come back tomorrow morning,please,with your plan",the defence minister replied.

That night,Dr.Arunachalam and Kalam laboured together to rework their plan.They worked out some important changes in their proposal.They took all the variables such as design,Fabrication system integration,experimental flights,evaluation,updating,user trails,quality reliability and financial viability into account.They wanted to deliver contemporary missiles to our defence services and not some outdated list of weapons.A very exciting challenge had been thrown to them.

By the time we finished our work,it was morning suddenly,at the breakfast table,remembered that Kalam was to attend his niece Zameela's wedding at Rameswaram that evening.But,by then it was already too late to do anything.Zameela was more like a daughter to him.The thought of missing her wedding was very distressing.He finished breakfast and left for the meeting since there was nothing he could do.

The defence minister was visible pleased with their proposal,which had turned overnight into the blueprint of an integrated programme with far-reaching consequences.It would have wide ranging technological spin offs,and was exactly what the defence minister had in mind the previous evening.He cleared the entire proposal.

The defence minister put up their proposal before the cabinet and saw it through.An unprecedented amount of Rs.388 crore was sanctioned.Thus was born India's prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme(IGMDP).When Kalam presented the government's sanction letter before the Missile Technology Committe at DRDL.,they were not only excited,but full of fire and action.

Qualities Kalam Saw In Selecting Project Director's For The Missiles

The launch of IGMDP was like a bright flash on the Indian scientist firmament.Missile technology had been considered the monopoly of a few selected nations in the world.People were curious to see how India was going to achieve all that was promised.The magnitude of IGMDP,was really unprecedented in the country.Getting the go ahead and funds for the programme could at best be seen as only ten present of the work done.To get it going would be quite a different matter altogether.

During this period,the most important task before Kalam was the selection of the project directors to lead individual missile projects.DRDL had a large pool of highly talented people,many of whom were,unfortunately,egotistical.The question was whom to pick a go getter,a planner,a maverick,a dictator or a team man.He had to get the right type of leader who could clearly visualize the goal and channelise the energies of the team members working at different work centers.

It was difficult game,some rules of which he had learnt while working on ISRO's high priority projects for two decades.The wrong choice would jeopardize the entire future of the programme.

Many of his senior colleagues tried to be friend him during that period.He respected their concern for a lonely man,but avoided any close contacts.Through loyalty to a friend,one can be easily led into doing something that is not in the best interests of the organization.


His search for someone to lead the Prithvi project ended with Col.VJ Sundaram,who belonged to the EME corps of the Indian Army.He experimented with team work and had an extraordinary capability to evaluate alternative ways of operating.He would suggest moving forward into new terrains.Kalam knew the project director of Prithvi would be the first to make decisions with production agencies and the armed forces and Col.Sundaram would be the ideal choice to see that sound secisons were taken.

For Trishul,Kalam was looking for someone who not only had a sound knowledge of electronics and missile warfare,but who could also communicate these complexities to the team in order to promote understanding and support.He found in Commodore SR Mohan,from the Indian Navy,a talent for detail and an almost magical power of persuasion.

For Agni,his dream project,he needed somebody who would tolerate his occasional meddling in the running of this project.In RN Agarwal he found the right person.He was an alumnus of MIT with a brilliant academic record.He had been managing the aeronautical test facilities at DRDL .

Due to technological complexities,Akash and Nag were then considered missiles of the future,their activities were expected to peak about half a decade later.Therefore,he selected the relatively young Prahlada and NR Iyer.

In those days,issues of general importance could not be openly discussed or decisions debated.Therefore,he formulated the Science Council,a sort of panchayat,where the community would sit together and take common decisions.Every three months,all the scientists,veterans and freshers would sit together and let off steam.

The very fist meeting of the Council was eventful.After a spell of half-hearted enquiries and expressions of doubt,one senior scientist shot a straight shot a straight question at Kalam."On what basis did you select these five Pandavas he meant the project directors"?

Kalam told him to wait and see.He had chosen them to take charge of long term programms where new storms would arise everyday.

Prithvi Launch :

Prithvi was nearing completion in 1988.The importance of these rocket engines was not restricted to the Prithvi project alone.It was a national achievement.Since the interim test range to Balasore was still at least a year away from completion.They setup special facilities at SHAR for the launch of Prithvi.These included a launch pad,block house,control consoles and mobile telemetry stations.He was happily reunited with his old friend MR Kurup who was director of SHAR by then.Working with Kurup on the Prithvi launch campaign gave him great satisfaction.He worked for Prithvi as a team member-ignoring the boundary lines that divided DRDO and ISRO,DRDL and SHAR.Kurup used to spend a lot of time with them at the launch pad.He complemented them with his experience in range testing and range safety.

A seven nation technology embargo was clamped,making it impossible for India to buy anything even remotely connected with the development no guided missiles.The emergence of India as a self reliant country in the field country in the field of guided missiles upset all the developed nations of the world.

Indian core competence in rocketry has been firmly established beyond any doubt.The robust civilian space industry and viable missile based defenses has taken India into a selected club of nations.As he saw it the development of Prithvi represented the self reliance of our country in the field of advanced technology.High technology is synonymous with huge amounts of money and massive infrastructure.Neither of these was available,unfortunately,in adequate measure.The Agni missile was developed as a technology demonstrator project,pooling all the resources available in the country.

 Successful launch of Prithvi,the surface-to-surface weapons system.

 With three Service Chiefs. To my left is Admiral VS Shekhawat, on his right is General BC Joshi, and Air Chief Marshal SK Kaul.