India Celebrates Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's Birthday as World Students' Day

GUWAHATI: Today is commemorated as World Students' Day, to acknowledge the efforts of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam towards education and students, on his birthday anniversary on October 15.

The day aims to honour his hard work and dedication as a teacher, a role which he cherished above all else.

World Students Day is celebrated only in India but no one knows how the day's observance originated. The United Nations has confirmed that World Students' Day on October 15 has not been officially declared by the UN.

Kalam was born on October 15th 1931. Kalam was elected as the 11th president of India in 2002. Widely referred to as the "People's President", he returned to his civilian life of education, writing and public service the very next day after his tenure as the 11th President of India came to an end.

The ex- President became a visiting faculty at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong, Indore and Ahmedabad. He continued to work for his students till the last day of his life. He was delivering a lecture at the IIM Shillong on July 27, 2015, when he collapsed due to cardiac arrest and died at the age of 83.

Kalam was a dedicated teacher and his love for students, finds best voice when he said, "Dream, Dream, Dream, Dreams transform into thoughts. And thoughts result in action."

He is famous for saying that teachers are the builders of society and that a society is built only when the students become proficient in their studies. He also said that teachers should provide a vision for life to the students and instill the fundamental values in them, which they should practice in years to come. He dedicated a better part of his life to education.

Dr Kalam was of the view that students are the future and that the country can attain heights of success with their progressive minds.

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam himself was a dedicated student, with a deep passion to learn. Despite coming from a humble background and facing financial constraints, he graduated in Physics and later studied Aerospace Engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology.

He is known as India's most famous nuclear scientist and was dubbed the 'Missile Man of India'. Kalam is known to have played a crucial role in the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. During his one- term tenure as the country's 11th President between 2002 and 2007, he was fondly referred to as the 'People's President'.

Despite his achievements as a scientist, President and academician, Dr Kalam was loved by everyone for his jovial personality. He never forgot his roots and having been brought up in a humble family, he preferred that the world remember him as a teacher.

Dr Kalam was honoured with most of the prestigious civilian awards including Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna. He also received the Ramanujan Award.

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