Activity on Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Azad

Date: 1/8/15

Venue: Saraswati Day Care Centre

Coordinator from Department of Home Science (Human Developmant):  Archana Kumari

Number of Students participated from the department: 12

Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam died on 28th July, 2015 after he suffered from a massive cardiac arrest and collapsed during a lecture at the IIM in the Meghalaya capital. The activity was held to make the children of day care centre aware about the former President and Bharat Ratna Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, the ‘missile man’ who became popular as ‘People’s President’.

The activity was started with a brief rapport building session with children. It was followed with a concise introduction of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Azad. The students talked about the early life and education of Dr. Kalam in a very simple language so that the children can understand.

The great thing was that few children knew the full name of Dr. Kalam (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam), his father’s name and occupation. The other details was discussed by the students such as he was born on 15 October 1931 to a Tamil Muslim family in the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram on Pamban Island, then in the Madras Presidency and now in the State of Tamil Nadu. His father Jainulabudeen was a boat owner and imam of a local mosque, his mother Ashiamma was a housewife. Dr. Kalam had very humble origins but he went on to specialise in

He worked with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Indian Space Research Organisation and later went on to become the President in the most unexpected manner during the NDA government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee after an all party consensus minus the Left Front saw him through in an election which he won handsomely.

Children were also informed about the title given to Dr. Kalam- India's "Missile Man". Dr. Kalam was the brain behind the success of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). As Chief Scientific Adviser to the then prime minister Vajpayee, he was also instrumental in the Pokhran nuclear test in 1998. As President, Kalam utilised any opportunity that came to him to address students, especially school children, to dream big so that they became achievers in life. These all was discussed with the help of a picture of missile drawn by the students.

At last children were given a sheet having the picture of missile. They were asked to colour the picture and paste the picture of Dr. Kalam beside it.

Feedback: The children were showing their curiosity to know about Dr. Kalam as they were watching news related to his sudden demise from last two days. Few of them answered very well when asked about Dr. Kalam’s childhood and family background.