A Teacher Forever: Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

"If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honours for me," Dr Abdul Kalam had said once in an interview with a reputed national daily on the occasion of Teacher's Day in 2013.

Yes, such was his penchant for teaching that he even breathed his last teaching students. He was lecturing students of IIM Shillong on that fateful day when all of a sudden he collapsed on the stage and passed away following a cardiac arrest.
He was going to deliver a lecture on "Creating a Livable Planet Earth" on that fateful day.

A Teacher Forever: Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

'Teaching is a very Nobel Profession that shapes the character, calibre and the future of an individual,' was his views and he identified with pain, pressure and aspiration of being a student in the country. He believed that the nation dreams and achieves the height of success through its students and so emphasized the state giving qualitative and enabling environment for the students and the nation to prosper.

"Youth Have a dream and also they have pain. The pain comes out of their dream; they want to live in a peaceful, prosperous, and happy India," he had stated. He wanted India to be a superpower and a developed nation by 2020 and mentioned his ideas for the same in his best-seller book "India 2020."

Unlike most retirees in India, who like to rest and enjoy life, he prefered igniting the minds of students till his last breath. On being asked why he loves lecturing, guiding, and meeting students so much; his reply was "This type of student environment ignite me and leads me to interact with young minds" referring to the enthusiasm of the roaring crowd of the students.

He was not only a teacher to students but he also spared no opportunities to guide and teach his workmates like a fellow scientist and other colleagues.

From President to a Teacher:

After leaving the office, Kalam accepted a lot of teaching assignments.

He became a visiting professor at the IIM Shillong, the IIM Ahmedabad, and the IIM Indore.
He became an honorary fellow of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
He served as the Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram;
He took the job of a visiting professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University; and an adjunct at many other academic and research institutions across India.
When requested, he also taught information technology at the IIIT Hyderabad, BHU and Anna University

Quotes on Teacher

Great teachers emanate out of knowledge, passion and compassion.
A teacher should have a creative mind.

Quote on Education:

Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, and entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role models.

APJ Abdul Kalam: Life and Times

Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam known as the 'Missile Man of India' was the 11th President from 2002 to 2007. He breathed his last at the Bethany Hospital as he suffered a severe heart attack during a lecture at the IIM-Shillong.

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam's life as a President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam's life as a President

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931 at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.

Top 10 Abdul Kalam Books Every Student Should Read Top 10 Abdul Kalam Books Every Student Should Read

A Teacher forever, read here about Dr. Kalam as a teacher.

A great mind, a great scientist, a great professor and a true Indian; the country's most celebrated aerospace and defense scientist and a teacher forever. Read here Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam's contributions towards education.

Popularly known as the 'Missile man of India', and one of the most accomplished scientists of India, Kalam was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and Bharat Ratna in 1997.

Read here the journey of Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam as a scientist.

He played a key role in India's nuclear test in 1998 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.

Read here the path of education and achievements of Dr.Kalam.