The fellowship will be operated by the binational US-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) under the Fulbright programme. [28] Kalam played an integral role convincing the Union Cabinet to conceal the true nature of these classified aerospace projects. Rajinikanth Remembers 'Mahatma' APJ Abdul Kalam, Press Trust of India | Thursday July 30, 2015, "From humble beginnings Abdul Kalam ji rose to great heights but continued to live humble and simple," Rajinikanth tweeted, Kerala's Technological University to be Named After President APJ Abdul Kalam, Kerala News | Press Trust of India | Wednesday July 29, 2015. Kalam describes a "transformative moment" in his life when he asked Pramukh Swami, the guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, how India might realise this five-pronged vision of development. [7] Thousands, including national-level dignitaries, attended the funeral ceremony held in his hometown of Rameswaram, where he was buried with full state honours. In the 1970s, Kalam also directed two projects, Project Devil and Project Valiant, which sought to develop ballistic missiles from the technology of the successful SLV programme. [94][95], India reacted to Kalam's death with an outpouring of grief; numerous tributes were paid to the former president across the nation and on social media. Some Lesser Known Facts About Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. A P J Abdul Kalam's Death Has Left Irreplaceable Void: PM Narendra Modi, India News | Indo-Asian News Service | Wednesday July 27, 2016. On his first death anniversary, social media pays homage to the scientist, teacher and inspirational leader by sharing his wonderful words and pictures on Facebook and Twitter. [35][36] In 2012, the duo designed a rugged tablet computer for health care in rural areas, which was named the "Kalam-Raju Tablet". Everywhere both in Internet and in other media, I have been asked for a message. "[89], Following his death, Kalam's body was airlifted in an Indian Air Force helicopter from Shillong to Guwahati, from where it was flown to New Delhi on the morning of 28 July in an air force C-130J Hercules. Kalam was elected as the 11th President of India in 2002 with the support of both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the then-opposition Indian National Congress. A new science centre and planetarium in Lawspet, Puducherry. [100][101], South Asian leaders expressed condolences and lauded the late statesman. He showed the way. These five areas are closely inter-related and if advanced in a coordinated way, will lead to food, economic and national security. [87] Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "Kalam's death is a great loss to the scientific community. India remembered its 11th President, APJ Abdul Kalam on his fifth death anniversary on Monday, July 27. Kalam’s father owned a ferry, which took Hindu pilgrims back and forth between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi (now uninhabited). No manoeuvres are required any more, as I am placed in my final position in eternity. [19] By his early childhood, Kalam's family had become poor; at an early age, he sold newspapers to supplement his family's income. He was a great humanitarian and a visionary who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007, taught students and achieved milestones as a scientist. [85] Despite being placed in the intensive care unit, Kalam was confirmed dead of a sudden cardiac arrest at 7:45 p.m. Kalam recalled being moved by Pramukh Swami's equanimity and compassion, citing this incident as one of his motivations for writing Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji. [91], On the morning of 29 July, Kalam's body, wrapped in the Indian flag, was taken to Palam Air Base and flown to Madurai in an air force C-130J aircraft, arriving at Madurai Airport that afternoon. He also supported open source technology over proprietary software, predicting that the use of free software on a large scale would bring the benefits of information technology to more people. Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country's first nuclear test Smiling Buddha as the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in its development. [57] Perhaps the most notable plea was from Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri terrorist who was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India in 2004.