An Autobiography of

Dr. Avul Pakir Jainrlabdeen Abdul Kalam

Wings Of Fire
Presented by,
Sarita Kumari
Dept. of Management Studies

My Mother
I still remember the day when I was ten,
Sleeping on your lap to the envy of my elder brothers and sisters
It was full moon night, my world only you knew
Mother! My Mother!
When at midnight I woke with tears falling on my knee
You knew the pain of your child, My Mother.
Your caring hands, tenderly removing the pain
Your love, your care, your faith gave me strength
To face the world without fear and with His strength.
We will meet again on the great Judgement Day,
My Mother!
Dr. A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam

Book is about.

Self Story

Spiritualism

Poet

Project Management

Leadership Quality

Indias growth in field of Rocket & Missiles

Basic & Interesting introduction to Rocket/ Missiles/ Working/ Testing.

Story

32 years of his
early life

Orientation

Creation

next ten years

next seventeen
years till 1980

Propitiation

Contemplati
on
A condensation
of ideas and
thoughts
arising out of
his colourful
life,

Brief Details

Name- Avul Pakir Jainuladdeen Abdul Kalam

D.O.B.- 15th Oct. 1931

Birth Place- Rameswaram, Tamilnadu

Scientist & Engineer

Bharat Ratna ( Highest Indian Award)

President of India ( 2002- 2007)

Key people

Father: Jainulabdeen Boat Builder, Prayer in mosque 102 yrs.

Mother: Ashia amma
Sister: Zahra
Friend & Brother in law : Ahmed Jallaluddin ,
Prof. Vikram Sarabhai
Prof. Dr. Satish Dhavan
Dr. Brahm Prakash

Father : Boat builder, offer Prayer at Masjid /Mosque / Holy man / Deep
study of Geeta & Qu'ran .

Childhood

Education

Father's dream: Collector

Interest : Watching flying bird & to fly (become Pilot)

Rameswaram (Basic school) - Ramnathpuram (Schwartz School)

Intermediate - Trichi St. Joseph School

B. Sc Madras (MIT) Aeronautical Engineer (Chennai)

Rameswaram : Incidence : (i) Go to last bench.

Fail- first Attempt In Learning

Kalam in younger years wanted to be an officer in air force, however he couldnt clear the
interview. He met Swami Sivananda after this failure and I found his words to Kalam interesting
and in a way prophetic,

Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air
Force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is
predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path.
Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my
son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God

Tipu Sultans rocket warfare against the

British

In the book I learn how Kalam started his career in Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE)
and was involved in the design of a hovercraft. Later he moved to Indian Space Research which
was the brain child of Vikram Sarabhai. In 1963, Kalam went to NASA facility in Maryland(USA) as
part of a training program on sounding rocket launching techniques. There he came across a
painting which depicted Tipu Sultans rocket warfare against the British.

Others things

The book covers a lot of "behind the scene" information and technical details about Indias
satellite and missile program (SLV-3, Prithvi, Agni, Thrisul, Akash and Nag). This might interest
technically inclined readers but is sure to put off readers who bought the book to get to know
Kalam or to know his principles/ideas. Space and missile programs are huge complex projects and
managing them is extremely challenging. The book does give a glimpse of the participatory
management technique adopted by Kalam, but at the same time it doesnt go into details.

One of the things that stands out throughout the book is Kalams positive thinking. He held many
high ranking positions in various organizations. Yet in the book he rarely mentions anything about
lethargy/corruption of bureaucracy or politicians. The secret to his success seems to be his ability
to ignore negative things around him. The book also gives a clue to his popularity in India. Kalam
is a simple, secular, inspiring humanitarian.

Wings of fire covers Kalams personal life only briefly which is strange for an autobiography. For
example, we dont know why he decided to remain single or his activities outside space research
(even though we can conclude in the end that he was married to science and technology).

Poem.

Do not look at Agni

as an entity directed upward
to deter the ominous
or exhibit your might.
It is fire in the heart of an Indian.
Do not even give it
the form of a missile
as it clings to the
burning pride of this nation
and thus is bright.

Dont read success stories,

You will only get a message,
Read failure stories,
You will get some ideas,
To get success.

"We are all born with a divine fire in us. Our effort should
be to give wings to this fire & fill the world with glow of its
goodness.
Purpose :
Message to several million mass of India. To youth. To deprived
poor students.

Dream

Thank you