Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam: Career scientist and Science administrator Santha He was the first bachelor and scientist to reside in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Dr. Kalam was affectionately called the People’s President. According to him, the toughest decision taken by him as President was signing the Bill of Office of Profit. He was criticized as a President for his inaction to decide the fate of 20 mercy petitions out of 21, including that of the Kashmiri Terrorist Afzal Guru, who was convicted for the Parliament attacks in December 2001. Awards and Recognitions: The nation honoured Dr Kalam with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, in 1997 for his contribution in the field of scientific research, development and modernisation of technology in the defence sector of India. In 1990, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Indian Government for his work with the DRDO and ISRO and as scientific advisor to the Government. In 1981 he received the Padma Bhushan In 1998, the Government of India presented to him the Veer Savarkar Award. The Alwar Research Centre, Chennai, bestowed on him the Ramanujan Award in 2000. The University of Wolverhampton in UK bestowed on him the Honorary Doctorate of Science in 2007. California Institute of Technology, USA, honoured him with the International von Karman Wings Award in 2009. In 1997, the Indian National Congress conferred him with the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. He received the Hoover Medal from ASME Foundation, U.S.A, in 2009. The Royal Society of UK honoured him with the King Charles II Medal in 2007. In 2008, he received the Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. In 2010 The University of Waterloo honoured him with the Doctor of Engineering In 2011, he became an honorary member of the IEEE. In 2012, the Simon Fraser University conferred on him the Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa). In 2013, he received the Von Braun Award from National Space Society in recognition of his excellence in the leadership and management of space-related projects. In 2014, he received an honorary degree in Doctor of Science from Edinburgh University, UK. 2015 – The United Nations recognized Dr. Kalam’s birthday as “World Student’s Day”. Documentaries and Books by Dr. Kalam: Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions Developments in Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Roddam Narasimha India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Y.S. Rajan. Wings of Fire: An Autobiography, by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari, ... A TO Z INDIA ● OCTOBER 2021 ● PAGE 11