Who is the Missile Man of India?

Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is called the Missile Man of India because he led the Integrated Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) that developed India's missiles — Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag. He was also the 11th President of India.

When and where was Dr Abdul Kalam born?

He was born on 15th October 1931 in a Tamil Muslim family at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. His father owned a ferry and the family was poor, so Kalam sold newspapers as a boy.

What were Dr Kalam's main contributions to India?

He led the launch of the first Rohini satellite at ISRO, headed the IGMDP missile programme at DRDO, and supervised the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests. He was also the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the 11th President of India.

What awards did Dr Kalam receive?

He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan (1981), the Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the Bharat Ratna (1997), the nation's highest civilian award.

How did Dr Kalam die?

On 27th July 2015, while delivering a lecture in Shillong, Dr Kalam collapsed from a massive cardiac arrest and passed away. He is remembered for his dedication, devotion and selfless service to the nation.

Lesson 4: The Missile Man of India

Detailed Text · The life of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

English · Odisha Board Class 9 · Summary + Textbook Q&A + 25 Quiz

📖 Lesson 4 — The Missile Man of India (Detailed Text): This is the inspiring life-story of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — one of India's greatest scientists, the ‘Missile Man of India’ and the ‘People's President’. From a poor boy selling newspapers to the 11th President of India, his life teaches hard work, dedication and selfless service. Everything you need — summary, theme, word-meanings and all textbook answers — is here.

The Missile Man of India

📝 About the Lesson

The lesson is a biographical sketch of Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam), one of India's most distinguished scientists. Because he was closely involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development, he came to be known as “The Missile Man of India.” In 2002 he became the 11th President of India and the beloved ‘People's President’.

👥 People in the Story

Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — the great scientist and later President of India.
Jainulabdeen — Kalam's father, a boat owner and Imam of a local mosque.
Ashiamma — Kalam's mother, a housewife.
Asim Zohra — Kalam's compassionate elder sister, who mortgaged her gold ornaments for his college fee.
Sivasubramania Iyer — Kalam's loving science teacher at Ramanathpuram.

📚 Summary

Introduction (Para 1): A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was one of India's most distinguished scientists. Involved in the civilian space programme and missile development, he became known as “The Missile Man of India.” In 2002 he was elected the 11th President of India — the “People's President.”

Childhood (Para 2): He was born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in a Tamil Muslim family. His father owned a ferry that carried Hindu pilgrims between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi. Though his ancestors were wealthy traders, the family had become poor, so young Kalam sold newspapers to support his family.

Elementary education (Para 3): He studied at Ramanathpuram, where his loving science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer inspired him. Once the teacher invited Kalam home for a meal; his wife refused to serve a Muslim child, but Kalam's good manners changed her attitude, and she later welcomed and served him herself.

Secondary & higher education (Para 4): At Schwartz Higher Secondary School he was a bright, hardworking student who loved mathematics. He graduated in physics from St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli (1954). Dreaming of becoming a pilot, he joined the Madras Institute of Technology; his sister Asim Zohra mortgaged her gold ornaments for his fee, and he completed aerospace engineering in 1960.

Career (Paras 5–7): He began at HAL, Bangalore, then joined DRDO. In 1969 he moved to ISRO as Project Director of India's first SLV-III; under him the first Rohini satellite was launched into orbit in 1980. After nineteen years at ISRO he returned to DRDO to head the IGMDP, which developed four missiles — Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag — making him “The Missile Man of India.” In 1998 he supervised the successful Pokhran-II nuclear tests.

Honours (Para 8): He was Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister (1992–1999) and was honoured with the Padma Bhushan (1981), Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the Bharat Ratna (1997).

Death (Para 9): On 27th July 2015, while delivering a lecture in Shillong, he collapsed from a massive cardiac arrest and passed away. He will be remembered forever for his dedication, devotion and selfless service to the nation.

💡 Theme / Message

The life of Dr Kalam shows that hard work, dedication, a strong desire to learn and selfless service can lift even a poor boy to the greatest heights. His story inspires students to dream big and work with honesty and determination for the good of the nation.

🏷️ Why ‘The Missile Man of India’?

Because Dr Kalam led the Integrated Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), which developed India's missiles — Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag — and was closely involved in missile and space technology, he came to be popularly called ‘The Missile Man of India’.

📖 Glossary (Word Meanings)

Word	Meaning
distinguished	very successful and admired by people
intimately	closely
involved	concerned; taking part
civilian	not related to the armed forces
missile	a weapon sent through the air that explodes when it hits its target
widely referred to	popularly known / described
Imam	a religious man who leads the prayer in a mosque
ferry	a boat that carries people
pilgrim	a person who travels to a holy place for religious reasons
ancestor	a person in a family who lived a long time ago
supplement	to add something to improve
inspire	to give somebody the desire to do something well
compassionate	kind-hearted; sympathetic
mortgage	to give property to someone in exchange for lending money
aerospace engineering	the study of the development of aircraft and spacecraft
satellite	an object in space used for communication
defining moment	an important point in time at which something happens
eminent	very famous; noted
cardiac arrest	when someone's heart stops temporarily or permanently
dedication	the hard work somebody puts into an important purpose
selfless	thinking more about others' needs and happiness than one's own

Let's understand the text — Textbook Question Answers

1Who was Dr APJ Abdul Kalam?

Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was one of the most distinguished scientists of India. He was closely involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development, and so was known as “The Missile Man of India.” In 2002 he was elected the 11th President of India and was called the ‘People's President’.

2Why is Dr Kalam known as “The Missile Man of India”?

He headed India's Integrated Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and took a leading role in developing India's missiles — Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag. The great success of this programme made him so popular that he was called “The Missile Man of India.”

3Where and when was Dr Kalam born?

He was born on 15th October 1931 in a Tamil Muslim family at Rameswaram, in the state of Tamil Nadu.

4Who were his parents and family members?

His father was Jainulabdeen, a boat owner and the Imam of a local mosque; his mother Ashiamma was a housewife. Kalam was the youngest of four brothers and one sister; his elder sister was Asim Zohra.

5How did his father earn his living?

His father owned a ferry (boat) that took Hindu pilgrims back and forth between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi.

6Were Kalam's ancestors rich or poor? How do you know?

Kalam's ancestors had been wealthy traders and landowners. But in course of time the family fell on hard times and lost their properties, even their ancestral home, and became poor — we know this because, by his early childhood, Kalam had to sell newspapers to support the family.

7How did Kalam add to his family's income?

As a boy, Kalam sold newspapers to supplement his family's income.

8Who was his science teacher? What was he like? What happened when he invited Kalam for a meal?

His science teacher at Ramanathpuram was Sivasubramania Iyer, who was very loving and affectionate and always inspired Kalam to develop his skills. Once he invited Kalam home for a meal; his wife disliked serving a Muslim child and refused, so the teacher served Kalam himself while she watched from behind the kitchen door. But Kalam's good manners in taking the meal and cleaning the floor changed her attitude, and the next time she welcomed him and served him food herself.

9What is the third paragraph about? Who does ‘He’ refer to?

The third paragraph is about Kalam's elementary (primary) education and his science teacher. ‘He’ refers to Sivasubramania Iyer, his science teacher.

10The fourth paragraph is about his — (A) elementary education (B) higher education (C) secondary education (D) family.

(C) secondary education (and his higher education).

11Was he good at studies at high school? What was his dream, and what did he do to fulfil it?

At Schwartz Higher Secondary School he had average grades but was a bright and hardworking student with a strong desire to learn, who spent hours on his studies, especially mathematics. His dream was to become a pilot. To fulfil it, he graduated in physics from St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli (1954), and then joined the Madras Institute of Technology to study engineering.

12What problem did he face for admission to engineering? Who came to his help and how?

Education at the prestigious Madras Institute of Technology was an expensive affair — about a thousand rupees was needed for the course fee. His compassionate elder sister, Asim Zohra, came to his help and mortgaged her gold ornaments for his admission fee.

13When did he complete his aerospace engineering? Name the institutions where he studied.

He completed his aerospace engineering in 1960. Secondary education — Schwartz Higher Secondary School; Graduation in Physics — St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli; Aerospace Engineering — Madras Institute of Technology.

14Paragraphs 5 and 6 describe Dr Kalam's career as — a marine engineer / a plant scientist / an aerospace scientist / a software engineer. How did he begin his career?

They describe his career as an aerospace scientist. He began his career as a trainee at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, and then joined the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) as a scientist.

15When did he start work at ISRO? What was the purpose of the SLV, and when was the first Rohini satellite launched?

In 1969 he was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where he was Project Director of India's first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III). The purpose of the SLV was to develop the technology to launch satellites. Under his guidance the first Rohini satellite was launched into orbit in 1980.

16How many years did Kalam spend in ISRO? Where did he take the leading role in developing India's missiles, and what was he called?

He spent nineteen years in ISRO. He then returned to DRDO to head the country's Integrated Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), which developed four missiles — Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag. This success made him extremely popular, and he was called “The Missile Man of India.”

17Why did he camp in Rajasthan's Thar Desert? Why was it hard, and what was the ‘defining moment’?

In 1998, as chief of the DRDO, he camped in the Thar Desert for over a fortnight to supervise the Pokhran-II nuclear tests. It was very hard because of the extreme heat (53°C). The hugely successful test was, according to Dr Kalam, a ‘defining moment’ in our country's history — India's nuclear era emerged.

18Dr Kalam was the Chief Scientific Adviser to — the President / the Prime Minister / the Field Marshal / the Secretary of Defence. What awards was he honoured with?

He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister (and Secretary of DRDO, 1992–1999). He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan (1981), the Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the nation's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna (1997).

19What is the highest civilian award of our country?

The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of our country.

20How did Dr Kalam pass away? Why will people remember him forever?

On 27th July 2015, while delivering a lecture in Shillong, he collapsed from a massive cardiac arrest and passed away. People will remember him forever for his dedication, devotion and selfless service to the nation, particularly as “The Missile Man of India.”

21What qualities of Dr Kalam do you like very much?

I admire his hard work, humility, dedication and selfless service to the nation. Despite his poor childhood, his strong desire to learn and his honesty took him to the highest positions, yet he remained simple and devoted to his country — an inspiration to every student.

22Name some eminent scientists who have contributed a lot to our country.

Some eminent Indian scientists are Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, C.V. Raman, Homi J. Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Satyendra Nath Bose and Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Let's understand the text better

1(a) Match the paragraph numbers (A) with their main ideas (B).

Para 1 — Introducing Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Para 2 — Kalam's childhood Para 3 — Elementary education Para 4 — Secondary and higher education Paras 5, 6 and 7 — Career and contribution Para 8 — Awards and honours Para 9 — Death of Kalam

2(b) Fill in the blanks choosing the right answers from the brackets.

(i) Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is popularly known as the People's President. (ii) Kalam had to sell newspapers to supplement his family income. (iii) Kalam started his elementary education at Ramanathpuram. (iv) Kalam's most favourite teacher was his science teacher (Sivasubramania Iyer). (v) Dr Kalam was popularly called ‘The Missile Man of India’ after the success of the development of four missiles. (vi) The successful launch of the missiles was possible when Kalam was heading the Integrated Missile Development Programme. (vii) Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was honoured the nation's highest honour, The Bharat Ratna, in 1997. (viii) Dr Kalam was the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Situations, acronyms & extra practice — useful for exams.

1(c) Read the text and find out the situations.

(i) When Kalam faced challenges on his way to achievements: his family became poor and he had to sell newspapers as a boy; his teacher's wife at first refused to serve him because he was a Muslim; and the Madras Institute of Technology fee was so expensive that his sister had to mortgage her gold ornaments. (ii) When Kalam felt happy: when the first Rohini satellite was successfully launched (1980); when the four missiles were successfully developed; and when the Pokhran-II nuclear test succeeded — a ‘defining moment’ when ‘India's nuclear era emerged’.

2Full forms of the acronyms / abbreviations.

(i) HAL — Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (ii) DRDO — Defence Research Development Organisation (iii) ISRO — Indian Space Research Organisation (iv) SLV — Satellite Launch Vehicle (v) IGMDP — Integrated Missile Development Programme

3Name the four missiles developed under the IGMDP.

Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag.

4(Long answer) Describe the childhood of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Dr Kalam was born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in a poor Tamil Muslim family. His father owned a ferry that carried pilgrims, and his mother was a housewife. Although his ancestors had been wealthy, the family had lost its property and become poor. As a boy, Kalam sold newspapers to help his family. He studied under his loving science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, who inspired him to develop his skills. His hard work and strong desire to learn even in these difficult days laid the foundation of his great future.

5(Value-based / HOTS) What lessons can students learn from the life of Dr Kalam?

Dr Kalam's life teaches that poverty and hardship can never stop a determined person. Through hard work, a strong desire to learn, honesty and self-reliance, a poor boy who sold newspapers rose to become a great scientist and the President of India. He also teaches humility, dedication and selfless service to the nation. Students should dream big, study sincerely, respect their teachers and work for the good of others rather than only for themselves.

6(HOTS) ‘When most of the world was sleeping, India's nuclear era emerged.’ Explain what Dr Kalam meant.

Dr Kalam was speaking about the Pokhran-II nuclear test of 1998, carried out secretly in the Thar Desert. He meant that at a time when other nations were unaware (‘sleeping’), India quietly and successfully entered the group of nuclear powers. It was a proud ‘defining moment’ that showed India's scientific strength and self-reliance to the whole world.