1. Presented by:
Kundan Kumar
Ignited Minds
Unleashing the Power within India
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is an Indian scientist and who
served as the 11th president of India from 2002 to 2007.
Born: October 15, 1931 (age 83), Rameswaram.
Full Name: Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Awards: Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan,
more.
Parents: Ashiamma Jainulabiddin, Jainulabiddin
Marakayar.
Education: Madras Institute of Technology (1955–1960), St.
Joseph's College,Tiruchirappall i(1954).
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Books written by :-
Wings of Fire: An Autobiography,
1999.
India 2020: A Vision for the New
Millennium, 1998.
A New Knowledge Society 2000.
Mission India, 2005.
Turning points:A Journey through
challenges,2012
Target 3 Billion, 2011.
more…
.
4. Dedication
APJ Kalam dedicate this book to a child who is studying in
class 12. Her name is Snehal Thakkar. On 11 April 2002
when he reached Anand by road in the evening, it was
under curfew following communal disturbances. The
next day, at the Anandalaya High School, while talking to
the students, a question came up: ‘Who is our enemy?’
There were many answers, but the one we all agreed
was correct came from her: ‘Our enemy is Poverty.’
It is the root cause of our problems and should be the object
of our fight, not our own.
5. CONTENTS
Introduction
1. The Dream and the Message
2. Give Us a Role Model
3. Visionary Teachers and Scientists
5. Patriotism beyond Politics and Religion
6. The Knowledge Society
7. Getting the Forces Together
8. Building a New State
9. To My Countrymen
Song of Youth
6. The Dream and the Message
Spirituality must be integrated with education. Self-
realization is the focus. Each one of us must become
aware of our higher self. We are links of a great past
to a grand future. We should ignite our dormant
inner energy and let it guide our lives. The radiance
of such minds embarked on constructive endeavour
will bring peace, prosperity and bliss to this nation.
“Dream, Dream, Dream
Dream transform into thoughts
And thoughts result in action.”
7. Give Us a Role Model
A nation’s wealth is the young generation of the country.
When they grow up, who can be the role models?
Mother, father and elementary schoolteachers play a very
important part as role models. When the child grows up,
the role models will be national leaders of quality and
integrity in every field including politics, the sciences,
technology and industry.
“Men often become what they believe themselves to be.
If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me
incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I
acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the
beginning.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
8. Visionary Teachers and Scientists
Vision ignites the minds. India needs visionaries of
the stature of J.R.D. Tata, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish
Dhawan and Dr Verghese Kurien, to name a few,
who can involve an entire generation in mission-
driven programmes which benefit the country as a
whole.
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin
it now.”
-Goethe
9. Patriotism beyond Politics and Religion
There are success stories among failures. There is hope
among chaos, promise among problems. We are one
billion people with multiple faiths and ideologies. In the
absence of a national vision cracks at the seam keep
surfacing and make us vulnerable. There is a need to
reinforce this seam and amalgamate us into one national
forum.
“I do not care for liberation, I would rather go to a
hundred thousand hells, ‘doing good to others
(silently) like the spring’, this is my religion.”
Swami Vivekananda
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The task of casting a
strong India is in the
hands of a visionary
political leadership.
11. The Knowledge Society
Ancient India was a knowledge society that contributed a
great deal to civilization. We need to recover that status
and become a knowledge power. We must learn from our
mistakes to achieve a better standard of life. A developed
India will supplant a spirit of defeat with the spirit of
victory.
“Wisdom is a weapon to ward off destruction; It is an
inner fortress which enemies cannot destroy.”
- Thirukkural 421 (200 BC)
12. Getting the Forces Together
We need to adapt the implementation of our
programmes and policies into a mission mode to
succeed. Progress cannot be swift and far-reaching if
the path is full of potholes. The abundant national
resources, human and material, remain to be fully
utilized.
“Determine that things can and shall be done, and
then we shall find the way.”
-Abraham Lincoln
13. Building a New State
The way to development is through purposeful activity. The
young especially have to be guided properly, so that their lives
find a proper direction and their creativity is allowed to
flower. To facilitate this, certain educational reforms must be
initiated.
With regard to improving the pace of development,
Centre-state efforts should be coordinated in a few key areas
and efforts across sectors and organizations integrated and
taken up in a mission mode. The mindset must change,
showing willingness to take risks. Success will follow.
“If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most
richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature
can bestow—in some parts a very paradise on earth—I should point
to India.”
-F. Max Müller
14. Song of Youth
ME AND MY NATION–INDIA
As a young citizen of India,
armed with technology, knowledge and love for my nation,
I realize, small aim is a crime.
I will work and sweat for a great vision,
the vision of transforming India into a developed nation
powered by economic strength with value system.
I am one of the citizens of a billion,
only the vision will ignite the billion souls.
It has entered into me,
the ignited soul compared to any resource,
is the most powerful resource
on the earth, above the earth and under the earth.
I will keep the lamp of knowledge burning
to achieve the vision—Developed India.
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We should all, particularly the
young generation, should launch a
movement for transparent India.
Transparency is the
corner stone of
development.