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4 Responsibility
CHAPTER UP AND AWARE - 7

(Coping with Stress)

Beginning:

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was the 11 President of India. His is an exceptional story that
th
began in a family where his parents worked very hard to feed and educate their eight
children in Dhanushkodi village in Tamil Nadu. Dr Kalam’s father was an uneducated
boatman who ferried pilgrims and tourists across the river.

In spite of the fact that Dr Kalam was a bright student, he had to struggle to study in a
village with no electricity. Each morning, before attending school, young Kalam would
wake up at 4 a.m. to attend a mathematics class and then go out to deliver newspapers.
He excelled in academics and went on to study physics and aeronautics. Dr Kalam

played a major role in developing India’s missile programme including Nag, Prithvi,
Akash, Trishul and AGNI. He was also one of the brains behind the second nuclear test
in the country.

The Government of India honoured Dr Kalam with the highest civilian award, the

Bharat Ratna, in 1997 for his contribution to the nation.

Dr Kalam was born in an economically underprivileged family but understood the
value of education in his early years. He worked hard to overcome great difficulties and
achieve great success.

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