Late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Our founding Chancellor
- IIST is fortunate to have had Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as the first Chancellor. He served as Chancellor from 2007 - 2015.
- Dr. Kalam was intimately involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development efforts. He thus came to be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology.
- He was an eminent scientist and able administrator, who served at the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, in collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon State.
- Dr. Kalam served as a Chief Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Department of Defense Research & Development. He was the Chairman of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC).
- Dr. Kalam was elected as the 11th President of India in 2002, and was the first scientist to head the world's largest democracy. Widely referred to as the People's President, he returned to his civilian life of education, writing and public service after his term.
- He received many prestigious awards like Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and Bharat Ratna in 1997 by the Government of India. He is a recipient of several other awards and Fellow of many professional institutions.
- Dr. Kalam held the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 48 Universities and institutions from India and abroad.
