Unless India stands up to the world,
no one will respect us.
In this world, fear has no place.
Only strength respects strength.
DR A P J Abdul Kalam
India 2020 :
Kalam set a target of interacting with 100,000 students during the two years after his resignation from the post of scientific adviser in 1999.
In his own words, "I feel comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school students. Henceforth, I intend to share with them experiences, helping them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India for which the road map is already available."
He continued to interact with students during his term as a President and also during his post-presidency period as a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Awards & Honours :
| 1997 | Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration | Indian National Congress |
| 1997 | Bharat Ratna | Government of India |
| 1990 | Padma Vibhushan | Government of India |
| 1981 | Padma Bhushan | Government of India |
