Akhilesh Yadav pays tribute to Dr. Kalam on birth anniversary
Synopsis
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav paid tribute to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary, honouring the Bharat Ratna scientist and former President known as India's Missile Man for leading the IGMDP and shaping the country's space and defence programmes.
Key Takeaways
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav posted a birth-anniversary tribute to Dr.
Abdul Kalam on October 15, 2026 .
Kalam served as India's 11th President from 2002 to 2007 and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1997 .
He led the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) at DRDO, earning the title 'Missile Man of India' .
Kalam also made significant contributions to ISRO and was widely celebrated for championing youth and education during his presidency.
Political leaders across party lines routinely mark October 15 as a day of national tribute to his legacy.
On the birth anniversary of one of India's most beloved scientist-statesmen, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav offered his homage to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the aerospace visionary who transformed India's defence and space capabilities and went on to become the nation's 11th President.
Posting on Thursday, October 15, Akhilesh wrote — 'शत शत नमन' (a hundredfold salute) — to the man he described as India's great scientist and former President, celebrated the world over as the 'Missile Man of India' and honoured with the Bharat Ratna.
From DRDO labs to Rashtrapati Bhavan
Dr. Kalam's journey is the kind that defines a nation's self-image. Born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, he rose through India's scientific establishment to lead the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) at DRDO — the effort that produced the Agni and Prithvi missile series and gave India genuine strategic deterrence. His parallel contributions to ISRO placed him at the heart of India's ambitions beyond the atmosphere. When he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1997, it was a rare moment of national consensus: here was a scientist the entire country claimed as its own.
His presidency from 2002 to 2007 carried a different kind of energy — less ceremonial, more conversational. Dr. Kalam spent those years talking directly to students, insisting that India's future lived in its classrooms and laboratories.
Why October 15 brings the country together
Every year on October 15 — Dr. Kalam's birth anniversary — political leaders across party lines, scientists, teachers and students mark the day with lectures, youth events and public tributes. That cross-party consensus is itself a statement: in a sharply polarised political landscape, Dr. Kalam remains one of the few figures who draws reverence without dispute. Akhilesh Yadav's post fits squarely inside that national ritual — a moment where politics pauses, briefly, for a shared hero.
The 'Missile Man' dreamed aloud of an India that would be a developed nation by 2020. The deadline has passed; the aspiration has not.
Point of View
He confounds almost every political fault line. Akhilesh Yadav's tribute, like those from leaders across the spectrum, reflects the durable political utility of Kalam's memory: invoking him signals both patriotism and inclusivity simultaneously. For the Samajwadi Party, whose core constituency includes UP's Muslim voters and aspirational youth, Kalam's legacy as a scientist-dreamer carries particular resonance. The annual October 15 ritual is, in this sense, also a quiet restatement of the India that Kalam himself imagined.
NationPress
15 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is APJ Abdul Kalam's birth anniversary?
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931 , and his birth anniversary is observed every year on that date with tributes, lectures and youth events across India.
Why is APJ Abdul Kalam called the Missile Man of India?
Dr. Kalam earned the title 'Missile Man of India' for leading the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) at DRDO, which developed the Agni and Prithvi missile series and strengthened India's strategic defence capabilities.
What is APJ Abdul Kalam's Bharat Ratna?
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was awarded the Bharat Ratna , India's highest civilian honour, in 1997 , recognising his extraordinary contributions to science and national development.
Who was India's 11th President?
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam served as India's 11th President from 2002 to 2007 , known as the 'People's President' for his accessibility and emphasis on inspiring India's youth.
What did Akhilesh Yadav say about APJ Abdul Kalam?
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav offered a tribute on October 15, 2026 , describing Dr. Kalam as India's great scientist and former President, and offering shat shat naman — a hundredfold salute — on his birth anniversary.
