Dr Jitendra Singh pays tribute to APJ Abdul Kalam on death anniversary
Synopsis
Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on 27 July 2026 paid tribute to former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on his death anniversary, recalling a personal and professional association with the 'Missile Man of India' who passed away on 27 July 2015.
Key Takeaways
Jitendra Singh , Union Minister for Science and Technology, posted a tribute to Dr.
APJ Abdul Kalam on 27 July 2026 , the 11th anniversary of Kalam's death.
Kalam served as India's 11th President (2002-2007) and was a pioneering aerospace scientist at DRDO and ISRO .
The minister cited both a personal and professional association with Dr.
Kalam served as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India from 1999 and contributed to the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests .
Annual tributes on 27 July by science and defence ministries have been a consistent practice since 2015 .
Kalam-era programmes at DRDO and ISRO continue to be cited as foundational to India's current indigenous technology and self-reliance agenda.
Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Monday, 27 July 2026 paid tribute to former President and aerospace scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on his death anniversary, noting a personal and professional association with the late leader.
Context
Posting on X, Dr. Jitendra Singh wrote: 'Humble tribute to Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on his death anniversary. It was a privilege to have been associated with Dr Kalam, personally and professionally.' The post, accompanied by an image, marks 11 years since Dr. Kalam's passing on 27 July 2015.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam — formally Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam — served as India's 11th President from 2002 to 2007. Before his presidency, he was a leading figure at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and contributed centrally to India's missile development programme, earning the informal title 'Missile Man of India'.
Policy Backdrop
Dr. Kalam served as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India from 1999 and played a significant role in the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests. His decades of work at DRDO and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) laid the institutional groundwork that successive science ministers have cited as foundational to India's current technology ambitions.
Since 2015, 27 July has been observed annually with official tributes from science and defence ministries. Dr. Jitendra Singh, who has held charge of the Science and Technology and Earth Sciences portfolios since 2014, has been among the officials who mark the occasion each year, reflecting continuity in the government's effort to link present-day science and technology initiatives to the Kalam era.
Stakeholders and Impact
The tribute resonates most directly with India's scientific community, including researchers at DRDO, ISRO, and affiliated institutions whose foundational programmes were shaped under Dr. Kalam's leadership. Defence researchers and students inspired by Dr. Kalam's public outreach on science education also form a key audience for such commemorations.
Annual observances of this kind reinforce the symbolic continuity between India's early indigenous missile and space efforts and the government's current push for self-reliance in strategic technologies. They also keep Dr. Kalam's legacy — particularly his emphasis on youth and science education — in public discourse.
What's Next
Commemorative events at DRDO laboratories, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and science institutions are typically organised around the death anniversary. Announcements of science awards, fellowships, or scheme extensions named in Dr. Kalam's honour are also a pattern to watch in the days following the anniversary, as successive administrations have used the occasion to signal intent on indigenous technology development.
Point of View
Dr. Jitendra Singh reinforces the continuity of institutional memory between the Kalam era and the present administration's self-reliance agenda in defence and space. The tribute also serves a soft-power function, projecting the science ministry's alignment with aspirational, youth-oriented values that Dr. Kalam embodied. Watched over successive years, this pattern suggests the Kalam legacy has become a durable political and policy reference point across administrations.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam die?
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam passed away on 27 July 2015 in Shillong while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management. His death anniversary is observed annually on that date.
Who is Dr. Jitendra Singh?
Dr. Jitendra Singh is the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and also a Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office. He has held these portfolios since 2014 .
What was APJ Abdul Kalam's role in India's science and defence programmes?
Dr. Kalam was a leading aerospace scientist at DRDO and ISRO , widely credited with advancing India's missile development programme. He also served as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India from 1999 and contributed to the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests before becoming the 11th President of India (2002-2007) .
Why is 27 July significant in India's science calendar?
27 July marks the death anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and has been observed annually since 2015 with official tributes from science, defence, and government institutions across India.
Has Dr. Jitendra Singh worked with APJ Abdul Kalam?
In his post, Dr. Jitendra Singh stated it was 'a privilege to have been associated with Dr Kalam, personally and professionally,' though the specific nature of that association has not been detailed in public records available.
