On the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) national president Nitish Kumar offered his respects on Thursday, October 15, 2026, remembering India's beloved former president as an enduring source of inspiration for the nation's youth.

In his post on X, Nitish Kumar wrote: 'Bharat Ratna aur desh ke sarvapriy poorv rashtrapati Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ji ki jayanti par unhe sadar naman.' — 'On the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and the nation's most beloved former president Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, I offer my respectful salute.' He added that Kalam's life, his contributions to nation-building, and the personality that inspired generations of young Indians 'will continue to inspire us always.'

The Missile Man who became a president

Dr. Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931, in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. An aerospace scientist who rose through the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and ISRO, he became widely known as the 'Missile Man of India' for his central role in the country's ballistic missile and space launch vehicle programmes. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1997, India's highest civilian honour, before serving as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. His presidency was defined by an unusual warmth toward the young — he is remembered as much for classroom visits and open letters to students as for state business.

A cross-party tribute that repeats every October

Kalam's birth anniversary has become one of India's most universally observed political commemorations — a rare moment when tributes flow uncontested across party lines, from the ruling dispensation in New Delhi to state governments and opposition leaders alike. Nitish Kumar's post fits this pattern: a senior leader with deep roots in Bihar's political landscape using a national occasion to invoke Kalam's twin legacies of scientific achievement and youth motivation. Kalam's books — particularly Wings of Fire — remain staples in school curricula and competitive-exam reading lists across India, keeping his influence alive in the classrooms his admirers say he never really left.

Each year, October 15 sees institutional events — seminars, essay competitions, science fairs — at universities and schools invoking Kalam's vision of a scientifically tempered, self-reliant India. For a political figure like Nitish Kumar, the tribute also carries a quiet civic message: that the aspirations Kalam embodied — merit, service, national purpose — remain the benchmark against which public life is measured.

A scientist who dreamed for a billion people, a president who sat on dormitory floors with engineering students — Kalam's story does not age, and India keeps returning to it every October 15 for a reason.