On the occasion of Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam’s death anniversary, IIM Shillong yesterday commemorated the visionary who transformed the nation with his conviction and innovation, while also celebrating his profound role as a teacher.
To honour his legacy, the institute organised the 8th Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial Lecture, highlighting his teachings and achievements. The session began with students and faculty paying floral tributes to Dr. Kalam, recalling his association with IIM Shillong and the significant impact he left even years later.
Dr. Sanjeev Ningombam, Centre Head of the Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis of IIM Shillong, welcomed the attendees and spoke about Dr. Kalam’s teaching legacy.
Dr. Ningombam said that Dr. Kalam’s guest lectures at the institute are a testament to his belief in the transformative power of education.
The “Nurturing Minds” initiative, launched in 2015 soon after Dr. Kalam’s demise, to pay tribute to his vision of “Education for All” was also highlighted.
The initiative was to establish a strong connection with the local community focusing on local schools, serving as partners in this endeavour, allowing IIM Shillong students to directly impact the education of local students.
The event was graced by the presence of Dr. S P Agarwal, Director of North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), an expert in Remote Sensing and GIS applications for water resource management, disaster management and climate change impact assessment.
Delivering the 8th Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial Lecture, Dr. Agarwal highlighted the importance of learning from failures and discussed ISRO’s contributions to disaster management, the Moon Mission, and the evolution of space technology.
The address detailed various aspects of space technology, including satellite imaging, socio-economic security, sustainable development, and disaster risk reduction. It also emphasised the role of space technology in agriculture, horticulture, geology, mining, infrastructure planning, and ocean and atmospheric studies.
The session highlighted India’s accomplishments in the space sector and how they have made history by following in Dr. Kalam’s footsteps. As part of the event, an exhibition highlighting India’s space achievements was also organised in collaboration with NESAC, the exhibition served as a powerful testament to India’s cosmic journey and a profound tribute to the man who ignited the nation’s space dream.
The lecture concluded with students leaving in determination to transform their dreams into reality, echoing Dr. Kalam’s famous quote, “Dreams are not those which come while we are sleeping, but dreams are those when you don’t sleep before fulfilling them.”
