Memorial for Kalam on his birth anniversary

Paying rich tributes to 'people's President' APJ Abdul Kalam on his 84th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said a memorial to honour him and inspire future generations would be built in his birthplace Rameswaram, which will be developed as AMRUT city.

The Prime Minister exhorted the scientific community, especially the youngsters, to come up with innovations to ease the common man's life, drawing inspiration from Kalam who had built great institutions from scratch.

He mentioned several vital sectors where innovation was essential, including cyber-security, housing for all, river-linking, enhancing agricultural productivity, blue economy, and 'zero-defect, zero-effect' manufacturing.

Describing Kalam as a "Rashtra-<g data-gr-id="27">ratna</g>" before being a "Rashtrapati", Modi, who was speaking at a function organised by DRDO, said the former President always looked for "challenges" and his life is a source of inspiration for all Indians.

The Prime Minister said that a memorial for Kalam would be built at Rameswaram, to inspire future generations.

He added that the government has already acquired the land for the memorial and a committee of Ministers has been set up to discuss modalities in this regard. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said Rameswaram would be converted into AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme) city.

The Prime Minister said that while most people look for opportunities in life, Kalam always sought fresh challenges to overcome. He recalled how he worked closely with Kalam during the post-earthquake reconstruction work in Kutch.

Recalling that Kalam wished to be remembered as a teacher, the Prime Minister said that the former President was well aware of the importance of nurturing future generations.

On Kalam's birth anniversary, "one must explore how we can encourage innovation in India," he said.