PM Modi pays tribute on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's 85th birth anniversary; Work begins on memorial of 'Missile Man'

Tributes to our former President, the person who captured the imagination of every Indian, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 15, 2016

Kalam, India's 11th President, was born in 1931 into a Tamil Muslim family in Rameswaram. India's 'Missile Man' is also known for trying to usher in reforms in the field of education, by encouraging teachers to inculcate art and culture in their teaching.

The work on construction of a memorial for him is to commence on 15 October. A team of DRDO officials led by P K Singh visited the memorial site at Peikarumbu, where Kalam was laid to rest after his death in July in 2015.

They held discussions with local officials regarding various aspects of the memorial. Officials said a total of Rs 50 crore had been allocated for the memorial and a knowledge centre.

In the first phase, Rs 15 crore will be spent for the construction of the memorial on a 27,000 sq ft area. It would cover the burial site and a statue of Kalam.

The memorial will be ready for inauguration on 27 July 2017 - the former president's second death anniversary. The construction of knowledge centre will be taken up in the second phase.

--With inputs from agencies