Hence, I suggest to you: success always brings happiness but sometimes, we have to be prepared to go through some setbacks in examinations, which could be for a variety of reasons. I would like you to remember my teacher’s advice: ‘In life, we have to be prepared to go through certain unexpected problems. The problem should not become our captain. Students like you should become the captain of the problem, defeat the problem and succeed.’

The courage to succeed and the courage to face unexpected problems are the unique qualities of the youth. You will definitely succeed; go on trying. Do not get disheartened by temporary setbacks.

A Mother’s Dream

Address to the students of Delhi Public School, Varanasi

14 March 2012

Let me tell you the story of Sulochana from Karnataka, who wrote to me about her mother. She said that her mother was born in a very poor family and hence was unable to achieve her dream of getting a degree—she only went to primary school. This made her resolve to educate her children so that they would get high-level degrees and work at great companies. She struggled very hard to convince Sulochana’s father to put Sulochana and her sister in a good school. Her mother fasted for two to three days in order to make her father accept that the children should be put in the best school regardless of the expense.

Finally she succeeded, and in gratitude she promised that she would never ask anything else of him. She was satisfied that her children were going to get a good education, which she hadn’t been able to herself. Sulochana writes, ‘Now, she is very happy that I, her eldest daughter, am going to complete my engineering degree with a job in a multinational company through campus recruitment. When my mother heard that I had secured a job, she was very happy that I had fulfilled her dream. I saw her smiling at me with tears in her eyes, saying, “Congrats, my dear daughter”’. A mother’s love can indeed make children excel.

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Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future

A.P.J. Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh

Will robots take over the world? When will we meet aliens? How are memories stored inside the brain?

Join A.P.J. Kalam on a fascinating quest to explore the realm of science and technology, its extraordinary achievements and its impact on our lives in the days to come. Co-written with Srijan Pal Singh, this book features exciting and cutting edge career paths in areas such as robotics, aeronautics, neurosciences, pathology, palaeontology and material sciences in other words, careers that are going to make a difference in the future. The result of extensive research, this book offers a plethora of ground-breaking ideas that will make youngsters think out of the box.

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Mission India: A Vision for India Youth

A.P.J. Kalam with Y.S Rajan

‘Each and every Indian can make a difference, especially the nation’s youth’