I won't wash my hands.....

Rather I would like to preserve my hands in POP. One does not get this opportunity everyday to shake hands with personality like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.. To those who have already listened to his any of the lectures Dr. Kalam is god for sure. And for those who did not get this opportunity yet, I can just say that ‘He is far far more wonderful person than any one of you can assume’.

He was scheduled to visit our campus as the chief guest for the convocation ceremony today. He had to fly from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela but unfortunately his chopper could not fly because of bad weather. And it can’t be anyone other than Dr. Kalam that he decided to travel the 10 hrs overnight journey to Rourkela by train just to meet us. Hats off to you Sir !! Hats off to you !

Moreover we were here overwhelmingly excited to listen to his words and more than that to get his glimpse. We thought we won’t be able to see him (Convocation Hall was already occupied with the degree recipients and their parents, so I could not even dream to get into it ). Still we were waiting for him outside the hall and You can’t imagine how down to earth he is ! Although the security guys opened the door of his car towards the auditorium still he got down the other side just because we (students) were standing there. I also clicked some snaps there to preserve the moment. Although I could not get very good one still its manageable.

Hardly a distance of a meter and I was among a very few lucky chaps to shake hands with him. He waved to us even while walking towards the hall.

Rather I should say Dr. Kalam didn’t miss any opportunity to get a glimpse of the students. I have earlier heard about him that he is fond of students a lot and what today I saw I can just say that he loves us more than his life. Hats off to u sir !!

See in the above pic he isn't in the proper convocation dress and now see the following pic.

One can aptly see in this snap that to which side he got down off his car. In the background you can see the the entrance of our institute's convocation Hall.

Finally coming to the point , his address to the young graduates. An arrangement of the live telecast of the convocation ceremony was made in the lecture gallery so I took my seat there. First and the foremost thing what he observed in the hall was the mission statement of NIT Rourkela.He liked it and said this is what he wishes every Indian to make his mission statement.

Moreover he loved the way the graduates were dressed. Unlike the traditional convocation dress of gown and the cap which according to him was a British Culture, Our graduates wore the Indian attire. Kudos to NIT Rourkela !

He narrated a few wonderful stories of his engineering days at MIT Madras. His rendezvous with Prof. Srinivasan was really inspiring. I will try to upload the .pdf of his lecture by Monday once the institute releases it. It’s really worth going through it. He urged us to join politics and he said ,Indian politics needs the technocrats in today’s scenario. He also narrated the story of a tribal young boy he met at Rashtrapati Bhavan. When Dr.Kalam asked him, “ What you dream to be in your life ? ” He unhesitatingly replied,” I want to be the first Visually impaired President of India.” He asked us to get inspired by his determination.

He asked all of us to say with him,

"I Can do it, We can do it, India can do it."

He also urged us to make live his dream of 2020.

His speech was as usual miraculous. I will try my best to make it available to all of you. Also he laid the foundation stone of the “Centre for Technology Innovation and Industrial Research” in our institute.

Although our institute conferred Dr. Kalam with the honorary degree of D.Sc but for us you are God, Dr. Kalam !

Also to receive the honorary degree today was Prof. Damodar Acharya , director , IIT Kharagpur for being the distinguished alumnus of NIT Rourkela.