"Dr.Kalam placed his hopes on children to make India a superpower. If you the students of today, have a dream, work on it and become skilled & successful professionals, that would be the best tribute you would be paying him, " expressed Dr.P.Guhan, Director, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research (SRIOR), Coimbatore on Monday.

He was addressing the student of Corporation Higher Secondary School at Siddhapudhur which celebrated the birth anniversary of Dr.Kalam today. Dr.M.Sharmila, Deputy Commissioner, Coimbatore Corporation, R.Jeganathan, Headmaster, Corporation Higher Secondary School, Siddhapudhur were also present.

Dr.Guhan told them an incident involving Dr.Kalam while the latter was at ISRO.

"A key component of a missile was at Bengaluru Airport, and the team working on it needed that urgently. Those were the times people did not have easy access to trucks like we do today. Dr.Kalam asked his friend and colleague Dr.Madhavan Nair to join him in bringing the component back to the base via bicycle, and they did do it", Dr.Guhan shared with the students to highlight Dr.Kalam's willingness to take on hurdles. 

He shared that the former President of India was the person who inaugurated SRIOR, and he did so after demanding the center offer something more valuable than what others do in an Oncology Institute.

"I said SRIOR will provide free pediatric oncology service at a center, which is something only Adyar Cancer Institute has done in Tamil Nadu, and he agreed to inaugurate SRIOR", he said.

On the occasion, The Hindu's 'In School' newspaper editions were given freely to the students.

Deputy Commissioner and Mr.Jagadeesh, a representative from The Hindu urged the students to develop reading and communication skills. They urged them to read newspapers daily and make it a habit.  Mr.Jagadeesh said that similar 'The Hindu - In School' newspaper distribution is happening in around 80 government schools today in Covai.