Every year October 15th is celebrated as World Students’ Day. On this day former president, also known as Missile Man of India, APJ Abdul Kalam was born. This day is celebrated as World Students’ Day to honor him and his role as a teacher. Whether it was his political career or scientific, he has inspired and still inspires thousands of youth all around the world.
APJ Abdul Kalam shared a close and harmonious relationship with the students. His life as a student has been very challenging and filled with hardships and struggles. There was a time when he had to sell newspapers from door to door to support his family and education.
But his commitment towards education was such that he overcame all the hardships and achieved excellence not only in academics; but also held the highest constitutional post in the Republic of India. His story will continue to inspire youths for centuries to come.
APJ Abdul Kalam throughout his scientific and political career considered himself as a teacher and was most pleased while addressing students; whether they belong to a school in some remote village or an esteemed college or university.
World student’s day is celebrated in schools and colleges in India as well as abroad; professing the thought and vision of APJ Abdul Kalam towards making a progressive and sustainable society. He believed that students are the future of a nation and they can bring considerable change if well nurtured and educated. He professed education as the only weapon to fight back the demons of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition etc.
World Students’ Day is a celebration of multiculturalism, diversity and cooperation among students across the globe. Though originally a day of commemoration of the more than 1,200 students from the University of Prague whose lives were taken in WWII, World Students’ Day has become an occasion for universities the world over to boast their masses of international students, and the good they do for the local community.
Students display and celebrate their acts of social responsibility and have gatherings on campus to showcase the causes they volunteer for, take part in gleeful competitions, indulge in student food, gossip about the student unions and complain about their student fees. Although decidedly not as elevated or as relevant to mankind as the activities of the forefathers of World Students’ Day, these gatherings attract a good deal of involvement, donations and attention for organizations and charities.
If you have a student at home, or if you yourself are among those who were privileged to be selected by universities to pay a fortune for courses which will most likely never be applicable to the career path you will ultimately choose, then spend this day thinking about student life, with its ups and downs, and about how you would like future generations to experience these few life-defining years.
