APJ Kalam wishes to teach at upcoming Nalanda university

Former President A P J Abdul Kalam on Tuesday expressed his desire to teach at the upcoming Nalanda University.

"I disassociated myself from the project as the visitor to the university because I want to teach there after the university becomes functional," Kalam said as he conducted a class at a free residential English school, Shoshit Seva Sangh (SSS), at Khajpura in the state capital. About 250 students belonging to underprivileged sections attended the class.

Kalam earlier visited the dormitory, classrooms and cafeteria of the three-storey school building and expressed happiness to know that most of the schoolchildren were able to speak English. Kalam conducted the class in English.

"I was just like you one day, living in a dormitory and working hard, like you, to acquire knowledge," he said.

The former president also recited a poem to inspire the children: You are born to fly, you are born to fly; You are born with potential, you are born with goodness; You are born with ideas, you are born with dreams; Work hard to live up to those dreams.

Hailing retired IPS officer J K Sinha, who has been running the school for the last six years, Kalam said the idea of SSS was conceived against the backdrop of poverty.

"It is an inspirational effort to prevent the underprivileged children from meeting the same fate as their parents. It will change lives; create new dreams and empower the innocent children to realize their dreams," he said.

During his 45-minute talk to the children at the school's rooftop, the former President profusely used poems to drive home his point. He also made the children recite these poems after him.

"Don't be scared of problems; take them with horns and defeat them. Work hard. Time is important. We have no control over time. So when the time flies, fly with it to acquire knowledge," Kalam told the students.

Kalam concluded his talk by administering an oath to the students: I will win, I will have my goal; I will work hard to achieve the goal; I will work with integrity, I will succeed; I will be a good member of the family, I will be a good member of the society; I will be a good member of the nation and I will be a good member of the world.

The former President donated 100 books to the library of the SSS which was founded in 2005, the year Sinha retired from the IPS.

The school has 247 students in its Class I to X and a faculty of 13 teachers "to help them evolve as educated, responsible citizens of the country".

Later, Kalam had an interactive session with over 10,000 students on the campus of DAV School in BSEB Colony. Questions like how to curb corruption were also raised. The former President inaugurated a club, "What Can I Give", at the school. The club will ensure ideation among its student-members on changing the society and making India a developed nation.
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