Once APJ Abdul Kalam’s driver, this man is now a history professor

APJ Abdul Kalam’s driver over two decades ago, 55-year-old V Kathiresan is now an assistant professor at Arignar Anna Government Arts College in Tamil Nadu, thanks to the former Indian President’s motivation. Kathiresan joined the army in 1979 and underwent training as an electrical mechanic in Bhopal. The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad then appointed him Kalam’s driver-cum-assistant in the late ’80s. He served Kalam until 1991. He worked as driver forhim for 5.5 years.Kathiresan caught the former Indian President’s attention when Kalam saw him reading newspapers, magazines, and books. It was then that Kalam encouraged and motivated him to study further. He has also received monetary aid from Kalam.

Kalam gave DRDL’s employees numerous pep talks, always encouraging them to work harder to achieve their dreams. After completing his 10th board examinations, he went on to pursue his higher secondary, BA (history), and MA (history) from Madurai Kamaraj University. He quit his job in 1996 to focus on his higher studies and joined the Chief Education Officer’s Office in Tirunelveli as a supervisor. He also finished his MA in political science and PhD in history from Tirunelveli. He then joined Arignar Anna Government Arts College in Salem district as an assistant professor.