Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Determination to live one’s dream is a commendable act. But to live another person’s dream not only needs determination but also a heart that feels for others. At a tender age of 17, a Tamil Nadu (a state in India) student from Chengalpattu has shown the nation and the world it just needs a will to realize a vision.

That’s what Fazul Rahman did when he said, “I will.” His will to realize the vision of the late former Indian president Abdul Kalam’s vision of a developed India through a simple scheme is now creating waves — such that it would be the means to provide free education to Indian students, who are disadvantaged — monetarily or socially.

The scheme shows how a small drop can collectively become a wave that could benefit many. He said that with so many students in India, all it takes is for these students to give Rs. 1 (about SR0.05) into a fund and the resulting amount (in millions) could be used to impart free education to those who deserve it.

Rahman was speaking at an event organized here by the Jeddah Tamil Sangham (JTS) to recognize his achievement.

When asked how he got to thinking about this social empowerment, Rahman cited Abdul Kalam as his inspiration. He relates the message of Kalam, “The blackboard remains black every time, but every blackboard makes every student’s future bright” as the message that brought about the spark that gave light to the scheme.

“In one of his last speech before he died, Abdul Kalam had said ‘any one of the students, not necessarily from the university, but even a school student, can think up of a scheme to help the needy students in their education.’

“This speech was posted on YouTube and when I came across this clip and saw it, it proved to be an inspiration to me.... He did not ask the scheme to be named after him, all he asked was that the scheme should be run and supervised by the President of India and the education imparted to the poor children should be free such that it would see that no child is left behind for the want of education.”

Rahman said, “It really motivated me, and got me thinking on why can’t we create a scheme, that today is named after Abdul Kalam, such that his dream of a cent percent literate India becomes a reality.”

“I’m happy that a simple scheme of mine has found traction with the Indian government and has been named after the late eminent former president. I would say that it is not my scheme, but the scheme of the students all over India, for it is they who are making this dream a reality,” he added.

Rahman’s scheme involves each and every student in India, not only in private schools, but also public schools, contributing Rs. 1 and that is to be collected by the central government educational committee under the direct supervision of the president of India.

“When I calculated the possible collection from the existing number of students, from KG to 12th standard students, the estimated collection amounted to nearly Rs. 115 crores and proposed the scheme where students themselves help poor students, rather students who are disadvantaged,” Rahman said.

“On Dec. 26, 2016, I wrote to our prime minister, in a letter, about this scheme and got a reply within 3 days, appreciating and congratulating me on my idea while seeking details. The letter was from the PM’s secretary and I sent back my calculations and modalities of the scheme in my next letter.

“The PM himself congratulated me on my effort and said that this scheme, fulfilling the vision of Abdul Kalam, will be a success.”

In Oct 2017, Pondicherry Gov. Kiran Bedi and Chef Minister Narayanswamy called me and appreciated and congratulated me on my scheme and lent their full support. Then on Oct. 25, I met with the PM. There I again unveiled the scheme and the premier was all praise and appreciative of the effort and said we’ll implement the scheme soon. He then told me to go and meet the president of India.

After my meeting with the president, vice president and other federal ministers, who all appreciated this initiative, I was told that the scheme was to be implemented soon. Then on Jan. 18, 2018, the Indian president implemented this scheme after making it an education act, which will be in force for 250 years.

“Abdul Kalam’s vision 2020 of transforming India into a developed nation needed for all children to be educated and contribute to the nation’s development. It was in this light that scheme envisages equal education for all in schools in India. I researched the nuts and bolts of the scheme when I was in the ninth standard and am really happy to contribute in a small way to educate India through this scheme,” Rahman said.

When asked how the scheme is going to be implemented, Rahman said, the framework of the implementation is also simple. The money would be collected through the respective schools, which will then hand it over to the district collectors from where the state chief ministers would be in charge of the sum collected. Each state chief minister will then hand over the collection to the President’s Abdul Kalam scheme fund, with the president then disbursing the amounts.

Rahman added, the identification of the disadvantaged students would again start with schools, whose list of prospective beneficiaries would be vetted by the district collectors, before being included in the scheme, which would take care of their educational and extra-curricular activities needs for the year. For this a database of these deserving disadvantaged students has already been started, and will be built.

Rahman, a class XI student now, is in the limelight not only for this achievement but has used his mind to help develop a rocket that has caught the eye of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). ISRO Director Mayilswami Annadurai was instrumental in accepting the design and is working on a definitive launch.

“Along with this scheme, I’ve also designed a rocket which has been accepted by ISRO, who are building the rocket, at an estimated Rs. 300 crores, and are to launch it once it is fully operational.”

Rahman, who aspires to be an Indian Air Force fighter pilot and is working toward achieving this dream too, said he would like to continue to serve the nation in a different capacity when he grows up.

“My role model has been, from a young age, Air Marshal Vardhaman, who inspired me with his speech. I have met him and recently he had invited me to his place in Tambaram and has always proved an inspiration to me. Only after seeing and meeting him did the yearning to join the Indian Air Force take hold.

“Also I’ll be in India and will be able to continue to not only serve my motherland in this capacity but also in the social sphere. But first I’ll focus on my studies to get into the IAF,” Rahman said.

“It was this love for the IAF that pushed me into designing this rocket. I had hoped to design something for the IAF, and when I made a two-story height rocket design and sent it to ISRO they found it interesting so they accepted it are now building it at their own cost prior to launching it, which I believe will be in around three months,” he said.

“I wanted to design something different, and the first difference is the height of the rocket, which will be four-layered with a PSLV thrust rocket. Once launched the rocket would then explode in space to launch, in the second stage, the satellites in the top layers into orbit,” Rahman said, adding, “The key feature of this rocket is it helps reduce the need for a six months wait for a launch by PSLV. This rocket, a variant of PSLV, would enable increased frequency in the launch sequence with the rocket being used even every month. I’ve asked ISRO to name it Varda I after my role model IAF’s Vardhaman.”

Rahman, while being thankful to JTS for facilitating this trip by calling him over and honoring him, had a message for his fellow students: “Every student in India can devote just two minutes of their time to think about their country and they too would be able to make a difference, motivated by the role models, and leaders’ actions.”