• My guest this week is the man who has redefined the presidency, one of our most popular presidents ever, one of the most popular Indians of our times --   former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, or now, just Citizen Kalam.

Citizen or Prof Kalam.

• As happy to be a citizen as a president, and as happy to be in this modest place in Delhi Cantonment?

Yes, this is a beautiful place.

• After the Rashtrapati Bhavan?

They have made it very liveable. The environment's excellent.

• And there are as many birds (as in Rashtrapati Bhavan).

It's as though all the peacocks (of Rashtrapati Bhavan) have come here.

• I think they follow your wishes and directions. So tell me, Sir, your first thoughts after five years in the very onerous, privileged position of President of India.

My first thoughts . . . you know, before reaching the Rashtrapati Bhavan, I was teaching. So almost it's a re-entry phenomenon.

• Like a missile's re-entry?

Like the re-entry phenomenon. I immediately went, met students, took a class on nano sites, nano technology, faced a lot of questions. It was a beautiful experience. Then I went to a rural university, the Gandhigram University. It's a beautiful thing, seeing people and how they live there. The university builds earning capacity in students. I talked to students. They were unique students, because for them it was education with a purpose. I was away for five days and then I came back to Delhi, and Delhi is a very busy place for me. Yesterday, I saw people from a freedom society in Pune --   young people, college and high-school students, nearly 30 people. You know why they came?

... contd.