Within a month of assuming office, Kalam made it clear that the existing protocols had to be reworked to make the president easily accessible.
He had started to use the social media, even before they became popular. He welcomed the 21st century with a personal pledge to connect with millions of children and launched his vision of what India should become in 2020. His tours and engagements had more followers than most of the celebrity social media accounts.
Dr. Kalam opened the gates of the Rashtrapati Bhavan like no other president before or after him. He wanted children from across the country to visit the 340-room house he lived in and the renowned Mughal Gardens. Whenever he found time, he would surprise groups of children by walking to them from his ground floor office and conversing with them. He made sure that all children returned with pleasant memories and a small memento. Along with children and science, his passion for nature and spirituality was also legendary. He set up two herbal gardens and one ‘spiritual garden’ in the Bio-diversity Park next to the Mughal Gardens.
Other things that he added to the Mughal Gardens were driftwood exhibits, hanging baskets and foliage and a wide array of fragrant roses. Another remarkable inclusion was the ‘Tactile Garden’, a unique herbal garden for the visually impaired. It was opened in April 2004 to allow visually challenged people to get a feel of trees and shrubs.
Finally, the presidential kitchen was also modernised to improve the working conditions for those who were always living amongst condiments and spices.
Picture Credit : Google
