paragraph_text: Chittoor Mohammed Habeebullah was an Indian gastroenterologist, known for his contributions to the medical discipline of gastroenterology in India. Born in 1937 in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Habeebullah graduated in medicine (MBBS) from the Guntur Medical College in 1958, after which he secured his master's degree in general medicine (MD) from Andhra University and DM from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. He started his career as an assistant professor at the Department of Gastroenterology, Osmania Medical College and served as the professor and the Head of the Department from 1975 to 1992 and thereafter as the principal till 1994. He also served as the Director, Centre for Liver Research and Diagnostics, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad and as the Director of Medical Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh. He was a 1997 Fellow of The National Academy of Sciences, India and had many scientific publications to his credit. A recipient of the Khwarizmi International Award in 1997, Habeebullah was honored by the Government of India, in 2001, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. He died on 10 July 2010, falling to a cardiac arrest.

paragraph_text: The Bharat Ratna (Hindi pronunciation: (bhaːrət̪ rət̪nə); Jewel of India) is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred ``in recognition of exceptional service / performance of the highest order '', without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but the government expanded the criteria to include`` any field of human endeavour'' in December 2011. The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year. Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a peepal - leaf -- shaped medallion; there is no monetary grant associated with the award. Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.

paragraph_text: Upon independence in August 1947, the title of Viceroy was abolished. The representative of the British Sovereign became known once again as the Governor - General. C. Rajagopalachari became the only Indian Governor - General. However, once India acquired independence, the Governor - General's role became almost entirely ceremonial, with power being exercised on a day - to - day basis by the Indian cabinet. After the nation became a republic in 1950, the President of India continued to perform the same functions.

paragraph_text: Ashok Kumar Mago is an Indian born American business person and the founder Chairman of Greater Dallas Indo American Chamber, now known as (US-INDIA Chamber of Commerce) who is known for his involvement of the Senate India caucus. He was awarded the Padma Shree, the fourth highest civilian award, by the Government of India, in 2014, for his services to the trade and industry.

paragraph_text: Milkha Singh (birthdate, 8th Oct 1935), also known as The Flying Sikh, is an Indian former track and field sprinter who was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army. He was the only Indian athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at a Commonwealth Games until Krishna Poonia won the discus gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements.

paragraph_text: Kota Shivaram Karanth (10 October 1902 – 9 December 1997) was an Indian polymath, who was a novelist in Kannada language, playwright and conservationist. Ramachandra Guha called him the "Rabindranath Tagore of Modern India, who has been one of the finest novelists-activists since independence". He was the third writer to be decorated with the Jnanpith Award for Kannada, the highest literary honor conferred in India. His son Ullas is a conservationist.

paragraph_text: Arthur Chung (January 10, 1918 -- June 23, 2008) was the first President of Guyana from 1970 to 1980. During his time as President of Guyana, the office was that of a ceremonial head of state, with real power in the hands of Prime Minister Forbes Burnham. He was honoured with Guyana's highest national honour, the Order of Excellence (O.E.).

paragraph_text: Professor Karashima played a critical role in developing Indo-Japan cultural ties and was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2013, one of India's highest civilian award, for his contribution in the field of literature and education. In a rare gesture the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh handed over the award personally to Professor Karashima in Tokyo. He died of leukemia in November, 2015.

paragraph_text: Jai Pal Mittal is an Indian scientist, DAE Raja Ramanna Fellow of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Distinguished Professor of Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, the National Academy of Sciences, India and the University of Pune. He is known for his researches in the fields of photochemistry and radiation chemistry. He was honoured by the Government of India in 2003 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.

paragraph_text: Mysore Govinda Rao Venkata Raghavan (born 14 May 1956) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist, playback singer, composer and actor. He was awarded the Rajyotsava Prashasthi, the highhest civilian honour of the state of Karnataka, for his contribution towards Carnatic music.

paragraph_text: Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( (listen); 15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) was an aerospace scientist who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development efforts. He thus came to be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974.Kalam was elected as the 11th President of India in 2002 with the support of both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the then-opposition Indian National Congress. Widely referred to as the "People's President", he returned to his civilian life of education, writing and public service after a single term. He was a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

paragraph_text: Lata Mangeshkar (pronunciation (help info)) (born 28 September 1929) is an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is one of the best - known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over seven decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty - six regional Indian languages and foreign languages, though primarily in Marathi and Hindi. She is the recipient of three National Film Awards, 12 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards and many more. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her in 1989 by the Government of India. She is also the second vocalist, after M.S. Subbulakshmi, to have ever been awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001, India's highest civilian honour. She has four siblings -- Asha Bhosle, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar -- of which she is the eldest.

paragraph_text: John H. Ferrell (April 15, 1829 – April 17, 1900) was a civilian employee of the Union Navy during the American Civil War and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He is one of only eight civilians ever to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor.

paragraph_text: Padmanabhan Balaram is an Indian biochemist and a former director of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India. He is a recipient of the third highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Bhushan (2014) as well as the TWAS Prize (1994).

paragraph_text: R. Vasudevan was an Indian civil servant, and served as special secretary to the Prime Minister of India (Rajiv Gandhi), as also Secretary, Ministry of Steel and Ministry of Power, Government of India. Born in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Vasudevan was the holder of master's degrees in Economics from the University of Delhi and in public administration from Harvard University. He died on 25 July 2010. The Government of India honoured him, posthumously, in 2015, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.

paragraph_text: Nuchhungi Renthlei (1 January 1914 – 1 January 2002) was an Indian poet, singer and school teacher, known for her poems written in Mizo language. She was the founder of "Girls' Auxiliary", an organization for women's rights, which she founded in 1939. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1986.

paragraph_text: On 4 April 1952, Vishwanath was honoured by the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya at Delhi.

paragraph_text: Sir Mokshagundam Viswesvarayya  FASc also spelled as Sir Mokshagondam Visweswarayya, popularly known as Sir MV (15 September 1861 – 12 April 1962) was an  Indian chief civil engineer, scholar, statesman, politician  and the 19th Diwan of Mysore, who served from 1912 to 1919. He received India's highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire (KCIE) by King George V for his contributions to the public good. 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania in his memory. He is held in high regard as a pre-eminent Engineer of India.

paragraph_text: Lokesh Kumar Singhal is an Indian metallurgical engineer known for his expertise in steel making and for the innovations he brought into the steelmaking industry in India. He was honored by the Government of India in 2012 with the fourth highest Indian civilian award, the Padma Shri.

paragraph_text: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 11th President of India In office 25 July 2002 -- 25 July 2007 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Manmohan Singh Vice President Krishan Kant Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Preceded by K.R. Narayanan Succeeded by Pratibha Patil Personal details Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931 - 10 - 15) 15 October 1931 Rameswaram, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, India 27 July 2015 (2015 - 07 - 27) (aged 83) Shillong, Meghalaya, India Nationality Indian Alma mater St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli Madras Institute of Technology Profession Aerospace scientist Professor Author Awards Bharat Ratna (1997) Hoover Medal (2009) NSS Von Braun Award (2013) Notable work (s) Wings of Fire Signature Website abdulkalam.com

Question: Who was given India's highest civilian honor before he became President of India?
Answer: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam