New Delhi: Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Monday addressed a packed auditorium ofstudents in the Delhi University, regaling them with experiences of his student days. Though Kalam was invited by St. Stephens College,students from other colleges also came to listen to Kalam's talk. He mainly spoke on the importance ofeducation and the value of teachers in one's life.

"When I was in school, my handwriting was very bad. To help me improve, one of my teachers made me practice handwriting for three hours everyday. I was also poor in calculus, so my Maths teacher used to help me with extra coaching," Kalam toldstudents at the St. Stephens college auditorium.

"I really liked my English teacher. Once when I wasabsent from the class, he came to see me at home and spoke to my parents. I was thrilled," he smiled. Charming the 800-900 students in the auditorium with his gentle words and smile, Kalam spoke for a good 30 minutes amid much applause.

Shabnam Rahman, a student of St. Stephens College who attended the talk, said, "He was so simple and charming. Before he began his talk, he asked us if it was all right to speak on teachers - imagine the former President speaking like that! We just laughed and listened to him thereafter."

Abhishek Sharma, a student of Hindu College, said, "There was no place to even set foot in the auditorium, but it was all worth the trouble. Kalam is the best President India has ever had and is an inspiration for the youth."

-- IANS