Music director A.R. Rehman’s composition of Dr Kalam’s song ‘Ignited Minds’ sung by a group of school children won him a thundering applause by the audience and earned him compliments from none other than the President.

Addressing another gathering of school students on the opening day of the First Child Education Summit at Ashoka Hotel on Children’s Day, Dr Kalam gave the children his mantra for success — curiosity, thinking, knowledge, hard work and perseverence.

Sharing his inspiring and thought-provoking philosophy about hard work and thinking, Dr Kalam said, “Hard work has not killed anyone, less work may have......Thinking is progress, non-thinking is destruction.’’

The star stuck child audience also went beserk at the sight of A.R. Rahman entering the hall. Children ran, autograph books in hand, to the `star'. It was then the turn of the organisers to form a human shield around the music director very much in the same way that Prime Ministers and Presidents are protected.

Appeals from the children that this was unfair and that the elders should remember that it was "their day" fell on deaf ears. Yes, it was a special day for them — what with getting to see the President and A.R. Rahman at the same event. And for the close to 1,000 children it was going to be an outing that they were unlikely to forget in a hurry.