Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 2026: Sardar Patel’s life lessons and what students can learn from Iron Man of India

National Unity Day marks Sardar Patel’s 151st birth anniversary on October 31. Find out the lessons his life holds on leadership, unity, grit and generosity for students and adults alike.

New Delhi: National Unity Day, or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, is observed on October 31 to honour Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. This year marks his 151st birth anniversary. Known as the Iron Man of India, Patel played a central role in bringing 565 princely states into the Union after Independence, using diplomacy, personal relationships and, where needed, police action.

The government introduced the day in 2014 in recognition of that effort. The day is meant to reaffirm the nation’s strength and resilience against actual and potential threats to its unity, integrity and security. Beyond the history, Patel’s life holds lessons on putting the country first, leading with generosity and working through hardship, and they apply as much to students as to anyone else. Here are the lessons worth remembering today.

Life lessons from Sardar Patel

Put the nation before yourself

In 1946, the Congress was choosing its president, and whoever won was expected to head the interim government and become the first Prime Minister. Only........

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