Context:
The Government of India has formed a high-level committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the Iron Man of India.

Who was he?

• A key freedom fighter and statesman.
• India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
• Famous for uniting over 500 princely states into a single nation.

Early Life:

• Born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, into a modest agricultural family.
• Initially a lawyer, he studied law at the Middle Temple, London.
• Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi during the Kheda Satyagraha (1918).
• Earned the title “Sardar” after leading the successful Bardoli Satyagraha (1928).

Role in Freedom Movement:

• Led major peasant movements like Kheda and Bardoli against unfair taxes.
• Participated actively in the Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements.
• Presided over the 1931 Karachi Session of Congress endorsing the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

Post-Independence Contributions:

• Architect behind the integration of 562 princely states into India, reducing political fragmentation.
• Managed communal violence and refugee crises during Partition.
• Founded the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), strengthening governance.
• Known for restoring law and order and building a unified administrative framework.

Legacy:
Sardar Patel is remembered as the Iron Man for his firm leadership and vision in uniting India, making him one of the country’s foremost architects of modern India.