Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was an Indian independence activist and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India from 1947 to 1950. He was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and India's political integration. He is often referred to as Sardar, meaning "Chief". Patel was also known as the "Iron Man of India". Key aspects of Patel's life and career include:

• Early Life and Education: Born in Nadiad, Gujarat, on 31 October 1875, Patel belonged to the Patidar community. He studied law, travelled to England, and became a barrister.
• Role in the Independence Movement: Patel was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He organised peasants in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against the British Raj. He was instrumental in the Satyagraha movements in Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli. Patel also supported the Quit India Movement and delivered a significant speech in Bombay in 1942.
• Political Career: Patel served as the President of the Indian National Congress. He was a key figure in the Congress party, managing fundraising and selecting candidates for elections. As the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, he played a crucial role in the political integration of India, persuading princely states to accede to India. He was also involved in organising relief efforts for partition refugees.
• Integration of Princely States: Patel, along with Jawaharlal Nehru and Louis Mountbatten, persuaded almost all princely states to join India. He used diplomacy and force to ensure the accession of states such as Junagadh and Hyderabad.
• Constitutional Contributions: Patel was a senior leader in the Constituent Assembly of India and was responsible for shaping India’s constitution. He was the chairman of committees on minorities, tribal and excluded areas, fundamental rights, and provincial constitutions. He also helped establish the All India Services system.
• Relations with Gandhi and Nehru: Patel was loyal to Gandhi and often arbitrated disputes between Gandhi and Nehru, although he sometimes disagreed with Nehru on policy matters.
• Ban on RSS: Following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by a Hindutva activist, Patel banned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He lifted the ban after the RSS adopted a formal written constitution.
• Final Years and Death: Patel's health declined in his final years. He suffered a major heart attack and died on 15 December 1950, in Bombay.

Legacy:

• Patel is remembered as the "patron saint of India's civil servants".
• He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 1991.
• His birthday, 31 October, is celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day).
• The Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue, is dedicated to him in Gujarat.
• Numerous institutions and monuments in India are named after him.