National Unity Day on October 31 closes the government's two-year observance of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary and recalls his role in integrating princely states.

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• India observes Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on October 31, which in 2026 falls on a Saturday and marks Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 151st birth anniversary.
• Patel was born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, studied law in England and returned to India in 1913 to practise as a lawyer.
• The day also closes the government's two-year commemoration of Patel's 150th birth anniversary, which ran from October 31, 2024 to October 31, 2026.
• The Government of India introduced National Unity Day in 2014 to honour Patel's role in the political integration of the country.
• Patel became independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
• He is credited with bringing more than 560 princely states into the Indian Union after 1947.
• The main national event is held at the Statue of Unity complex in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on the Narmada river.
• The celebrations feature the Ekta Diwas pledge and a parade by police and paramilitary contingents.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in 2025 that the parade at Ekta Nagar would be held every year on October 31.
• Shah described the day as a non-political event meant solely to honour Patel's role in integrating the princely states.
• The observance ties Patel's integration of the princely states to the government's present emphasis on national unity, integrity and security.