The Government of India has instituted the highest civilian award in the field of contribution to the unity and integrity of India, in the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
A notification instituting the Sardar Patel National Unity Award was issued by Ministry of Home Affairs on 20th September, 2019.
The Award seeks to recognize notable and inspiring contributions to promote the cause of national unity and integrity and to reinforce the value of a strong and united India.
The award will be announced on the occasion of the National Unity Day, i.e. the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel on 31st October.
As part of the award, a medal and a citation would be given to the winner. This award would not carry any monetary grant or cash reward. The release said a maximum of three awards would be given in a year.
The ministry said the decoration shall be conferred by the President by a ‘Sanad’ (certificate) “under his hand and seal”.
The decoration shall be in the form of a lotus leaf — six centimetres in length, six and two centimetres at its breadth and four millimetres in thickness. It will be made of fine silver and gold.
On its obverse shall be embossed replica of the lotus and with petals of lotus spreading out from sixteen petals.
A portrait of Sardar Patel shall be embossed upon a circular shaped gold medal with diameter of two centimetres and on the reverse shall be embossed the state emblem and motto in Hindi, it said. “The emblem, the lotus and the petals shall be of fine silver plated with gold and the inscription shall be of frosted gold.”
Any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex is eligible for the award and it may be given posthumously in very rare and only in highly deserving cases.
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