PIB Summary- 16th December, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Context
The Prime Minister, has paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his Punya Tithi.

About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), popularly known as Sardar Patel, was an Indian politician.
• He was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Independent India.
• He played an important role in the integration of many Indian princely states to make an Indian federation.
• He took charge of the task to forge a united India from over 560 semi-autonomous princely states and British-era colonial provinces.
• Using frank diplomacy backed with the option (and the use) of military action, Patel’s leadership enabled the accession of almost every princely state.
• Hence, he is recognized as the real unifier of India.
• He is also remembered as the ‘Patron saint of India’s civil servants’ as he established the modern all-India services system. He is also hailed as the Iron Man of India.
• Patel was in charge of the Provincial Constitution Committee and the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, in the Constituent Assembly of India.
• Since 2014, every year on 31 October ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ or the National Unity Day is observed to pay tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – an Indian politician who played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and then during the integration of the country.
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991.

Statue of Unity

• The Statue of Unity which is built in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is dedicated to the nation.
• The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world at 182 metres.
• It is located on the Sadhu Bet island on the Narmada river, which flows between the Satpura and the Vindhya mountain ranges.

INS Tarmugli

Context
The Indian Navy recently commissioned INS Tarmugli, a fast attack craft (FAC), showcasing maritime diplomacy and strength.

INS Tarmugli

• The ship, commissioned in the Indian Navy as INS Tillanchang, belonged to the Trinkat Class and served actively until 2006.

Diplomatic Gift to Maldives:

• In 2006, as part of diplomatic outreach in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), INS Tillanchang was gifted to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) government of India.

Return to Indian Navy (May 2023):

• In May 2023, the ship was returned to the Indian Navy, equipped with MTU engines, advanced communication tools, and a radar system.

Coastal Surveillance and Protection:

• The warship is designated for extensive use in coastal surveillance and protection along the east coast of India.

Namesake:

• Named after Tarmugli Island, a small island in the Andaman group.