Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) Celebration
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) Celebration
- Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is being celebrated on 31st October all over the country since 2014 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – Indian freedom fighter and Independent India’s first deputy prime minister and home minister.
- This year 2020 marks the 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
- On October 31, 2018, PM Modi inaugurated the “Statue of Unity” – a 182 meter long monument dedicated to Sardar Patel inaugurated at Kevadia Gujarat.
- Also it is added the ‘Eight Wonders’ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in January 2020.
- Further, several events organized on this day like ‘Run For Unity’-a nationwide marathon, National Unity pledge, etc. in a spirit of achieving the goal – Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat.
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was instrumental in making a united India from the 565 semi-autonomous princely states and British-era colonial provinces.
- However, he integrated all princely states into the newly independent India, despite several hurdles.
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel also called the “Loh Purush” “Iron Man of India”.
- Hence, this year Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas today observed the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas which commemorates the birth anniversary of Sardar Ballabhbhai Patel, by organising a Webinar.
- The Prime Minister inaugurated Water Aerodrome at Kevadia and the Sea-plane Service connecting Statue of Unity in Kevadia with Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.
- Also, inaugurated Water Aerodrome in Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and the Sea Plane Service from Sabarmati Riverfront to Kevadia.
- These are part of a series of Water Aerodromes being planned to bring the last mile connectivity.
- Seaplanes have the ability to land and take-off from water thus offering access to areas that do not have landing strips or runways.
- Thus it can help in connecting the geographies/regions that have challenges owing to its topography and bring the remotest parts of India into the mainstream aviation network without the high cost of building airports and runways.
- These smaller fixed wing airplanes can land on water bodies like lakes, backwaters and dams, gravel and grass, thus offering easy access to numerous tourist spots as well.
