ICHR plans coffee table book on Sardar Patel

AS component of its special explore cast titled “ gathered workings of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,” the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), an autonomous body under the ministry of education, is planning to bring out a coffee table book, hold an exhibition, and organise a series of seminars and conferences on Patel’s life and legacy across the country starting in December, officials said on Thursday.Launched in June 2025, the six-year project aims to compile and publish up to 100 volumes featuring Patel’s writings, speeches, and correspondence across key themes and issues, ahead of his 150th birth anniversary, which falls on Friday.According to the project’s concept note, “The compilation will help scholars gain a balanced perspective on this important personality of modern Indian history.”“Right now, the data collection work is underway,” Om Jee Upadhyay, member secretary, ICHR, told HT. “For the next one year, India will be celebrating 150th year birth anniversary of Sardar Patel and December 15 marks the 75th death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel—he passed away on this day in 1950—so around that date, we will be organising three major events: the release of the coffee table book, an exhibition and conferences, seminars across the country.”Upadhyay said the ‘Collected Works of Sardar Patel’ would be a multi-volume publication, organised “thematically and chronologically.” “Most collected works follow a purely chronological order, but in Sardar Patel’s case, we have chosen a thematic chronological structure. Some Gujarati texts never before translated into Hindi or English will also be included in the collection,” he said, citing themes like Sardar Patel and Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Somnath. Each volume will include original letters, speeches, and documents with annotations, and “serve as an important reference for future researchers.”The project is being led by ICHR in collaboration with Swaraj Sansthan, Bhopal, and several Gujarat-based institutions.ICHR is not the only autonomous body under the Education Ministry working on projects related to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. In March 2025, the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) approved 40 ‘Rashtriya Ekta (National Unity) Seminars’ from 301 proposals to mark Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.By August 2025, the seminars had engaged 7,585 participants across 873 higher education institutions, with 2,089 scholars presenting papers on Patel’s role in national integration and institution-building and 784 resource persons contributing to the discussions on Patel’s enduring relevance.Dr. Shaileshkumar B.Solanki, director, Gujarat State Archives, Gandhinagar said Patel’s life continues to inspire the youth as a shining example of courage, integrity, and nation-first commitment. “In an era of division and uncertainty, his unyielding dedication to unity and pragmatic governance offers timeless lessons in leadership and responsibility. Studying his works and writings is essential not only to understand the making of modern India but also to rediscover the values of discipline, decisiveness, and collective strength that he embodied. Patel’s vision reminds us that true nation-building begins with character-building,” he said.As the central government celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Patel, a grand Republic-Day like parade involving contingents of all the central paramilitary forces, several states’ police, tableaux of over a dozen states as well as demonstrations by indigenous dog breeds will be held on October 31 in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar.