The medal will have a portrait of Patel on one side and the national emblem on the other. (Source: PIB)Seven years after it was instituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the first Sardar Patel National Unity Award is set to be announced on October 31 this year, The Indian Express has learnt.While the award was instituted in September 2019, and over one hundred nominations are learnt to have been received each year, sources said none of them were considered “deserving” so far. With no “befitting” selection, no award winners were announced until now.However, according to sources, a series of deliberations have been held to announce the first tranche of awards this year, coinciding with the conclusion of the two-year celebrations to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary which began on October 31, 2024.Also Read | Govt names new civilian award for national unity after Sardar PatelThe MHA did not respond to queries emailed by The Indian Express in this regard.Sources said the award will be given by the President alongside the Padma Awards next year.According to those aware of the developments, it will be considered equivalent to the Padma Vibhushan, and there may be two or three recipients this time.While nominations were invited from June 1 to July 31 this year, over 150 names are learnt to have been received so far. Ahead of opening up the portal for public entries, the MHA had also sent letters to all state chief secretaries and Union secretaries, asking them to send nominations.Story continues below this adSources said a committee is set to be notified by the MHA for going through the nominations.Once the committee makes its selection, the candidates would be subjected to verification by the investigating agencies to ensure “that their character/ antecedents are above board,” said sources.According to the 2019 notification announcing the award, the candidate “should have made outstanding efforts and notable contribution to promote and further the cause of national unity and integrity in a manner that may serve as an inspiration to others, and reinforce the value of a strong and united India”.The notification said that “the award committee would be constituted by the Prime Minister, and would include the Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary to the President, Home Secretary, as members, and three-four eminent persons selected by the Prime Minister”.Story continues below this adThe award is set to comprise a medal and a citation, but no monetary grant or cash award would be attached to it. According to sources, it would not be conferred posthumously, except in very rare and highly deserving cases. The medal will be in the form of a lotus leaf, made of gold and silver, with Patel’s portrait embossed on one side and the national emblem on the other.The nominations for the Padma Awards are also managed by the MHA and announced on the eve of Republic Day each year.Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More Tags:Ministry of Home Affairs