In this famous title based analogy, Iron Man of India refers to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. In the same way, the phrase Father of the Nation refers to which Indian leader?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the analogy and general knowledge category. It connects honorary titles with the historical personalities who are commonly associated with them in Indian history and public discourse. Recognising these titles is important for many competitive exams and aptitude tests.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Iron Man of India is associated with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• We must map Father of the Nation to the correct leader.
• All options are names of significant Indian leaders.
• The expected answer follows widely accepted popular usage in India.

Concept / Approach:
The idea is to recall standard honorific titles. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is widely called Iron Man of India for his firmness and role in unifying the country after independence. Similarly, Father of the Nation is a popular title used for the main driving force of India's freedom struggle. You must match the second phrase to the leader who carries that accepted title in Indian history and culture.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
There is no competing popular use in India where Father of the Nation refers to any other political leader. Other leaders such as Jawahar Lal Nehru or Lokmanya Tilak have their own well known contributions and sometimes other titles, but they are not referred to as Father of the Nation in mainstream history or common speech.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Lokmanya Tilak was a major freedom fighter and is associated with slogans like Swaraj is my birthright, but not with this specific title.
• Rajeev Gandhi was a later Prime Minister and does not bear this historical honorific.
• Jawahar Lal Nehru is known as the first Prime Minister of independent India and sometimes as Chacha Nehru, not Father of the Nation.
• Subhash Chandra Bose was a key revolutionary leader but also not commonly given this particular title in exam context.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse popular leaders with popular titles and may choose Nehru or Bose due to their importance. Others may simply guess without carefully recalling which title goes with which person. It is important to memorise standard pairs such as Bismarck with Iron Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi with Father of the Nation, and so on.

Final Answer:
The phrase Father of the Nation refers to Mahatma Gandhi.