Fifty years of the Establishment of Sikkim

Reference

On May 16, 1975, the Constitution (36th Amendment) Act, 1975 was passed. This Act was implemented with retrospective effect from April 26, 1975, which became the basis for the complete merger of Sikkim with India. This year, Sikkim completed fifty years of its establishment.

Sikkim's entry into India as a state

• At the time of independence, Sikkim was a protected (refugee) area of ​​the Indian Union. The responsibility of its defense, foreign affairs and communication was on the Government of India. The reins of internal administration were in the hands of King Chogyal.
• By the Constitution (35th Amendment) Act, 1974, Sikkim was made an associate state of India.
• However, in the federal system of India, the granting of the status of an associate state did not have any special significance because after some time Sikkim was included as a state in the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution by the Constitution (36th Amendment) Act, 1975. It was granted the status of a state with retrospective effect from 26 April 1975.
  • Sikkim was given the status of the 22nd state of India on the basis of the request and referendum of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.
  • Special provision regarding the state of Sikkim is mentioned in Article 371F.

Constitutional provisions for new states

• Article 2 states that the Parliament may by law admit or establish new states in the Union on such terms and conditions as it may deem fit.
• Article 3 describes the process of formation of states in the country which is as follows: (1) by separating the territory from a state, (2) by combining two or more states or parts of states or (3) by combining a state with a part of a state. All the aspects involved in this process are as follows- (a) increasing the area of ​​a state or (b) decreasing the area of ​​a state or (c) changing the boundaries of a state or (d) changing the name of a state.
• Parliament can do this only by law. But any bill of this nature can be introduced in Parliament only on the full recommendation of the President and the President gives his recommendation only after knowing the views of the legislature of the concerned state on the proposed bill. Therefore, both Parliament and Legislature have a definite role in the formation of states under the Constitution.
  • Andhra Pradesh was created from Madras State by the Andhra State Act, 1953.

State Reorganization/Formation in India (Since 1960)

Sikkim: An Overview

• Location: In the Eastern Himalayas in the northeastern part of the country
• Borders: Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and northeast, Bhutan to the southeast, Indian state of West Bengal to the south, and Nepal to the west
• Total forest area: 47.34%
• Climate: Alpine and subtropical
• State animal: Red panda
• State bird: Blood pheasant
• State flower: Dendrobium nobile (Nobile orchid)
• State tree: Rhododendron niveum
• Population density: 86 persons per square kilometre
• Literacy rate: 81.4%
• Lok Sabha member: One
• Rajya Sabha member: One
• Legislative assembly member: Thirty-two
• Current Chief Minister (May 2025): Prem Singh Tamang
• Current Governor (May 2025) : Om Prakash Mathur
• Official Language : English, Nepali, Sikkimese (Bhutia) and Lepcha
• Additional Official Languages ​​: Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhiya, Newari, Rai, Sherpa and Tamang
• Major Ethnic Groups : Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali.
  • The Bhutias came from Kham district of Tibet in the 14th century.
  • The Lepchas are believed to have come from the Far East.
• Other Key Facts :
  • The highest mountain in India and the third highest mountain on earth ‘Kanchenjunga’ is in Sikkim.
  • The Kanchenjunga National Park covers about 35% of the state’s area.

Renaming of States/Union Territories

Union Territories That Became States