Sikkim: Capital, Government, and India’s First Organic State

Sikkim’s capital is Gangtok. The state is the second smallest in India by area. It is also the least populous.

Which countries touch Sikkim?

• Sikkim shares international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and China.
• Gangtok district lies in the south-east of the state. It is a sensitive area that borders China and Bhutan.
• Gangtok is also the headquarters of the East district.

Who leads the state today?

• Prem Singh Tamang is the Chief Minister. He was born on 5 February 1968 at Singling, in the Soreng district.
• He was first sworn in on 27 May 2019 as the 6th Chief Minister of the state.
• His party, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), won 17 of the 32 seats in 2019.
• He took oath for a second consecutive term at Paljor Stadium, Gangtok, in June 2024.
• In the 2 June 2024 election, SKM won 31 of the 32 seats. The Sikkim Democratic Front won the last seat.
• Shri Om Prakash Mathur is the Governor.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Gangtok, 32 seats, SKM 31”. The capital, the house and the 2024 result go together.

Sikkim was a protectorate of India from 1950. It joined the Union as a full state in 1975. Parliament used the 36th Amendment to do this.

What happened before 1975?

• A treaty in 1950 made Sikkim a protectorate within the Union of India. A protectorate is a state that keeps its own ruler but depends on a bigger power for defence.
• The Namgyal dynasty ruled Sikkim. Its king was called the Chogyal.
• On 10 April 1975, the Sikkim Assembly passed a resolution. It abolished the institution of the Chogyal and made Sikkim a constituent unit of India.

What did the 36th Amendment do?

• The Constitution (36th Amendment) Act, 1975 made Sikkim a full state.
• It added “22. Sikkim” to the First Schedule, which lists the states.
• It gave Sikkim one seat in the Rajya Sabha and one seat in the Lok Sabha.
• President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed signed the Act on 15 May 1975.
• Sikkim became the 22nd state on 16 May 1975. The office of the Chogyal ended.

What does Article 371F say?

• The 36th Amendment also added Article 371F. It gives Sikkim some special provisions.
• The Assembly must have not less than thirty members.
• The Assembly elected in April 1974, with 32 members, continued after statehood.

Who was the first Chief Minister?

• L.D. Kazi was the first Chief Minister of the state.
• A statue of him stands at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok.
• The 49th State Day was held there on 16 May 2024.

What is the memory hook?

Think “1950 protectorate, 36th Amendment, 22nd on 16 May 1975”. Treaty, law and number follow each other.

Khangchendzonga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sikkim. It holds Mount Khangchendzonga, the third highest peak in the world. Local people also hold the mountain sacred.

What does UNESCO say about it?

• UNESCO lists the park for both natural and cultural values.
• It has plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests.
• The park contains the world’s third highest peak.
• Many caves, rivers and lakes carry myths and stories.

Why is the mountain sacred?

• The sacred meanings of these stories are linked with Buddhist beliefs.
• UNESCO says they form the basis of Sikkimese identity.
• Local people see the mountain as a protective deity.

What is the memory hook?

Think “third highest peak, sacred mountain”. The peak is high and the faith is deep.

Sikkim was the first Indian state to become fully organic. The Prime Minister announced it in January 2016. The state had moved to organic farming.

What is organic farming?

• Organic farming grows crops without synthetic fertilisers or chemical pesticides.

What did Sikkim do?

• In 2003, the Sikkim government under Pawan Chamling declared that Sikkim would become an organic state.
• The state later restricted chemical inputs and banned their sale.
• About 75,000 hectares are certified under the National Programme for Organic Production.
• Organic status was reached at the end of December 2015.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it at a conference in Gangtok on 18 January 2016.

What is the memory hook?

Think “2003 decision, 75,000 hectares, 2016 announcement”. The plan, the land and the date follow in order.

Which traps repeat?

• Sikkim is the 22nd state. Its date of statehood is 16 May 1975.
• The 36th Amendment made Sikkim a state. Article 371F gives special provisions.
• The first Assembly started with 32 members.
• Gangtok is the capital. Khangchendzonga is the third highest peak.
• Sikkim shares borders with Nepal, Bhutan and China.
• Sikkim was the first fully organic state.

What is the memory hook?

Think “22nd, 1975, 36th, Gangtok, organic”. Five words cover most Sikkim questions.